Tombstone
Formed: 1996
Disbanded: May 30, 2001 – Merged with Central Hockey League1Knight, Bill. “Merger puts Buzzards in bigger league”. The Times (El Paso, TX). May 31, 2001
First Game: October 16, 1996
Last Game: May 5, 2001
Seasons: 5
States: 5
(AR, LA, MS, NM, TX)
Leadership
President:
- January 1996 – May 2001: Rich Kozuback
Attendance
WPHL Total Attendance Trends 1996-2001
*El Paso posted the lowest single-season total attendance for a WPHL club completing a full schedule in 2000-01. Three teams (Abilene, Central Texas and Waco) disbanded midway through WPHL seasons with lower attendance totals than El Paso’s low-water mark, but they are not being counted for this purpose.
WPHL Average Attendance Trends 1996-2001
Trophy Case
Western Professional Hockey League Most Valuable Player
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Chris Brooks | Center | Amarillo Rattlers |
| 1997-98 | Jamie Thompson | Left Wing | El Paso Buzzards |
| 1998-99 | Chris Robertson | Center | Corpus Christi Ice Rays |
| 1999-00 | Ron Newhook | Right Wing | Central Texas Stampede |
| 2000-01 | Jason Firth | Center | Tupelo T-Rex |
Western Professional Hockey League Outstanding Goaltender
| YEAR | PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Daniel Berthiaume | Central Texas Stampede |
| 1997-98 | Kevin St. Pierre | Shreveport Mudbugs |
| 1998-99 | Kory Cooper | Waco Wizards |
| 1999-00 | Matt Barnes | Central Texas Stampede |
| 2000-01 | Ken Carroll | Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs |
Western Professional Hockey League Rookie of the Year
| YEAR | PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | No Award | N/A | N/A |
| 1997-98 | Sami Laine | Right Wing | Odessa Jackalopes |
| 1998-99 | Kory Cooper | Goaltender | Waco Wizards |
| 1999-00 | Dan Price | Right Wing | Austin Ice Bats |
| 2000-01 | Ken Carroll | Goaltender | Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs |
Western Professional Hockey League Coach of the Year
| YEAR | COACH | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Todd Brost | El Paso Buzzards |
| 1997-98 | Bill McDonald | Fort Worth Brahmas |
| 1998-99 | Todd Lalonde | Waco Wizards |
| 1999-00 | Brian Curran | Monroe Moccasins |
| 2000-01 | Don McKee | Odessa Jackalopes |
Editor's Pick
Zamboni Rodeo
Chasing Hockey Dreams from Austin to Albuquerque
By Jason Cohen
Texas Monthly journalist Jason Cohen’s 2003 Zamboni Rodeo follows the fortunes of the Austin Ice Bats as they wander across Texas, living on junk food and beer, practicing in deserted malls, and navigating slushy ice in too-warm arenas. Writer Jason Cohen joined the team in the locker room between periods, suffered through every lurching bus ride and fog-delayed game, and even spent a night in the penalty box in his quest, hilariously documented here, to know heartland hockey in all its sorry glory. Photographs add to this lively, irreverent ride through the heady world of bush-league hockey.
When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Background
The Western Professional Hockey League was a low-level independent minor league that played five seasons between 1996 and 2001. The WPHL was active in five states, with franchises in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. The vast majority of clubs were based in Texas.
After the 2000-01 season, the WPHL merged with and was subsumed into the rival Central Hockey League. Ten former WPHL franchises joined the CHL for the 2001-02 season, but only one still exists in 2012 – the Fort Worth (TX) Brahmas.
Western Professional Hockey League Franchise List
| FRANCHISE | YEARS ACTIVE | PRESIDENT'S CUP CHAMPIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene Aviators | 1998-2000 | Never |
| Alexandria Warthogs | 1998-2000 | Never |
| Amarillo Rattlers | 1996-2001 | Never |
| Arkansas GlacierCats | 1998-2000 | Never |
| Austin Ice Bats | 1996-2001 | Never |
| Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs | 2000-2001 | 1999, 2000 & 2001* |
| Central Texas Stampede | 1996-2001 | Never |
| Corpus Christi Ice Rays | 1998-2001 | Never |
| El Paso Buzzards | 1996-2001 | 1997 & 1998 |
| Fort Worth Brahmas | 1997-2001 | Never |
| Lake Charles Ice Pirates | 1997-2001 | Never |
| Lubbock Cotton Kings | 1999-2001 | Never |
| Monroe Moccasins | 1997-2001 | Never |
| New Mexico Scorpions | 1996-2001 | Never |
| Odessa Jackalopes | 1997-2001 | Never |
| San Angelo Outlaws | 1997-2001 | Never |
| Shreveport Mudbugs | 1997-2000 | 1999, 2000 & 2001** |
| Tucson Scorch*** | 1999 (Never Played) | Never |
| Tupelo T-Rex | 1998-2001 | Never |
| Waco Wizards | 1996-2000 | Never |
**As Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in 2001
*The Scorch franchise went through training camp and then was expelled from the league on opening day of the 1999-00 season without ever playing a game.
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