| Cincinnati Mighty Ducks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Operated | 1997–2005 |
| Home arena | Cincinnati Gardens |
| Colors | Eggplant and Jade |
| Affiliates | Detroit Red Wings Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| Franchise history | |
| 1995–1997 | Baltimore Bandits |
| 1997–2005 | Cincinnati Mighty Ducks |
| 2007–present | Rockford IceHogs |
TheCincinnati Mighty Ducks were a professionalice hockey team based inCincinnati,Ohio. They were members of theAmerican Hockey League, and played their home games at theCincinnati Gardens. Throughout their existence they were the primary minor league affiliate of theMighty Ducks of Anaheim of theNational Hockey League, with a three-year shared affiliation with theDetroit Red Wings.
In 1997, theBaltimore Bandits franchise was losing money and accruing debts in Baltimore.[1] Jerry Robinson, owner of theCincinnati Gardens arena, purchased the Bandits franchise to play at the Gardens, replacing the previous hockey tenant, theCincinnati Cyclones of theInternational Hockey League.[2] TheMighty Ducks of Anaheim signed Cincinnati to a five-year affiliate agreement. From 1999 through 2002 team shared its affiliation with theDetroit Red Wings,[3] until the Red Wings affiliated with theGrand Rapids Griffins. Anaheim maintained their affiliation with Cincinnati through the2004–05 season. The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were granted a voluntary suspension for the2005–06 season[4] two days after Anaheim and Cincinnati ended their affiliation,[5] and Cincinnati could not find a replacement NHL affiliate. In October 2005, the team was renamed the Cincinnati RailRaiders, and was seeking an affiliation agreement for a return in2006–07 season,[6] but failed to reach a goal of 2,000 season tickets sold to become re-active.[7]
On October 3, 2006, it was reported that aWindsor, Ontario-based company had been granted conditional approval to purchase and relocate the team,[8] however that deal fell through.[9] On March 19, 2007, the AHL announced that the team had been purchased, and moved toRockford,Illinois, to become theRockford IceHogs.[10]
The market was previously served by:
The team was replaced in this market by:
Affiliates
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SOL | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 80 | 23 | 37 | 13 | 7 | — | 66 | 243 | 303 | 4th, Mid-Atlantic |
| 1998–99 | 80 | 35 | 39 | 4 | 2 | — | 76 | 227 | 249 | 4th, Mid-Atlantic |
| 1999–00 | 80 | 30 | 37 | 9 | 4 | — | 73 | 227 | 244 | 5th, Mid-Atlantic |
| 2000–01 | 80 | 41 | 26 | 9 | 4 | — | 95 | 254 | 240 | 2nd, South |
| 2001–02 | 80 | 33 | 33 | 11 | 3 | — | 80 | 216 | 211 | 3rd, Central |
| 2002–03 | 80 | 26 | 35 | 13 | 6 | — | 71 | 202 | 242 | 3rd, Central |
| 2003–04 | 80 | 29 | 37 | 13 | 1 | — | 72 | 188 | 211 | 5th, West |
| 2004–05 | 80 | 44 | 31 | — | 4 | 1 | 93 | 206 | 191 | 3rd, West |
| Season | Preliminary | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | Out of Playoffs | ||||
| 1998–99 | — | L, 0–3,Philadelphia | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Out of Playoffs | ||||
| 2000–01 | — | L, 1–3,Norfolk | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | L, 1–2,Chicago | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Out of Playoffs | ||||
| 2003–04 | W, 2–0,Houston | L, 3–4,Milwaukee | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | — | W, 4–3,Milwaukee | L, 1–4,Chicago | — | — |
Numerous Cincinnati Mighty Ducks alumni won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in2007 and Detroit Red Wings in2008. In addition, former Cincinnati coachMike Babcock led Anaheim to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in2003 before coaching Detroit's championship-winning team in 2008.
Bob Wren (1997–98)Craig Reichert (1997–98)Shane O'Brien (2004–05)Frederic Cassivi (2004–05)
Ilya Bryzgalov