Battle Creek Rumble Bees
The Battle Creek Rumble Bees were a professional ice hockey team based in Battle Creek, Michigan. The team was a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League and played at The Rink Battle Creek.
Battle Creek Rumble Bees | |
---|---|
City | Battle Creek, Michigan |
League | Federal Prospects Hockey League |
Founded | 2019 |
Folded | 2020 |
Home arena | The Rink Battle Creek |
General manager | Adam Stio |
Head coach | Adam Stio |
Website | Battle Creek Rumble Bees |
Franchise history | |
2019–2020 | Battle Creek Rumble Bees |
History
In June 2019, the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) announced it had added a tenth team for the 2019–20 season and it would be in Michigan.[1] On July 23, the Battle Creek Rumble Bees were announced[2] with Adam Stio as the general manager after previously serving in the same role with the Southern Professional Hockey League's Evansville Thunderbolts.[3] The FHL had played multiple neutral site games in Battle Creek over the previous seasons before placing an expansion team there.
The Rumble Bees hired Clint Hagmaier as their first head coach,[4] however, he was released after a 0–9 start to the season with Stio taking over as interim head coach.[5] The Rumble Bees had a 1–45–0–2 record when the league's 2019–20 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Their losing streak led to them being named "the worst team in professional hockey".[6] After the season, the team's players went to different teams in the FPHL as part of a dispersal draft.
References
- "2019/2020 FPHL SCHEDULE". FederalHockey.com. June 17, 2019.
- "Introducing your newest pro hockey team, the Battle Creek Rumble Bees". Battle Creek Enquirer. July 23, 2019.
- "The FPHL's Newest Franchise". Federal Prospects Hockey League. July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Rumble Bees' new head coach eager to get season started". Battle Creek Enquirer. August 14, 2019.
- "Rumble Bees Make Coaching Change". OurSports Central. November 17, 2019.
- "'Bad News Bees': How one-win Battle Creek became the worst team in pro hockey". ESPN.com. 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2020-06-21.