Louisville IceHawks

East Coast Hockey League (1990-1994)

Tombstone

Born: April 1990 – ECHL expansion franchise
Died: 1994 – The IceHawks suspend operations and later move to Jacksonville, FL

First Game: October 26, 1990 (L 8-3 vs. Knoxville Cherokees)
Last Game: April 2, 1994 (L 3-2 vs. Birmingham Bulls)

Riley Cup Championships: None

Arena

Broadbent Arena (6,618)¹
Opened: 1977

Branding

Team Colors:

1991-92: White, Black, Sunflower Yellow & Burnt Orange²
1993-94: Black, Red, Yellow & White³

Ownership

Owners:

1990-199?: Leo Hunstiger
199?-1994: Horn Chen

Background

The Louisville IceHawks were a minor league hockey outfit that played during the early years of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). The IceHawks, formed in 1990, were Louisville’s first pro hockey entry since the Rebels of the International Hockey League left town in 1960.

The club served as a second-tier farm club of the Chicago Blackhawks and Hartford Whalers during its inaugural season of 1990-91 and later supported the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning (1992-1993) and Pittsburgh Penguins (1993-1994).

Serial hockey investor Horn Chen acquired the club from founder Leo Hunstiger in the early 1990’s and operated the IceHawks during their final seasons at Broadbent Arena. Chen shuttered the team following the 1993-94 season and the franchise went into inactive status for a year. In 1995, Chen reanimated the team as the Jacksonville Lizard Kings (1995-2000).

The ECHL returned to Broadbent Arena after a year’s absence with the formation of the Louisville River Frogs in 1995. The River Frogs lasted three seasons from 1995 through 1998.