Ice hockey in Wyoming
| Ice hockey in Wyoming | |
|---|---|
 Flag of Wyoming | |
| Country | United States |
| Governing body | USA Hockey[1] |
| National team(s) | Men's national team Women's national team |
| First played | 1948 |
Club competitions | |
Wyoming has one of the weakest connections to ice hockey in the United States.
History[edit]
As the least populous state and the second most sparsely populated,[2] Wyoming has never been an attractive target by external sources in the sport. The few attempts from internal initiatives have seen mixed results and have been relegated to the fringes.
The first major attempt at adding ice hockey came from the flagship college, the University of Wyoming. The Cowboys played their first varsity season in 1948–49 but ran into some major problems. While the team had sought to capitalize on the westward expansion of ice hockey and play a combination of college teams and amateur clubs (similar to other schools at the time), Wyoming had a tough time scheduling opponents. The team was limited to approximately 30 games over three seasons, mostly due to travel costs to and from Laramie. With little chance of their situation improving, the team was shuttered in 1951 and had only resurfaced off and on as a club sport afterwards.[3]
No further serious efforts were made to establish a team in Wyoming until the early-21st century when the Coeur d'Alene Colts, a junior team in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac) moved to Cody. The Yellowstone Quake were terrible in their first two seasons but then experienced a sharp swing in year 3. The newfound success allowed the team to establish itself in its new home and leave the NorPac when instability threatened the league. After founding the American West Hockey League with several other former members of the NorPac, the league merged with the NA3HL in 2014.[4] The team was able to win three division titles before the end of the decade and remain a member of the league (as of 2023). Yellowstone was joined by the expansion Gillette Wild in 2011, and the relocated Sheridan Hawks in 2019.
While the NA3HL increased its footprint in Wyoming, the 2011 relocated of the Tulsa Rampage to Cheyenne was less successful. The Cheyenne Stampede were members of the WSHL, a Tier III Junior A league. The Stampede had some success in their first three seasons, however, after 2014 the club faltered and produced 5 consecutive losing seasons. In 2019, the team's financial situation changed due to a new initiative led by Cheyenne mayor, Marian Orr. Team owner Mark Lantz claimed that in the new lease offered in 2018, the team's area fees were increased by 52% and that they were prevented from advertising at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.[5] Orr responded that the new lease was arranged so that the rinks would no be subsidized with taxpayer money. Lantz put the team up for sale while negotiations were underway but no buyer was found and when the deadline for extending the lease passed, the team ceased operations.[6]
Teams[edit]
College[edit]
Inactive[edit]
| Team | City | Gender | Division | League | Years active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | Laramie | Men's | None (pre classification) | Independent | 1948–1951 |
Junior[edit]
Active[edit]
| Team | City | League | Arena | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone Quake | Cody | NA3HL | Victor Riley Arena | 2006 † |
| Gillette Wild | Gillette | NA3HL | Spirit Hall Ice Arena | 2011 |
| Sheridan Hawks | Sheridan | NA3HL | Sheridan Ice M&M's Center | 2019 † |
Inactive[edit]
| Team | City | League | Years Active | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Stampede | Cheyenne | WSHL | 2011–2019 † | Defunct |
† relocated from elsewhere.
Timeline[edit]
Active Active (out of state)
Players[edit]
While the state does have a decent level of engagement with the sport (0.379% of the population registered with USA Hockey in 2023),[7] the overall low population and long stretches without an established team have left Wyoming without any ice hockey players of note.
References[edit]
- ^ "USA Hockey encourages kids with NHL dreams to play other sports". ESPN The Magazine. June 26, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
- ^ "Change in Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 1910 to 2020" (PDF). Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ "Wyoming Team History". College Hockey News. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ "AWHL to join NA3HL in 2014-15".
- ^ "Future of Cheyenne Stampede is uncertain". Wyoming Tribune. February 24, 2019.
- ^ "Stampede to go dormant for 2019-20". WyoSports.net. May 4, 2019.
- ^ "2021-22 Season Final Registration Report" (PDF). USA Hockey. Retrieved July 18, 2023.