West Palm Beach Barracudas
The West Palm Beach Barracudas were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in West Palm Beach, Florida. They played in the Sunshine Hockey League, later renamed the Southern Hockey League, from 1992–1996. They played their games at the West Palm Beach Auditorium.
| West Palm Beach Barracudas | |
|---|---|
| City | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| League | SHL |
| Operated | 1992–1996 |
| Home arena | West Palm Beach Auditorium |
| Colors | Black, Teal, Red |
| Media | Palm Beach Post |
| Franchise history | |
| 1992–95 | West Palm Beach Blaze (SuHL) |
| 1995–96 | West Palm Beach Barracudas (SHL) |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1993, 1994, 1995 |
| Playoff championships | 1993, 1994, 1995 |
History
The team was founded, by two Montana ranchers, Jim King and Bill Nyrop, formerly of the NHL Montreal Canadiens, as the Blaze in 1992. One of the inaugural franchises of the Sunshine Hockey League, a league with six teams mostly based in Florida. They dominated the Sunshine Hockey League, finishing with the best record and winning the championship in each year of the league's existence, defeating the Jacksonville Bullets each time in the finals.
After the Sunshine Hockey League transformed into the Southern Hockey League, they were reformed as the West Palm Beach Barracudas but were unable to duplicate their success, finishing with a losing record. They folded along with the league after one season, when their home venue, the Coliseum was closed to the public and sold.
Season-by-season record
| Season | League | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Coach | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | SuHL | 45 | 38 | 6 | 1 | 77 | 275 | 166 | 1272 | Bill Nyrop | 1st | Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville) |
| 1993–94 | SuHL | 54 | 37 | 14 | 3 | 77 | 282 | 205 | 1433 | Bill Nyrop | 1st | Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville) |
| 1994–95 | SuHL | 57 | 38 | 15 | 4 | 80 | 322 | 244 | 1852 | Bill Nyrop | 1st | Won championship, 3–0 (Jacksonville) |
| 1995–96 | SHL | 60 | 26 | 32 | 2 | 54 | 251 | 319 | 2084 | Phil Berger | 4th | out of playoffs |