United Hockey League (1999-00)
Tombstone
Born: May 4, 1999 – UHL expansion franchise
Moved: July 27, 2000 (Kalamazoo Wings)
First Game: October 16, 1999 (W 5-0 vs. Knoxville Speed)
Last Game: April 24, 2000 (L 7-5 @ Flint Generals)
Colonial Cup Championships: None
Arena
Dane County Coliseum (8,500)
Opened: 1967
Marketing
Team Colors: Forest Green, Black & Gold
Ownership
Owners: Keith Decker, Leo Hunstiger, et al.
Background
The Madison Kodiaks were a One-Year Wonder in the now-defunct United Hockey League during the winter of 1999-00. The Wisconsin capital’s prior UHL club, the Madison Monsters (1995-1999), departed for Knoxville, Tennessee in April 1999. The UHL quickly expanded back to Madison, awarding an expansion franchise to a 15-person group represented by former Monsters General Manager Leo Hunstiger.
The UHL’s eagerness to get back into Madison may have been misplaced. The Monsters finished last out of 11 teams in attendance in 1998-99 with 1,896 fans per game. UHL officials set an April 15, 1999 deadline for Hunstiger to assemble his new local ownership group, sell 1,200 season tickets and cobble together a $500,000 expansion fee. The Monsters never sold more than 350 season tickets (Wisconsin State Journal 5/5/1999). Hunstiger fell several hundred tickets short of the season ticket requirement, but UHL owners unanimously voted Madison back into the league regardless in May 1999.
On Ice
The Kodiaks finished the 1999-00 season with a 35-33-6 record. They lost to the Flint Generals in the quarterfinal round of the Colonial Cup playoffs. Jim Duhart was the team’s top sniper with 43 goals. Josh Boni led the Kodiaks in overall points (25 goals, 74 assists). Eoin McInerney and David Fletcher split time in net.
Move To Kalamazoo
At the box office, the Kodiaks fared little better than the Monsters. Madison once again brought up the rear in UHL turnstile clicks in 1999-00 with 2,395 fans per game. Hunstiger resigned his General Manager role with the team halfway through the season. The team lost around $500,000 (Wisconsin State Journal 7/28/2000).
In July 2000, the Kodiaks moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan where that city’s long-time Kalamazoo Wings/Michigan K-Wings club in the International Hockey League had recently folded. The Kodiaks became the “new” Kalamazoo Wings, who are still in business today in the ECHL.
Madison Kodiaks Shop
Links
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One Response
Kodiaks is a very unusual nickname – how was it derived?