Western Professional Hockey League (1997-2001)
Central Hockey League (2001-2002)
Tombstone
Born: 1997 – WPHL expansion franchise
Re-Branded: 2002 (San Angelo Saints)
First Game: October 15, 1997 (W 8-4 vs. Lake Charles Ice Pirates)
Last Game: March 17, 2002 (L 9-2 vs. Austin Ice Bats)
President’s Cup Championships (WPHL): None
Arena
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: Dick Moore
Attendance
In their final season under the Outlaws name during the winter of 2001-02, San Angelo rated last place in the 16-team Central Hockey League for attendance.
Tap (mobile) or mouse over chart for figures. Tilting your mobile device may offer better viewing.
Background
The San Angelo Outlaws were a minor league hockey outfit that briefly enjoyed hot-ticket status in this West Texas community of 90,000 during the late 1990’s.
The Outlaws entered the upstart Western Professional Hockey League as an expansion franchise for the league’s second season in 1997-98. The WPHL, which topped out at 19 clubs during the 1998-99 season, was primarily a Texas-Louisiana loop, though Arkansas, Mississippi and New Mexico each hosted one team.
During the team’s first two seasons, the Outlaws claimed average attendance of over 4,000 per game in the 5,200-seat San Angelo Coliseum. The team truly peaked during its second campaign. Head Coach Shaun Clouston’s squad won three playoff rounds to reach the WPHL’s President’s Cup championship series. The Outlaws lost in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Shreveport Mudbugs. At the box office San Angelo pulled in a franchise-record 4,113 fans per game that winter.
On The Ice
No members of the San Angelo Outlaws ever advanced to the National Hockey League. Three players had very brief NHL experience before arriving in San Angelo. This fraternity included former Boston Bruins first round draft pick Shayne Stevenson (Outlaws ’98-’99) and goaltender Chad Erickson (Outlaws ’98-’99) and Patrick Labrecque (Outlaws ’99-’00).
Jean Blouin (Outlaws ’97-’01) was the club’s all-time scoring leader, averaging nearly one goal per game (148 goals in 156 appearances) over three seasons.
Decline
In Year Three, following the Outlaws’ 1999 championship series run, crowds plunged 30% and continued to shrink every year thereafter.
Following the 2000-01 season, the WPHL ceased to exist as it merged with the Central Hockey League (CHL). The Outlaws skated one final season under the CHL banner during the winter of 2001-02, missing the playoffs with a last place finish in their division.
During the summer of 2002 the franchise changed hands and was re-branded as the San Angelo Saints ahead of the 2002-03 season. The Saints played three more seasons in the CHL before going out of business in the spring of 2005.
Links
##
One Response
No Outlaws advanced to the NHL, but Chris Minard of the 03-04 San Angelo Saints went on to play 40 NHL games.