Louisiana IceGators
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| Louisiana IceGators | |
 |
|
| Founded | 1995 |
| Home Ice | Cajundome |
| Based in | Lafayette, LA |
| Colors | green and white |
| League | ECHL |
| Head coach | Defunct |
| General manager | Defunct |
The Louisiana IceGators were an ECHL team based in Lafayette, Louisiana from 1995 until the end of the 2005 season. The team played its home games at the Cajundome and were last an affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. It was, at its peak, one of the most successful minor league hockey teams in the sport's history, with attendance numbers that rivaled NHL franchises.
[edit] The Glory Days
The Gators were an instant success upon their debut in Lafayette, despite the city's unfamiliarity with hockey. The team holds the top four regular-season average attendance numbers in ECHL history: 11,433 in 1996-97, 11,196 in 1997-98, 9,857 in 1998-99 and 9,776 in 1995-96. The IceGators also hosted the eight largest and nine of the 10 largest postseason crowds in ECHL history, including four capacity crowds of 11,800 in 1997. Success at the turnstiles was matched on the ice, where the IceGators competed with the league's best. The team won division titles in seven of its 10 seasons.
But the team never won an ECHL championship, and toward the end of its existence, attendance dropped. The 2005 season was plagued with team financial issues; drops in attendance led the Cajundome to no longer allow seating in the 300 level seats. The final game wasn't even a sellout, with an attendance of only 4,228. In January 2006, Cajundome officials announced that no investors had responded to a request for proposals that would have returned a hockey team to the dome for the 2006-07 season.
[edit] Ice Gators Records
The Ice Gators racked up many records in their decade span in the ECHL:
MOST POINTS, ONE SEASON
116 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02 (56-12-4)
BEST POINTS PERCENTAGE, ONE SEASON
.806 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02 (56-12-4)
MOST WINS, ONE SEASON
56 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02
MOST HOME WINS, ONE SEASON
30 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02
MOST ROAD WINS, ONE SEASON
26 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02
FEWEST HOME LOSSES, ONE SEASON
2 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02
LONGEST WINNING STREAK, ONE SEASON
14 - Louisiana IceGators, Nov. 23, 2001 - Dec. 22, 2001
MOST SHORTHAND GOALS, ONE SEASON
24 - Louisiana IceGators, 1998-99
MOST 30-OR-MORE GOAL SCORERS, ONE SEASON
5 - Louisiana IceGators, 1998-99. John Varga, 39; John Spoltore, 36; Don Parsons; 34, Mike Murray, 31; Louis Dumont, 30.
FEWEST GOALS AGAINST, ONE SEASON
156 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02
LOWEST GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE, ONE SEASON
2.17 - Louisiana IceGators, 2001-02 (156 goals in 72 games)
MOST ASSISTS, CAREER
510 - Louis Dumont, Tallahassee, Wheeling, Louisiana, Augusta, Pensacola, Mississippi, 1994-04
460 - Chris Valicevic, Greensboro, Louisiana, 1993-02
391 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 1995-01
MOST POINTS, CAREER
754 - Louis Dumont, Tallahassee, Wheeling, Louisiana, Augusta, Pensacola, 1994-04
MOST SHORTHAND GOALS, SEASON
11 - Jay Murphy, Louisiana, 1998-99
MOST POWER-PLAY GOALS, DEFENSEMAN, SEASON
16 - Chris Valicevic, Louisiana, 1995-96
HIGHEST ASSISTS-PER-GAME AVERAGE, CAREER
(AMONG PLAYERS WITH 200-OR-MORE ASSISTS)
1.15 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 1995-01
MOST CONSECUTIVE 40-OR-MORE GOAL SEASONS
4 - Don Parsons, Nashville, Tallahassee, Johnstown, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1994-99
MOST 100-OR-MORE POINT SEASONS
4 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 1995-01
MOST CONSECUTIVE 100-OR-MORE POINT SEASONS
3 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 97-2000
MOST PENALTY MINUTES, SEASON
512 - Rob McCaig, Louisiana, 1995-96
MOST SHUTOUTS BY A GOALTENDER, SEASON
7 - Frederic Cloutier, Louisiana, 2001-02
LOWEST GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE BY A GOALTENDER, SEASON
1.84 - Frederic Cloutier, Louisiana, 2001-02
HIGHEST SAVE PERCENTAGE BY A GOALTENDER, SEASON
.945 - Frederic Cloutier, Louisiana, 2001-02
LONGEST OVERTIME PLAYOFF GAMES
121:24 - Louisiana at Greenville, May 5, 2000 (Greenville won 3-2 at 1:24 of the fourth overtime)
115:19 - Jackson at Louisiana, Apr. 5, 2002 (Jackson won 5-4 at 15:19 of the third overtime)
MOST PENALTY MINUTES, ONE TEAM, ONE SERIES (SINCE 91-92)
355 - Louisiana IceGators vs. Pensacola, 1998
MOST PENALTY MINUTES, ONE TEAM, ONE PLAYOFF GAME
168 - Louisiana IceGators vs. Pensacola, Apr. 30, 1998
MOST ROAD PLAYOFF WINS
21 - Louisiana IceGators
MOST PLAYOFF GAMES
102 - Chris Valicevic, Louisiana, Greensboro, 1994-02
93 - Jay Murphy, Louisiana, Richmond, 1995-03
MOST GOALS IN PLAYOFFS, CAREER
50 - Jay Murphy, Louisiana, Richmond, 1995-03
MOST ASSISTS IN PLAYOFFS, CAREER
69 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 1996-01
MOST ASSISTS, ONE PLAYOFF YEAR
26 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 2000
MOST POINTS, ONE PLAYOFF YEAR
34 - John Spoltore, Louisiana, 2000
MOST ALL-STAR GAMES PLAYED
7 - Chris Valicevic (1994, 1996-2001)
ATTENDANCE RECORDS
ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
11,433 – Louisiana IceGators 1996-97
11,196 – Louisiana IceGators 1997-98
9,857 – Louisiana IceGators 1998-99
9,776 – Louisiana IceGators 1995-96
REGULAR SEASON TOTAL ATTENDANCE
401,185 – Louisiana IceGators 1996-97
391,826 – Louisiana IceGators 1997-98
345,003 – Louisiana IceGators 1998-99
342,154 – Louisiana IceGators1995-96
HIGHEST ATTENDANCE, ECHL ALL-STAR GAME
11,493 – Lafayette, Louisiana IceGators January 20, 1998
ALL-TIME ATTENDANCE, PLAYOFF GAME
11,800 - South Carolina at Louisiana Kelly Cup Finals May 11,1997
11,800 - South Carolina at Louisiana Kelly Cup Finals May 9,1997
11,800 - South Carolina at Louisiana Kelly Cup Finals May 7,1997
11,800 - Peoria at Louisiana Kelly Cup Semi- Finals April 28,1997
11,754 - Mobile at Louisiana Kelly Cup 1st Round April 6, 1997
11,042 - Jacksonville at Louisiana Riley Cup 1st Round April 5, 1996
10,460 - Pensacola at Louisiana Southern Conference Finals April 25, 1998
10,220 - Mobile at Louisiana Kelly Cup 1st Round April 2, 1996
