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 United States and Canada. The league was headquartered in Rochester, Michigan, and, in its last year, consisted of seven teams. It folded in 2010, with most of its teams joining the Central Hockey League. The Central Hockey League teams still operating in 2014 were then added to ECHL. The only former CoHL/UHL/IHL teams still active as of 2024 are the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings.
History
The UHL was originally formed in 1991 as the Colonial Hockey League and had teams in Brantford, Ontario; Detroit, Michigan; Flint, Michigan; St. Thomas, Ontario; and Thunder Bay, Ontario; the avowed goal of the league organizers was to fill the low-level niche in the Great Lakes area abandoned by the original International Hockey League as the latter league engaged in upmarket expansion. As time passed, the CoHL moved eastward, into places like Glens Falls, NY; Danbury, CT; Utica, NY; Binghamton, NY; and Richmond, VA. During that expansion, the league was renamed "United Hockey League" (UHL) and the headquarters was moved to Lake St. Louis, Missouri, in 1997.
The 2006–07 season was the last season of play for the league under the UHL name. Following the 2006–07 season, the league lost half of its ten teams. The franchises in Moline and Rockford, Illinois moved to the American Hockey League, the team in Elmira, New York, went to the ECHL, and the franchises in Chicago, Illinois and Port Huron, Michigan ceased operations. In June 2007, at the league’s annual meeting, the UHL announced that it was changing its name to the "International Hockey League" (IHL). Paul L. Pickard was named the first president and CEO of the new IHL. During that summer, the UHL headquarters moved from Lake St. Louis, Missouri, to Rochester, Michigan. The UHL's rebranding was intended to evoke the original IHL, which had ceased operations in 2001 and covered much of the new IHL's footprint. The Fort Wayne Komets were a longtime member of the original league while the Kalamazoo Wings and Flint Generals franchises were revived names of the original Kalamazoo and Flint IHL teams.
On July 13, 2010, the league announced an agreement with the Central Hockey League, the effects of which saw five IHL teams – the Bloomington PrairieThunder, Dayton Gems, Evansville IceMen, Fort Wayne Komets and Quad City Mallards – absorbed into the CHL. The remaining two franchises from the league's last season that were not absorbed into the CHL, the Flint Generals and the Port Huron Icehawks, folded.
Governance
Dennis Hextall was named as the president and commissioner of the International Hockey League on September 2, 2009. Hextall was preceded by Paul Pickard, who served as commissioner for the first two years of the renamed league (2007–2009).
Several UHL teams had affiliations with the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, and the All American Hockey League.
Teams SeasonTeamsExpansionDefunctSuspendedReturn from hiatusRelocatedName changesColonial Hockey League1991–92 5 Brantford SmokeFlint BulldogsMichigan FalconsThunder Bay Thunder HawksSt. Thomas Wildcats1992–93 7 Chatham WheelsMuskegon Fury Detroit Falcons (Michigan)1993–94 8 Flint Generals Flint → Utica Bulldogs Thunder Bay Senators (Thunder Hawks)1994–95 8Utica BlizzardUtica Bulldogs Chatham → Saginaw WheelsSt. Thomas → London Wildcats1995–96 9 Quad City MallardsMadison Monsters London Wildcats1996–97 10 London Wildcats Detroit → Port Huron Border CatsLondon → Dayton Ice Bandits Saginaw Lumber Kings (Wheels)Thunder Bay Thunder Cats (Senators)United Hockey League1997–98 10 B.C. Icemen Dayton Ice Bandits Utica → Winston-Salem IceHawks1998–99 11 Dayton Ice Bandits Brantford → Asheville SmokeDayton → Mohawk Valley Prowlers Saginaw Gears (Lumber Kings)1999–2000 14 Fort Wayne KometsMadison KodiaksMissouri River Otters Madison → Knoxville SpeedThunder Bay → Rockford IcehogsWinston-Salem → Adirondack IceHawksSaginaw → Ohio Gears (mid-season)2000–01 15 Elmira JackalsNew Haven Knights Ohio GearsMohawk Valley Prowlers (mid-season) Madison → Kalamazoo Wings2001–02 142002–03 10 Port Huron Beacons Asheville SmokeB.C. IcemenKnoxville SpeedNew Haven KnightsPort Huron Border Cats2003–04 12 Columbus StarsRichmond RiverDogs Columbus Stars (mid-season)2004–05 14 Danbury TrashersKansas City OutlawsMotor City Mechanics Adirondack Frostbite (IceHawks)2005–06 14 Port Huron Flags Kansas City Outlaws Port Huron Beacons → Roanoke Valley Vipers2006–07 10 Bloomington PrairieThunder Adirondack FrostbiteDanbury TrashersMissouri River OttersMotor City MechanicsRoanoke Valley Vipers Richmond → Chicago HoundsInternational HockeyLeague2007–08 6 Port Huron Icehawks Chicago HoundsElmira Jackals (moved to ECHL)Port Huron FlagsQuad City MallardsRockford IceHogs (Replaced by an AHL team)2008–09 6 Muskegon Lumberjacks (Fury)2009–10 7 Dayton GemsQuad City Mallards Kalamazoo Wings (moved to ECHL)After 09–10 season 0 (League foldedJuly 13, 2010) Port Huron Icehawks (Folded June 10, 2010)Flint Generals (Folded June 10, 2010)Franchises merged into CHL:Bloomington PrairieThunderDayton GemsEvansville IceMenFort Wayne KometsQuad City Mallards Muskegon Lumberjacks → Evansville IceMen (June 23, 2010)
Timeline
History of teams
Adirondack Frostbite 2004–2006 Adirondack IceHawks 1999–2004, later Adirondack Frostbite Asheville Smoke 1998–2002 Arctic Xpress 2000–2001 (did not play), later Canton Xpress B.C. Icemen 1997–2002 Bloomington PrairieThunder 2006–2010, merged into Central Hockey League Brantford Smoke 1991–1998, later Asheville Smoke Canton Ice Patrol 2002 (did not play) Canton Xpress 2001 – January 28, 2002 (did not play), later Canton Ice Patrol Chatham Wheels 1992–1994, later Saginaw Wheels Chicago Hounds 2006–2007 Columbus Stars 2003 – January 9, 2004 Danbury Trashers 2004–2006 Dayton Gems 2009–2010, merged into Central Hockey League Dayton Ice Bandits 1996–1997, later Mohawk Valley Prowlers Detroit Falcons 1992–1996 Elmira Jackals 2000–2007, moved to ECHL Evansville IceMen 2010, merged into Central Hockey League Flint Bulldogs 1991–1993, later Utica Bulldogs Flint Generals 1993–2010 Fort Wayne Komets 1999–2010, merged into Central Hockey League Kalamazoo Wings 2000–2009, Wings moved to ECHL Kansas City Outlaws 2004–2005 Knoxville Speed 1999–2002 Lehigh Valley Xtreme 2000 (did not play) London Wildcats 1994–1995, later Dayton Ice Bandits Madison Kodiaks 1999–2000, later Kalamazoo Wings Madison Monsters 1995–1999, later Knoxville Speed Michigan Falcons 1991–1992, later Detroit Falcons Missouri River Otters 1999–2006 Mohawk Valley Prowlers 1998–February 2001 Motor City Mechanics 2004–2006 Muskegon Fury 1992–2008, rebranded as Lumberjacks Muskegon Lumberjacks 2008–2010, later Evansville IceMen New Haven Knights 2000–2002 Ohio Gears December 20, 1999 – 2000, later Arctic Xpress Port Huron Beacons 2002–2005, later Roanoke Valley Vipers Port Huron Border Cats 1996–2002 Port Huron Icehawks 2007–2010 Port Huron Flags 2005–2007 Quad City Mallards 1995–2007 Quad City Mallards 2009–2010, merged into Central Hockey League Richmond RiverDogs 2003–2006, later Chicago Hounds Roanoke Valley Vipers 2005–2006 Rockford IceHogs 1999–2007, assets bought out by Rockford IceHogs of American Hockey League Saginaw Gears 1998 – December 19, 1999, later Ohio Gears Saginaw LumberKings 1996–1998, later Saginaw Gears Saginaw Wheels 1994–1996, later Saginaw LumberKings St. Thomas Wildcats 1991–1994, later London Wildcats Thunder Bay Senators 1993–1996, later Thunder Bay Thunder Cats Thunder Bay Thunder Cats 1996–1999, later Rockford IceHogs Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks 1991–1993, later Thunder Bay Senators Utica Bulldogs 1993–1994 Utica Blizzard 1994–1997, later Winston-Salem IceHawks Winston-Salem IceHawks 1997–1999, later Adirondack IceHawks
Colonial/Turner Cup champions
The Colonial Cup was the league's championship trophy. The name was changed to the Turner Cup in 2007 to reflect the original IHL's championship trophy, also named the Turner Cup.
1992 – Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks 1993 – Brantford Smoke 1994 – Thunder Bay Senators 1995 – Thunder Bay Senators 1996 – Flint Generals 1997 – Quad City Mallards 1998 – Quad City Mallards 1999 – Muskegon Fury 2000 – Flint Generals 2001 – Quad City Mallards 2002 – Muskegon Fury 2003 – Fort Wayne Komets 2004 – Muskegon Fury 2005 – Muskegon Fury 2006 – Kalamazoo Wings 2007 – Rockford IceHogs 2008 – Fort Wayne Komets 2009 – Fort Wayne Komets 2010 – Fort Wayne Komets
Awards UHL Best Goaltender
See also List of developmental and minor sports leagues List of ice hockey leagues Minor league Sports league attendances
References
External links Official IHL website UHL Yearly Standings