The St. Charles Chill was a minor league

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 and member of the

Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...

that began play during the 2013–14 season on October 19, 2013 as the affiliate 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 ...

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

and 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 ...

Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena ...

. Based in

St. Charles, Missouri Saint Charles (commonly abbreviated St. Charles) is a city in, and the county seat of, St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 70,493 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making St. Charles the List of cities in ...

, the Chill played its home games at the

Family Arena The Family Arena is a multi-purpose arena in St. Charles, Missouri, built in 1999. Currently it is home to the St. Louis Ambush of the Major Arena Soccer League. Background The arena seats 9,643 for hockey, 9,755 for football, 10,467 for ...

. The Chill was the second hockey team to call St. Charles home following the

Missouri River Otters The Missouri River Otters were a minor professional ice hockey team based in St. Charles, Missouri. They played in the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2006. They played their home games at the St. Charles Family Arena, which also opened in Oct ...

, which played 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 ...

from 1999 until folding in 2006.

History

On August 1, 2012, the CHL announced that the former

Laredo Bucks The Laredo Bucks were an ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. The Bucks played in Laredo, Texas, United States at the Laredo Energy Arena, formerly known as the Laredo Entertainment Center. On May 1, 2012, the management, citing declin ...

franchise had been transferred to new ownership headed by Gustavo Hernandez, Alfonso Arguindegui and Glenn Hart, with plans to relocate the team to St. Charles, taking up the "St. Charles Chill" name. The Chill was expected to form strong rivalries with other nearby CHL teams, in particular the

Quad City Mallards The Quad City Mallards were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in the Quad Cities area of Illinois and Iowa that competed in the United Hockey League, International Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. They were named aft ...

Bloomington Blaze Bloomington commonly refers to: *Bloomington, Illinois, a city in McLean County, United States *Bloomington, Indiana, a city in Monroe County, United States *Bloomington, Minnesota, a city in Hennepin County, United States Bloomington may also refe ...

, and in-state rivals the

Missouri Mavericks Missouri (''see pronunciation'') is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it borders Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas to the south and Oklahoma, Kansas, a ...

. On September 17, 2012, the Chill announced that former

player

Jamie Rivers Jamie Rivers (born March 16, 1975) is a Canadian professional broadcaster and former professional ice hockey coach, executive and former player. He currently serves as the color commentator for St. Louis Blues broadcasts on Bally Sports Midwest, ...

would serve as the team's first head coach. Patrick Armstrong served as the team's Executive VP, handling the day-to-day operations of the club. Bart Hull, brother of former St. Louis Blues player

Brett Hull Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadians, Canadian–Americans, American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played f ...

, was named Vice President of Business Operations (a title his brother holds with NHL affiliate St. Louis Blues). On October 17, 2013, the Chill announced that it would be the CHL affiliate of the

and the

. Tony Patricio of KPNT-FM 105.7's "The Point" served as host for the Chill's games; KFNS personality Jeff Burton as Public Address announcer; and WGNU-AM's Matt Grover as DJ. The Chill finished last among CHL teams during its inaugural season, with only eleven wins, but managed to rank seventh in attendance with an average of 2,585 fans per game at the Family Arena. On May 2, 2014, the official website of the St. Charles Chill announced the team was ceasing operations.

References

External links

St. Charles Chill official site

St. Charles Chill introduction press conference
{{DEFAULTSORT:St. Charles Chill St. Louis Blues Central Hockey League teams St. Charles County, Missouri Ice hockey in St. Louis Ice hockey clubs established in 2012 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2014 Defunct ice hockey teams in Missouri 2012 establishments in Missouri 2014 disestablishments in Missouri

History

See also

References

External links