Syracuse Crunch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Syracuse Crunch |
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 2024–25 AHL season |
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| City | Syracuse, New York |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | North |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Home arena | Upstate Medical University Arena (Capacity: 5,800) |
| Colors | Blue, white, silver, black |
| General manager | Stacy Roest |
| Head coach | Joel Bouchard |
| Captain | Gabriel Dumont |
| Media | Syracuse Post-Standard ESPN Radio 97.7 & 100.1 AHL.TV (Internet) CW 6 (Televised home games) |
| Affiliates | Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1992–1994 | Hamilton Canucks |
| 1994–present | Syracuse Crunch |
| Championships | |
| Division Championships | 4 (2001–02, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2018–19) |
| Conference Championships | 2 (2012–13, 2016–17) |
The Syracuse Crunch is a professional ice hockey team. They play in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home is Syracuse, New York, at the Upstate Medical University Arena. The Crunch helps train players for the National Hockey League (NHL) team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Contents
History of the Syracuse Crunch Hockey Team
The Syracuse Crunch team started in 1992 as the Hamilton Canucks. They were linked to the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL. The Hamilton Canucks played in Hamilton, Ontario, for two seasons. Then, in 1994, the team moved to upstate New York.
Becoming the Crunch: Early Years (1994–2000)
After moving, fans voted to name the team the "Crunch." Their first game in Syracuse was on September 30, 1994. It was a 7–7 tie against the Albany River Rats. Lonny Bohonos scored the first goal for the Crunch. Their first win came on October 2, 1994, beating the Hershey Bears 4–1.
In their second season (1995–96), the Crunch made it to the playoffs. They reached the conference finals but lost to the Rochester Americans. The team was very popular, selling out many games in 1996–97 and 1997–98. In 1997, they also became linked with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 1998–99 season was tough for the Crunch. They had their worst record ever, winning only 18 games. On November 25, 1998, they lost 14–2 to the Providence Bruins. This was their biggest loss. The Penguins then started their own AHL team, ending their link with the Crunch.
In 1999, goalie Christian Bronsard scored a goal! This was a rare event. He was only the fourth goalie in AHL history to do so. The Crunch made the playoffs in 2000 but lost in the first round. This was their last season with the Vancouver Canucks.
Years with Columbus (2000–2010)
After 2000, the Crunch became linked with the new Columbus Blue Jackets team. They made the playoffs in their first season with Columbus. In the 2001–02 season, the Crunch won their first division title. Goalie Jean-Francois Labbe helped them a lot. They also won the Western Conference regular season title. They swept the Philadelphia Phantoms in the playoffs. But they lost to the Chicago Wolves in the next round.
On March 17, 2002, the Crunch played a very rough game. It was called the "St. Patrick's Day Massacre." Both teams had many penalty minutes, especially for fighting. The Crunch still won the game 4–0.
In the 2004 Calder Cup playoffs, the Crunch lost a series after being up 3–1. This was against the Rochester Americans. It was a tough loss in overtime.
The 2005–06 season was one of the Crunch's best. They scored a team record 272 goals. They also won 47 games, which tied a franchise record. Andy Delmore won an award for being a top defenseman. Mark Hartigan also had a great season, scoring many points. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs.
In the 2007–08 season, the Crunch had an amazing 15-game winning streak. This helped them make the playoffs. They also went 23 games without losing in regulation time. They beat the Manitoba Moose in a series where five games went to overtime. But they lost in the next round after being up 3–1 again.
On February 20, 2010, the Crunch played in the first-ever outdoor AHL game. It was called the Mirabito Outdoor Classic. The game was held at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. A record 21,508 fans watched. Syracuse won 2–1.
The Crunch missed the playoffs in their last two seasons with the Blue Jackets. In 2010, they changed their NHL partner.
Short Time with Anaheim (2010–2012)
The Crunch worked with the Anaheim Ducks for two seasons. They made the playoffs once in the 2011–12 season. They lost in the first round. Some future NHL stars played for the Crunch during this time, like Kyle Palmieri, Nick Bonino, and Patrick Maroon.
Success with Tampa Bay (2012–Present)
In 2012, the Crunch teamed up with the Tampa Bay Lightning. This partnership brought quick success. In the 2012–13 season, they won their first division title in 11 years. Tyler Johnson won several awards, including MVP. He was the first MVP in Crunch history. The team reached the Calder Cup finals for the first time ever. But they lost to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
On November 22, 2014, the Crunch set a new attendance record for an indoor pro hockey game in the U.S. Over 30,000 fans watched them beat the Utica Comets 2–1 at the Carrier Dome.
The Crunch won another division title in the 2016–17 season. They made it to the Calder Cup finals again, playing the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins won the series.
On May 5, 2018, the Crunch played their longest game ever. It lasted over 95 minutes and went into double overtime. They lost 2–1 to the Toronto Marlies.
The 2018–19 season was one of the Crunch's best. They tied team records for points (102) and wins (47). Several players won awards, including Edward Pasquale, Carter Verhaeghe, and Alex Barre-Boulet. The team also reached 900 franchise wins. They won their third division title with Tampa Bay. However, they were upset in the playoffs by the Cleveland Monsters.
The 2019–20 season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next season also started late. The Crunch even had a temporary second NHL partner, the Florida Panthers.
Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame
On November 5, 2024, the Crunch announced a new Hall of Fame. It will honor important people in Syracuse hockey history. The first group of people were inducted on November 23, 2024. This group included Crunch owner Howard Dolgon and former player Scott Walker.
Other Hockey Teams in Syracuse History
Syracuse has a long history of hockey. Many teams have played here before the Crunch.
- Syracuse Stars (1930–1936, 1936–1940) - The first team to win the Calder Cup in 1937.
- Syracuse Warriors (1951–1954)
- Syracuse Eagles (1974–75)
- Syracuse Firebirds (1979–80)
- Syracuse Braves (1962–1963)
- Syracuse Blazers (1967–1977)
- Syracuse Condors (1977–78, but never played)
- Syracuse Hornets (1980–1981)
- Syracuse Jr. Crunch/Syracuse Stars (1996–2005)
Team Logos and Mascots
When the Crunch started in 1994, their mascot was a superhero named Crunchman. In 2000, when they partnered with Columbus, Crunchman was replaced by Al the Ice Gorilla. Al was the mascot until 2012. Then, with the new link to Tampa Bay, Crunchman returned!
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Original Crunch logo
1994–2000 -
Second Crunch logo
2000–2010 -
Third Crunch logo
2010–2012 -
Current Crunch logo
2012–present -
5th Anniversary logo
1998-99 -
10th Anniversary logo
2003-04 -
25th Anniversary logo
2018-19
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Season-by-Season Results
This table shows how the Syracuse Crunch has performed in each regular season and the playoffs.
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | PCT | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing (Division) | Year | Prelims | 1st Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals |
| 1994–95 | 80 | 29 | 42 | 9 | 0 | — | 67 | .419 | 288 | 325 | 5th, South | 1995 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 1995–96 | 80 | 31 | 37 | 5 | 7 | — | 74 | .463 | 257 | 307 | 5th, Central | 1996 | — | W, 3–1, BNG | W, 4–3, BAL | L, 1–4, ROC | — |
| 1996–97 | 80 | 32 | 38 | 10 | 0 | — | 74 | .463 | 241 | 265 | 4th, Empire State | 1997 | — | L, 0–3, ROC | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | 80 | 35 | 32 | 11 | 2 | — | 83 | .519 | 272 | 285 | 3rd, Empire State | 1998 | — | L, 2–3, HAM | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | 80 | 18 | 50 | 9 | 3 | — | 48 | .300 | 220 | 327 | 5th, Empire State | 1999 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 1999–00 | 80 | 35 | 35 | 9 | 1 | — | 80 | .500 | 290 | 294 | 2nd, Empire State | 2000 | — | L, 1–3, HAM | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | 80 | 33 | 30 | 12 | 5 | — | 83 | .519 | 235 | 254 | 3rd, Mid-Atlantic | 2001 | — | L, 2–3, WBS | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | 80 | 39 | 23 | 13 | 5 | — | 96 | .600 | 228 | 193 | 1st, Central | 2002 | BYE | W, 3–0, PHI | L, 3–4, CHI | — | — |
| 2002–03 | 80 | 27 | 41 | 8 | 4 | — | 66 | .413 | 201 | 256 | 4th, Central | 2003 | Did not qualify | ||||
| 2003–04 | 80 | 38 | 25 | 10 | 7 | — | 93 | .581 | 239 | 235 | 2nd, North | 2004 | BYE | L, 3–4, ROC | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | 80 | 36 | 33 | — | 4 | 7 | 83 | .519 | 215 | 230 | 5th, North | 2005 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2005–06 | 80 | 47 | 25 | — | 5 | 3 | 102 | .638 | 272 | 251 | 2nd, North | 2006 | — | L, 2–4, MTB | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | 80 | 34 | 34 | — | 4 | 8 | 80 | .500 | 250 | 248 | 5th, North | 2007 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2007–08 | 80 | 46 | 26 | — | 2 | 6 | 100 | .625 | 247 | 201 | 2nd, North | 2008 | — | W, 4–2, MTB | L, 3–4, TOR | — | — |
| 2008–09 | 80 | 40 | 32 | — | 5 | 3 | 88 | .550 | 214 | 226 | 5th, North | 2009 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2009–10 | 80 | 34 | 39 | — | 4 | 3 | 75 | .469 | 227 | 272 | 6th, East | 2010 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2010–11 | 80 | 35 | 38 | — | 3 | 4 | 77 | .481 | 221 | 250 | 6th, East | 2011 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2011–12 | 76 | 37 | 29 | — | 5 | 5 | 84 | .553 | 238 | 229 | 4th, East | 2012 | — | L, 1–3, STJ | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | 76 | 43 | 22 | — | 6 | 5 | 97 | .638 | 247 | 201 | 1st, East | 2013 | — | W, 3–0, POR | W, 4–0, SPR | W, 4–1, WBS | L, 2–4, GR |
| 2013–14 | 76 | 31 | 32 | — | 4 | 9 | 75 | .493 | 198 | 232 | 5th, East | 2014 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2014–15 | 76 | 41 | 25 | — | 10 | 0 | 92 | .605 | 218 | 219 | 2nd, Northeast | 2015 | — | L, 0–3, WBS | — | — | — |
| 2015–16 | 76 | 32 | 29 | — | 11 | 4 | 79 | .520 | 213 | 240 | 6th, North | 2016 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2016–17 | 76 | 38 | 24 | — | 7 | 7 | 90 | .592 | 232 | 227 | 1st, North | 2017 | — | W, 3–1, STJ | W, 4–3, TOR | W, 4–1, PRO | L, 2–4, GR |
| 2017–18 | 76 | 46 | 22 | — | 3 | 5 | 100 | .658 | 236 | 193 | 2nd, North | 2018 | — | W, 3–0, ROC | L, 0–4, TOR | — | — |
| 2018–19 | 76 | 47 | 21 | — | 4 | 4 | 102 | .671 | 264 | 187 | 1st, North | 2019 | — | L, 1–3, CLE | — | — | — |
| 2019–20 | 62 | 30 | 23 | — | 4 | 5 | 69 | .556 | 202 | 210 | 5th, North | 2020 | — | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2020–21 | 32 | 19 | 10 | — | 3 | 0 | 41 | .641 | 120 | 93 | 3rd, North | 2021 | — | No playoffs were held | |||
| 2021–22 | 76 | 41 | 26 | — | 7 | 2 | 91 | .599 | 242 | 229 | 2nd, North | 2022 | BYE | L, 2–3, LAV | — | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 72 | 35 | 26 | — | 7 | 4 | 81 | .563 | 252 | 239 | 2nd, North | 2023 | BYE | L, 2–3, ROC | — | — | — |
| 2023–24 | 72 | 39 | 24 | — | 4 | 5 | 87 | .604 | 220 | 203 | 3rd, North | 2024 | BYE | W, 3–2, ROC | L, 0–3, CLE | — | — |
Players and Coaches
Team Captains
- Dane Jackson, 1994–1995
- Mark Wotton, 1995–1999
- Brian Bonin, 1999–2000
- Mike Gaul, 2000–2001
- Sean Pronger, 2001–2002
- David Ling, 2002–2003
- Darrel Scoville, 2003–2004
- Jamie Pushor, 2004–2007
- Zenon Konopka, 2007–2008
- Dan Smith, 2008–2009
- Derek MacKenzie, 2009–2010
- Joe DiPenta, 2010–2011
- Nate Guenin, 2011–2012
- Mike Angelidis, 2012–2016
- Luke Witkowski, 2016–2017, 2019–2021
- Erik Condra, 2017–2018
- Gabriel Dumont, 2018–2019, 2021–present
Head Coaches
- Jack McIlhargey: 1994–1999
- Stan Smyl: 1999–2000
- Gary Agnew: 2000–2006
- Ross Yates: 2006–2010
- Mark Holick: 2010–2012
- Trent Yawney: 2012
- Jon Cooper: 2012–2013
- Rob Zettler: 2013–2016
- Benoit Groulx: 2016–2023
- Joel Bouchard: 2023–present
Current Coaching Staff
- Joel Bouchard — Head coach
- J. D. Forrest — Assistant coach
- A. J. MacLean — Assistant coach
- Maxime Vaillancourt — Goaltending coach
- Jacob Wheeler — Video coach
Honored Numbers
The Crunch has honored some numbers, but they are not officially retired. This means other players can still wear them.
- Number 14 was honored for fan favorite "Big Bad" John Badduke.
- Number 7 was honored for a season as a tribute to actor Paul Newman. He played a hockey coach in the movie Slap Shot. Part of the movie was filmed in Syracuse.
- Number 4 was honored for Dolph Schayes, a famous basketball player from Syracuse. He was the first NBA player to score 15,000 points.
Notable Former Crunch Players
Many players who later became famous in the NHL played for the Syracuse Crunch. Here are some of them:
- Mike Angelidis
- Adrian Aucoin
- Mark Barberio
- Francois Beauchemin
- Matt Beleskey
- Lonny Bohonos
- Nick Bonino
- Derick Brassard
- J. T. Brown
- Anthony Cirelli
- Grant Clitsome
- Ross Colton
- Cory Conacher
- Brett Connolly
- Erik Condra
- Ty Conklin
- Tony DeAngelo
- Derek Dorsett
- Jonathan Drouin
- Ray Emery
- Jason Garrison
- Yanni Gourde
- Radko Gudas
- Tim Jackman
- Tyler Johnson
- Mathieu Joseph
- Alex Killorn
- Slater Koekkoek
- Nikita Kucherov
- Jean-Francois Labbe
- Pascal Leclaire
- Anders Lindback
- Jonathan Marchessault
- Patrick Maroon
- Vladislav Namestnikov
- Riley Nash
- Ondrej Palat
- Kyle Palmieri
- Richard Panik
- Cedric Paquette
- Michael Peca
- Brayden Point
- Dave Scatchard
- Brent Sopel
- Andrej Sustr
- Dustin Tokarski
- Andrei Vasilevskiy
- Carter Verhaeghe
- Scott Walker
- Luke Witkowski
Team Records and Leaders
These are some of the best records held by Syracuse Crunch players. Records are updated as of the end of the 2023–24 AHL regular season.
Single Season Records
- Goals: Lonny Bohonos, 40 (1995–96)
- Assists: Alex Barre-Boulet, 60 (2022–23)
- Points: Alex Barre-Boulet, 84 (2022–23)
- Penalty minutes: Jody Shelley, 357 (2000–01)
- Wins (Goalie): Corey Hirsch, 30 (1997–98)
- Goals Against Average (Goalie): Jean-Francois Labbe, 2.18 (2001–02)
- Save Percentage (Goalie): Jean-Francois Labbe, .928 (2001–02)
Single Playoff Records
(For players who played at least 10 playoff games)
- Goals: Lonny Bohonos, 14 (1996)
- Assists: Ondrej Palat, 19 (2013)
- Points: Cory Conacher, 28 (2017)
- Penalty minutes: Richard Panik, 59 (2013)
- Wins (Goalie): Cedrick Desjardins (2013) and Mike McKenna (2017), 13
- Goals Against Average (Goalie): Jean-Francois Labbe, 1.91 (2002)
- Save Percentage (Goalie): Jean-Francois Labbe, .939 (2002)
Career Records
- Career games: Daniel Walcott, 433
- Career goals: Alex Barre-Boulet, 113
- Career assists: Alex Barre-Boulet, 189
- Career points: Alex Barre-Boulet, 302
- Career penalty minutes: Jeremy Reich, 820
- Career goaltending wins: Karl Goehring, 78
- Career shutouts: Jean-Francois Labbe and Karl Goehring, 11
Trophies and Awards Won by the Crunch
Many players and staff from the Syracuse Crunch have won important awards.
Award Winners
- Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (Best Rookie)
- Alex Barre-Boulet (2018–19)
- Eddie Shore Award (Best Defenseman)
- Andy Delmore (2005–06)
- Matt Taormina (2016–17)
- Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (Best Goalie Team-Up)
- Edward Pasquale (2018–19)
- James C. Hendy Memorial Award (Top AHL Executive)
- Vance Lederman (2014–15)
- James H. Ellery Memorial Awards (Best Media Coverage)
- Adam Benigni (1994–95)
- Seth Everett (1995–96)
- Lindsay Kramer (1996–97)
- John B. Sollenberger Trophy (Top Scorer)
- Carter Verhaeghe (2018–19)
- Ken McKenzie Award (Top Marketing Executive)
- Tim Kuhl (1994–95, 1995–96)
- Jim Sarosy (2001–02, 2009–10)
- Les Cunningham Award (MVP)
- Tyler Johnson (2012–13)
- Thomas Ebright Memorial Award (Outstanding AHL Contributions)
- Howard Dolgon (2013–14)
- Willie Marshall Award (Top Goal Scorer)
- Tyler Johnson (2012–13)
- Carter Verhaeghe, Alex Barre-Boulet (2018–19)
- Yanick Dupre Memorial Award (Community Service)
- Eric Neilson (2013–14)
- Brad Chavis (2020–21)
- Daniel Walcott (2023–24)
