The B.C. Icemen were an

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

team in the

United Hockey League The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the Unite ...

(UHL). They played in

Binghamton, New York Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the c ...

, at the

Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena Visions Veterans Memorial Arena (formerly known as the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena and Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena) is a 7,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Binghamton, New York. The arena was completed in 1973, providing an e ...

History

In 1997, the owners of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL)'s

Binghamton Rangers The Binghamton Rangers were a former United States, American professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. History The market was previously serv ...

moved their franchise to

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, as the

Hartford Wolf Pack The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the PeoplesBank Arena. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. ...

. The team was replaced by the B.C. ("Broome County") Icemen of the lower-level

(UHL). The B.C. Icemen logo was created by Endicott native, nationally syndicated cartoonist

Johnny Hart John Lewis Hart (February 18, 1931 – April 7, 2007) was an American cartoonist noted as the creator of the comic strips '' B.C.'' and '' The Wizard of Id''. Brant Parker co-produced and illustrated ''The Wizard of Id''. Hart was recogniz ...

, creator of the

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

'' B.C.''; the logo featured a stylized caveman, similar to those depicted in his comic strip, playing ice hockey. In 2001, the original local owners, Dave Pace, Mark Palombo, and Patrick Snyder, sold the franchise and the new owner, David Wright then initiated a move to bring back the AHL. Wright was forced to declare bankruptcy, but a new ownership group followed his lead and the

Binghamton Senators The Binghamton Senators were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2002 to 2017. Nicknamed the B-Sens, they played in Binghamton, New York, at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. The B-Sens w ...

farm club In sports, a farm team (also referred to as farm system, developmental system, feeder team, or nursery club) is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful pl ...

of the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL), arrived. Former B.C. Icemen include

Keith Aucoin Keith M. Aucoin (born November 6, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues. Playing caree ...

Pete Vandermeer Peter Vandermeer (born October 14, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, currently playing in the senior men's Chinook Hockey League with the Innisfail Eagles. Undrafted, Vandermeer played in two National Hockey League ...

, Chris Allen, Dieter Kochan Brad Jones, and Boyd Kane. :The market was previously served by:

Broome Dusters The Broome Dusters were an ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, United States at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. The team logo was designed by Johnny Hart, artist of the comic stri ...

of the

NAHL Nahl or NAHL may refer to: * Nahl (surname) * National Accident Helpline, a British personal injury lawyer service * North American Hockey League, an American junior hockey league * North American Hockey League (1973–1977), an American profession ...

(1970–1977),

Binghamton Whalers The Binghamton Whalers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, playing in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. History The Whalers were generally a successful team, making the playoffs seven ti ...

of the AHL (1980–1990), and the

of the AHL (1990–1997) :The franchise was followed by:

of the AHL (2002–2017) :

Binghamton Devils The Binghamton Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2017 to 2021 as the top minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New Jersey Devils. During the 2017–18 and 2 ...

of the AHL (2017–2021) :

Binghamton Black Bears The Binghamton Black Bears are a minor professional hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) based in Binghamton, New York, with home games at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena. History A new Federal Prospects Hockey League ( ...

of the

Federal Prospects Hockey League The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league with teams in the Midwestern, Southern, and Northeastern United States. The FPHL began operations in November 2010 as the Federal Hockey League. ...

(FPHL) (2021–present)

Year-by-year record

Team records

:Goals: 52 Chris Grenville (2000–01) :Assists: 59 Patrice Robitaille (1999-00) :Points: 109 Chris Grenville (2000–01) :Penalty minutes: 390

(1998–99) :GAA: 2.34 Erasmo Saltarelli (2001–02) :SV%: .933 Erasmo Saltarelli (2001–02) :Career goals: 160 Chris Grenville :Career assists: 146 Chris Grenville :Career points: 306 Chris Grenville :Career penalty minutes: 643

Matt Ruchty Matthew Ruchty (born November 27, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils, 65th overall in 1988, but only played two exhibition games in the National Hockey League (NHL). Ruchty was ...

:Career goaltending wins: 47 Dieter Kochan :Career shutouts: 6 Dieter Kochan :Career games: 303 Justin Plamondon

External links

The Internet Hockey Database – B.C. Icemen- Binghamton Hockey.net - Hockey History in Binghamton, NY
{{IHL Defunct United Hockey League teams Sports in Binghamton, New York Arizona Coyotes minor league affiliates Defunct ice hockey teams in New York (state) Defunct ice hockey teams in the United States Ice hockey clubs established in 1997 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2002 1997 establishments in New York (state) 2002 disestablishments in New York (state)