Central Hockey League (2000-2001)
Tombstone
Born: 2000 – CHL expansion franchise
Folded: February 20, 20011Munn, Scott. “CHL ices two teams”. The Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK). February 21, 2001
First Game: October 14, 2000 (W 5-2 vs. Topeka Scarecrows)
Last Game: February 13, 2001 (L 8-0 vs. Tulsa Oilers)
Ray Miron President’s Cup Championships: None
Arena
Marketing
Team Colors:
Ownership
Owner: John Barath
Attendance
Background
The Border City Bandits were an ill-conceived minor league hockey outfit that went belly-up midway through their first and only Central Hockey League season during the winter of 2000-01. The border cities, in the Bandits case, were the twin cities of Texarkana on either side of the Arkansas-Texas boundary. The Bandits established their offices in Texarkana, Texas but played their games across the border in a converted rodeo arena in Texarkana, Arkansas.
The Bandits joined a glut of low-level pro hockey in the Southwest. The state of Texas alone fielded a dozen minor league ice hockey teams during the winter of 2000-01.
Behind the scenes, the Bandits were in disarray from the outset. Absentee owner John Barath of Edmonton was allowed to purchase the CHL expansion franchise despite a dubious recent track record in the rival West Coast Hockey League. Barath withdrew his backing of that league’s Tucson Gila Monsters franchise on the eve of its expansion season in 1997. The financially crippled franchise soon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and folded early in its second season, left a gaggle of disgruntled creditors in Tucson.
Barath stocked the team’s front office with family members, including son-in-law Derek Prue, a former Tucson Gila Monsters player. The team would cycle through three General Managers and two head coaching changes during its five-month existence.
On The Ice
The Bandits got off to a respectable start to their expansion season in October of 2000. After ten games, Border City’s record stood at a solid 5-3-2 after a home victory over the San Antonio Iguanas on November 3rd. Then the wheels came off. The Bandits lost 22 of their next 24 games.
Trevor Jobe (12 goals) was the Bandits’ leading sniper during their abbreviated season. Jason Sangiuliano (11 goals, 14 assists) was the team’s total point leader with 25.
Quebecois right wing Daniel Shank, who skated in 9 games for Border City and also briefly served as its head coach, was the only Bandit who ever played in the National Hockey League. Shank appeared in 77 games for the Detroit Red Wings between 1989 and 1992.
End Game
On February 20th, 2001 Central Hockey League officials terminated two of the league’s 12 member clubs in midseason. The circumstances were quite different in the two cases. Border City simply had no resources to continue playing. The Bandits also had a league-worst record of 11-36-4 at the time. The Topeka Scarecrows, the other casualty, had a strong team and reasonably solid attendance. But Scarecrows owner Jonathan Fleisig was embroiled in a dispute with league officials and had ceased paying his league dues.
The midseason euthanasia of the Bandits and Scarecrows franchises marked the first time that the nine-year Central Hockey League saw any of its members fail to complete a season.
Downloads
12-19-2000 Bandits vs. San Antonio Iguanas Game Notes
12-19-2020 Border City Bandits vs. San Antonio Iguanas Game Notes
Links
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