Chicago Express (ECHL)

Chicago Express
founding	2010
resolution	2012
history	Chicago Express 2011–2012
Stadion	Sears Center
Location	Hoffman Estates , Illinois
Team colors	navy blue, gray, light blue
league	ECHL
Conference	Eastern Conference
division	North Division
Head coach	Steve Martinson
Team captain	Nathan Lutz
General manager	Wade Welsh
owner	Craig dirt track
Cooperations	Columbus Blue Jackets ( NHL ) Springfield Falcons ( AHL )
Kelly Cups	no

The Chicago Express were an American ice hockey franchise from Hoffman Estates , Illinois . The team played in the ECHL in the 2011/12 season .

history

Chicago Express was founded in 2010 as an expansion franchise of ECHL . The owner of the team, the American Craig Drecktrah, acquired the Chicago Hounds from the United Hockey League in February 2007 . These stopped playing after the 2006/07 season . Drecktrah was previously part of the United Hockey League's Rockford IceHogs . After Craig Drecktrah announced in June 2010 that he wanted to integrate a franchise from Hoffman Estates into the ECHL, a competition ("Name Your Hockey Team") was held to choose the team name. From more than 20,000 votes, the four suggestions Chicago Blizzard , Chicago Express , Chicago Knights and Hoffman Hammers were shortlisted.

Finally, Drecktrah presented the team name Chicago Express as the winner and published the logo of the franchise in September 2010. This includes the main motif of a locomotive, which is supposed to represent the importance of rail traffic in the metropolis of Chicago , which is considered the most important rail hub in North America. That same month, Steve Martinson was announced as head coach. Martinson coached various teams from the minor league with great success from 1995 and never missed the playoffs with them in 15 years. His palmares include five championships with the San Diego Gulls from the West Coast Hockey League and winning the Colonial Cup with the Rockford IceHogs from the United Hockey League . The position of general manager was filled with Wade Welsh, who also acted as president. Prior to that, he was General Manager at Kalamazoo Wings , Missouri River Otters and Quad City Mallards , among others .

On June 21, 2011, defender Nathan Lutz was signed as the first player , who had previously played for the Mississippi RiverKings in the Central Hockey League . Lutz was also named the first and only team captain in franchise history. In July 2011 a cooperation with the Columbus Blue Jackets from the National Hockey League was concluded, so that the Chicago Express functioned as their farm team in the 2011/12 season alongside the Springfield Falcons from the American Hockey League .

The team's home games were played at the Sears Center , which had a capacity of 9,400 for ice hockey games. The first league game of the Chicago Express was played on October 15, 2011, which they won 5-1 away at the Toledo Walleye . Winger Blair Riley scored the first ever goal for Express . The team remained victorious in their first home game seven days later and defeated the Kalamazoo Wings 4-2 in front of 5,472 spectators. The Chicago Express ended the regular 2011/12 season with a record of 80 points in 72 games and only narrowly missed a place in the playoffs for the Kelly Cup ; The last place in the Eastern Conference for the finals was secured by the Reading Royals with the same number of points . The audience response, on the other hand, remained rather modest in the league comparison and averaged 2,508 visitors, while an average of 4,282 people attended the ECHL games.

A few days after missing the playoff qualification, the immediate withdrawal from the ECHL and the cessation of gaming operations after only one year of activity by the franchise was announced.

Season statistics

Abbreviations: GP = games, W = wins, L = defeats, OTL = defeats after overtime, SOL = defeats after shootout , Pts = points, GF = goals scored, GA = goals conceded, PIM = penalty minutes

season	GP	W.	L.	OTL	SOL	Pts	GF	GA	space	Playoffs
2011/12	72	34	26th	8th	4th	80	216	234	2nd, North	not qualified

Franchise records

	Surname	number
Most games	Pierre-Luc Faubert Nathan Lutz	72
Most goals	Chaz Johnson	20th
Most templates	Tyler Donati	47
Most of the points	Tyler Donati	61 (14 goals + 47 assists)
Most penalty minutes	Devin DiDiomete	277
Most wins as a goalkeeper	Peter Mannino	10
Most shutouts	Paul Dainton Rob Madore Peter Mannino	1

Web links

Commons : Chicago Express  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Chicago Express at hockeydb.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ashok Selvam: Sears Center welcomes new hockey team to town. Daily Herald, accessed June 1, 2011 . 
2. ↑ ECHL Welcomes Chicago Express to Sears Center Arena in 2011 season. Sears Center Arena, accessed June 1, 2011 . 
3. ^ Chicago Express Ink Defenseman Nathan Lutz. Our Sports Central, June 21, 2011, accessed July 14, 2011 . 
4. ↑ Columbus Blue Jackets Announce ECHL Affiliation Agreement Chicago Express for 2011-12. Columbus Blue Jackets, July 13, 2011, accessed July 14, 2011 . 
5. ↑ Playoff Hopes Dashed by 3-2 OT Loss to Cincinnati. OurSports Central, March 31, 2012, accessed April 7, 2012 . 
6. ↑ ECHL Attendance Report, 2011–12 Regular Season. (No longer available online.) ECHL, archived from the original on April 6, 2012 ; accessed on April 7, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
7. ↑ Chicago Express cease operations. (No longer available online.) ECHL, April 6, 2012, archived from the original on April 21, 2012 ; accessed on April 7, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.