Johnstown Chiefs

The Johnstown Chiefs are a minor league ice hockey team located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, playing in the ECHL. The team was founded in 1988 in the All-American Hockey League, and moved to the East Coast Hockey League (now just 'ECHL') when that league was formed. The Chiefs are the only original ECHL team still playing under its original name.

Related Topics:
Minor league - Ice hockey - Johnstown, Pennsylvania - ECHL - 1988 - All-American Hockey League - East Coast Hockey League

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The owners originally wanted to name the team the Jets in honor of a team that had played in Johnstown from 1950 to 1977, mostly in the Eastern Hockey League. However, the old Jets' former owners still held the trademark for the name and refused to allow the new team to use it. Fortunately, they had a second choice. The hockey cult movie Slap Shot had been filmed in Johnstown, and featured a minor league team called the Charlestown Chiefs. The owners readily jumped on the tie-in, and the Johnstown Chiefs were born. It is the only original ECHL franchise still based in its original city.

Related Topics:
1950 - 1977 - Eastern Hockey League - Slap Shot

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The Chiefs play their home games in the historic 3,745 seat Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, where most of the hockey scenes in Slap Shot were filmed. The team colors are black, gold and white (following an early affiliation with the Boston Bruins), and its current road uniforms are based on 1970s era Bruins jerseys.

Related Topics:
Cambria County War Memorial Arena - Boston Bruins

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Among the franchise's notable players has been defenseman Brent Bilodeau (the career leader in games played with 414); Bruce Coles, who holds the career mark for points scored with 227, having played in only 132 games for the team; Scott Bailey, the goalie and former Bruins farmhand who was the first Chief to make the NHL; all-star defenseman Perry Florio, the franchise's career assist leader with 171; right wing Lukas Smital, the career goal scoring leader with 107; enforcer Jeffery Sullivan, the career penalty minute leader with 1205; and goaltender Frederic Deschesnes, who leads the franchise in goaltending games with 152, wins with 69 and shutouts with 5.

Related Topics:
Brent Bilodeau - Bruce Coles - Scott Bailey - Perry Florio - Lukas Smital - Jeffery Sullivan - Frederic Deschesnes

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The Chiefs are currently affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, which recently purchased an interest in the team, of the NHL and the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.

Related Topics:
Tampa Bay Lightning - Springfield Falcons

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