St. John's IceCaps facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. John's IceCaps
City	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
League	American Hockey League
Founded	1994 (First franchise; as a member of the IHL) 1969 (Second franchise)
Operated	2011–2017
Home arena	Mile One Centre
Colours	(2011–2015) Polar night blue, aviator blue, silver, white                     (2015–2017) Red, white and blue
Owner(s)	Danny Williams (local operations of both incarnations, and IceCaps intellectual property) True North Sports & Entertainment (first franchise) Montreal Canadiens (Molson family et al.) (second franchise)
Media	CJYQ
Affiliates	Winnipeg Jets (NHL) Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Franchise history
First franchise
1994–1996	Minnesota Moose
1996–2011	Manitoba Moose
2011–2015	St. John's IceCaps
2015–present	Manitoba Moose
Second franchise
1969–1971 1971–1984	Montreal Voyageurs Nova Scotia Voyageurs
1984–1990 1990–1999	Sherbrooke Canadiens Fredericton Canadiens
1999–2002	Quebec Citadelles
2002–2015	Hamilton Bulldogs
2015–2017	St. John's IceCaps
2017–present	Laval Rocket
Championships
Regular season titles	0
Division Championships	1 (2011–12)
Conference Championships	1 (2013–14)

The St. John's IceCaps were a professional ice hockey team. They were based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The team played in the American Hockey League (AHL). The AHL is a league where players often develop before joining the National Hockey League (NHL).

The IceCaps had two main periods. From 2011 to 2015, they were linked with the Winnipeg Jets NHL team. Then, from 2015 to 2017, they became the top team for the Montreal Canadiens NHL club. The IceCaps were the second AHL team to play in St. John's. Before them, the St. John's Maple Leafs played there from 1991 to 2005.

History of the IceCaps

The Winnipeg Jets Years (2011–2015)

The team's history actually started in 1994. It was first known as the Minnesota Moose and played in a different league called the International Hockey League. In 1996, the team moved to Winnipeg and became the Manitoba Moose. This happened after the original Winnipeg Jets NHL team moved away.

The Manitoba Moose joined the AHL in 2001. They became the main team for the Vancouver Canucks. In 2009, the Moose made it to the Calder Cup Finals. This is the championship series for the AHL. However, they lost to the Hershey Bears.

In 2011, the NHL returned to Winnipeg. The owners of the Moose bought the Atlanta Thrashers NHL team and moved it to Winnipeg. This meant the Moose needed a new home. A deal was made to move the AHL team to St. John's. This happened for the 2011–12 AHL season. The AHL officially approved the move on June 20, 2011.

The new St. John's team became the main team for the new Winnipeg Jets. Before their first official game, the IceCaps played an exhibition game. Many of the Jets' future players were on the IceCaps. The Jets won this game 3–1 against the Ottawa Senators.

The IceCaps played their first game on October 7, 2011. It was an away game against the Providence Bruins. Their first home game was on October 14, 2011, against the Hamilton Bulldogs. In their first season, the IceCaps did very well. They finished first in their division. They even made it to the Eastern Conference Championship series. They lost to the Norfolk Admirals, who went on to win the Calder Cup.

After missing the playoffs in the 2012–13 AHL season, the IceCaps had a great 2013–14 AHL season. They finished second in their division. They made it to the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They won their first two playoff series.

On June 3, 2014, the IceCaps won the Eastern Conference Championship. They beat the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins 5–0 in Game 6. This meant they reached the Calder Cup Finals for the first time. It was also the second time a St. John's team played for the AHL championship. The IceCaps played against the Texas Stars in the Finals. They were defeated in five games.

The Montreal Canadiens Years (2015–2017)

In 2014, there were talks about the Winnipeg Jets moving their AHL team. The Jets wanted their team closer to them. This meant the IceCaps might leave St. John's. The mayor of St. John's said he would try to find another team if the IceCaps left.

In 2015, a new deal was made. The Montreal Canadiens moved their AHL team, the Hamilton Bulldogs, to St. John's. This happened after the original IceCaps team moved back to Winnipeg and became the Manitoba Moose again. The new team in St. John's took on the "IceCaps" name. The name and logo belonged to the local group in St. John's.

This move was planned to be temporary. The Canadiens also wanted their AHL team closer to their NHL club. In 2016, the Canadiens confirmed their team would move to Laval, Quebec. They would become the Laval Rocket starting in the 2017–18 season. After the IceCaps left, a new team, the Newfoundland Growlers, joined the ECHL in St. John's in 2018.

About the Team

Team Name

When the team moved to St. John's, there wasn't enough time for a fan contest to name it. The team's advisory committee chose the name. The old name, "Moose," was not kept. This was partly because of the many car accidents involving moose in Newfoundland.

Soon, news outlets reported the team would be called the St. John's IceCaps. This name was officially announced on July 29, 2011.

Team Colors and Jerseys

The jerseys of the St. John's IceCaps, from 2011 to 2015 (when the team was linked with the Winnipeg Jets)

The first St. John's IceCaps team wore jerseys like the Winnipeg Jets. Their colors were aviator blue, white, polar night blue, and silver. The Jets' logo was also on the shoulder of the IceCaps' jerseys.

The second IceCaps team, linked with the Montreal Canadiens, wore different colors. Their jerseys were red, white, and blue, matching the Canadiens' traditional look.

The IceCaps logo stayed the same for both teams. Only the colors changed to match the jerseys. The logo is a special trademark of the local group in St. John's. This means it could be used again for a future hockey team there.

Team Mascot

The IceCaps' mascot was Buddy the Puffin. Buddy was a very popular mascot. He was also the mascot for the previous St. John's Maple Leafs team. Buddy's jersey number was 92. This number represents 1992, the year he first became a mascot.

Travel Challenges

Newfoundland is located far east in Canada. This made travel difficult for hockey teams. Most flights to St. John's needed a stop in Montreal or Toronto. This made travel longer and more expensive. To help with costs, visiting AHL teams usually played two games in a row against the IceCaps.

Season Results

Here's how the St. John's IceCaps performed each season:

Records as of April 28, 2017.

Key Players and Records

Team Captains

The IceCaps had three team captains during their time:

• Jason Jaffray (2011–2015)
• Gabriel Dumont (2015–2016)
• Max Friberg (2016–2017)

Team Records

Here are some of the best records for players in a single season and throughout their time with the IceCaps:

Single Season Records

• Most Goals: Chris Terry, 30 goals (2016–17)
• Most Assists: Jason Jaffray, 41 assists (2013–14)
• Most Points: Chris Terry, 68 points (2016–17)
• Most Penalty Minutes: J.C. Lipon, 163 minutes (2014–15)
• Best Goaltending Save Percentage: Michael Hutchinson, .923 (2013–14)

Career Records

• Most Career Goals: Eric O'Dell, 72 goals (2011–15)
• Most Career Assists: Jason Jaffray, 105 assists (2011–15)
• Most Career Points: Jason Jaffray, 167 points (2011–15)
• Most Career Goaltending Wins: Eddie Pasquale, 68 wins (2011–16)
• Most Career Games Played: Carl Klingberg, 248 games (2011–15)