| South Carolina Stingrays | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | North Charleston, South Carolina |
| League | ECHL |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | South |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Home arena | North Charleston Coliseum |
| Colors | Navy blue, red, white, silver |
| Owner(s) | Todd Halloran |
| Head coach | David Warsofsky |
| Media | The Post and Courier ECHL.TV (internet) |
| Affiliates | Washington Capitals (NHL) Hershey Bears (AHL) |
| Website | stingrayshockey |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 2 (1996–97,2024–25) |
| Division titles | 8 (1994–95,1996–97,1997–98,2000–01,2013–14,2015–16,2022–23,2024–25) |
| Conference titles | 6 (1997,2001,2009,2015,2017,2021) |
| Kelly Cups | 3 (1997,2001,2009) |
 Current season | |
TheSouth Carolina Stingrays are a professionalminor leagueice hockey team based inNorth Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of theECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at theNorth Charleston Coliseum. The Carolina Ice Palace, also located in North Charleston, serves as a practice facility and backup arena. Established in 1993, the team has been owned by a group of local businesses since 1995. The team was affiliated with theWashington Capitals of theNational Hockey League and theHershey Bears of theAmerican Hockey League from 2004 to July 2012, when the Capitals announced their affiliation with the ECHL'sReading Royals. On June 26, 2014, after two seasons of affiliation with theBoston Bruins and theProvidence Bruins,[1] the Washington Capitals announced a new affiliation agreement with the Stingrays beginning with the 2014–15 season. The Stingrays also returned to their affiliation with the Hershey Bears at this time.[2][3]
The Stingrays are the first professional ice hockey team in South Carolina.[4] With the relocation of theJohnstown Chiefs toGreenville, South Carolina in2010, the Stingrays became the oldest continuously operational ECHL franchise to remain in its founding city (theWheeling Nailers have been in Wheeling since 1992 but are a relocated franchise).
The Stingrays have finished with thebest record in the ECHL twice, and qualified for the playoffs in all but three seasons. WithKelly Cup championships in1997,2001 and2009, the Stingrays are tied with theHampton Roads Admirals and theAlaska Aces for most league championships. Over forty former Stingrays have gone on to play in theNational Hockey League, with six playing forStanley Cup-winning teams;Rich Peverley with theBoston Bruins in 2011, andBraden Holtby,Nathan Walker,Philipp Grubauer, andPheonix Copley with theWashington Capitals in 2018, andLogan Thompson with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.
The team had initial success at the box office; during its first season (1993–94) the team averaged 9,151 fans a game — one of the largest attendances in minor league hockey.[5] Despite ongoing success on the ice, that level was not sustained; average attendance since 2003 has been less than half that number.[6]
The South Carolina Stingrays were founded in 1993 as an expansion team in theEast Coast Hockey League (ECHL). Its management team included Joseph Scanlon as president/CEO and retiredNational Hockey League (NHL) playerRick Vaive as head coach. The team was originally to be designated the South Carolina Sharks,[7][4] but eventually settled on the Stingrays name to avoid a copyright dispute with the NHL'sSan Jose Sharks.[8] In late 1993, Scanlon filed a lawsuit in a Canadian court in an attempt to wrest control of the team from its ownership group. He was replaced as president and CEO by retired NHLHall of Fame memberMarcel Dionne in December of that year. Dionne was accused of assault in February 1994 by Lynn Bernstein, an ally of Scanlon, over a dispute regarding the removal of advertising signs at theNorth Charleston Coliseum, but was later acquitted.[9] Following dismissal of Scanlon's lawsuit, the ECHL board of governors ended the power struggle when it approved the sale of the franchise from its Canadian ownership group to a local investment group led by Edwin Pearlstine, owner of Pearlstine Distribution, the localBudweiser distributor. The group also includedJerry andAnita Zucker, Harvey Nathan and Lynn Bernstein (owners of local restaurant Nathan's Deli), and the Greenwald family of Seabrook Island. Dionne remained the franchise's president and CEO.[10]
In early 1995, along withCharlotte,Greensboro, andHampton Roads, the team was offered an expansion spot by theAmerican Hockey League (AHL), the intermediate level between the ECHL and the NHL.[11] However, team management decided to remain in the ECHL, citing a desire to retain the level of affordability for the team's fans.[12] The other three franchises have since accepted AHL offers, becoming theCharlotte Checkers,Carolina Monarchs, andNorfolk Admirals, respectively. Later that year, Dionne left the Stingrays organization. Vaive succeeded Dionne as director of hockey operations while retaining his head coaching position, thus giving him more control over personnel decisions.[13]
The Stingrays finished sixth in the East Division in their inaugural season and were eliminated in the first round of the 1993–94 playoffs by theHampton Roads Admirals.[14] Despite their early playoff exit, the team had several significant achievements during their inaugural season. CenterSylvain Fleury finished tenth among league skaters for total points with 95 points in 68 games played and scored a league season-high five goals in an 11–6 victory over the Greensboro Monarchs on December 26.[15] Left wingerAndy Bezeau was second in the league in penalty minutes, accumulating 352 minutes in 36 games (29 fewer games thanTrevor Buchanan, the league leader with 422 minutes).[16] From January 19–28, the Stingrays went on a six-game winning streak wherein they totaled 43 goals for and only 13 goals against, including two games in which they scored 11 goals each against their opponents (one of which, against theHuntington Blizzard, had 67 shots on goal by the Stingrays).[17] The team led the league in attendance with an average of 9,151 fans per game.[5]
In 1994–95, the team took the top spot in the Southern Division but were knocked out in the second round by theNashville Knights.[18] They set the current league record for the longest home winning streak that season with 18 victories at home between December 23, 1994, and March 19, 1995.[19] GoaltenderSteve Shields finished second in the league with a 2.68goals against average (GAA), a 0.912 save percentage and 11 wins in 17 games, whileJason Fitzsimmons (who later served as assistant and then head coach for the Stingrays) finished sixth in the league with a 2.97 GAA, a 0.901 save percentage and 24 wins in 37 games played. The Stingrays drew the highest attendance in the league, averaging 8,589 fans per game.[20]
The Stingrays returned to the East Division in 1995–96 and finished third in the regular season, falling in the second round of the playoffs to the Charlotte Checkers.[21] They posted an 8-game road winning streak that season, lasting from December 15 until January 13, in which they accumulated 48 goals and surrendered 27 goals against. DefensemanScott Boston finished sixth among top-scoring defensemen in the league with 58 total points in 67 games. The Stingrays fell to second place in league attendance with an average 7,447 fans per game.[22]
In 1996–97, the Stingrays won both the ECHL championshipKelly Cup (defeating theLouisiana IceGators four games to one) and theBrabham Cup (awarded to the team with the best regular season record), becoming the first ECHL team and one of three overall to win both a regular season and postseason championship in the same year.[23] TheAlaska Aces (2006, 2011) and theCincinnati Cyclones (2008) later accomplished this feat. ForwardsEd Courtenay andMike Ross tied for the highest total points in the league, each with 110 points in combined goals and assists. ForwardDave Seitz finished seventh with 97 total points.[24] Ross was also named the league'sMost Valuable Player (MVP), the only member of the Stingrays to receive this distinction through the 2010–11 season.[25] Goaltender Jason Fitzsimmons was selected as the Kelly Cup playoffs MVP.[26] Fitzsimmons totaled 13 wins in 17 playoff games and achieved a 3.38 GAA with a 0.903 save percentage.
Following their Kelly Cup victory, ECHL management accused the franchise of circumventing the league's salary cap by colluding with the city ofNorth Charleston to funnel money through a city-run youth hockey program to provide payouts to players. After two months of investigation by the league, the Stingrays were assessed a US$50,000 fine, and Vaive was suspended for the first six games of the 1997–98 season. TheInternal Revenue Service determined that no state or federal tax laws were broken, but the incident sparked a re-evaluation by the ECHL of the teams' salary caps.[27]
Early in the 1997–98 season, the Stingrays won a league-high 12 consecutive home games from October 24 to January 2 in which they accumulated 52 goals and allowed 24 goals against. DefensemanChris Hynnes finished the regular season first in goals (19) and fourth in total points (58) among league defensemen. GoaltenderCory Cadden finished seventh in the league with a 2.85 GAA, a 0.907 save percentage and 30 wins in 45 games.[28] The team finished at the top of the Southeast Division, but fell in a first round playoff series against their new in-state rival, thePee Dee Pride. The Pride advanced after coming back from a three-goal deficit to win the fifth game of a best of five series in overtime. Vaive reported after the fact that replays indicated that the game-tying goal was invalid but the referee missed the call, resulting in the overtime period and the Stingrays' eventual defeat.[29]
For the 1998–99 season, Vaive accepted the head coaching position with the AHL'sSaint John Flames. His assistant coach,Rick Adduono, was tapped to take over as Vaive's replacement as head coach and general manager.[30] Former StingraysgoaltenderJason Fitzsimmons was named assistant coach in Adduono's place.[31] The Stingrays finished third in the Southeast Division, with defensemanBrad Dexter third in the league for top-scoring defensemen with 55 points in 19 goals and 26 assists. ForwardDave Seitz led the league in game-winning goals with 11, while goaltenderJody Lehman finished seventh among league netminders with a 2.72 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage.[32] After receiving a first-round bye for the playoffs, the Stingrays fell in a second-round 3-game shutout to theMississippi Sea Wolves. The final game was decided in overtime and ran to 110 minutes and 37 seconds, making it the fifth-longest overtime playoff game in league history as of the 2010–11 season.[33]
The team finished fourth in the Southeast Division in 1999–2000. Brad Dexter again finished third in total points among league defensemen with 66. He placed first among defensemen and fifth among all skaters for assists with 59.[34] The Stingrays set the league postseason record for most goals by one team in a two-game series with 11 goals in their two-game shutout of theBaton Rouge Kingfish in the preliminary round of the playoffs.[33] The team eliminated in-state rivalsPee Dee Pride three games to two to advance to the second round, where they were shut out in three games by theLouisiana IceGators.
The Stingrays finished the 2000–01 season first in both the Southeast Division and the Southern Conference. Ryan Brindley finished third among league defensemen with an average 10 points per game. The team accrued a season-record 141 penalty minutes in one game against theGreensboro Monarchs on October 13, 2000.[35] They finished second in the league that season with a 9-game overall winning streak and had a league-record 10-game road winning streak.[19] The Stingrays defeated theArkansas RiverBlades three games to one in the first round and theMobile Mysticks three games to two in the second round before sweeping the Louisiana IceGators four games to none to win the Southern Conference championship. They faced and defeated theTrenton Titans (then captained by future Stingrays head coachCail MacLean) in five games to win their second Kelly Cup championship. Forward Dave Seitz, who scored 13 goals and 15 assists during the playoffs, was named playoff MVP.[36]
After failing to advance to the first round of the ECHL playoffs the next season by losing a "play-in" game in the 2001–02 season to theFlorida Everblades in their practice facility (a concert at the Coliseum forced the move), Adduono was released from his contract and was replaced by Fitzsimmons.[37]Jared Bednar, another longtime Stingray, was made assistant coach later.[38] Despite a long-standing association with theBuffalo Sabres, the Stingrays broke away just before the 2001–02 season and played three seasons as an independent team. For the 2004–05 season, the team agreed to an affiliation with theWashington Capitals.[39]
From 2003 to 2006, the Stingrays experienced another run of first and second round playoff defeats. Despite a strong second-place finish in the Southeast Division in 2003, they fell three games to one to the Pee Dee Pride in the first round of the playoffs.[40] The Stingrays moved to the Southern Division for the 2003–04 season, finishing fourth in the regular season and advancing to the second round of the playoffs, where they were swept three games to none by the Florida Everblades, the final game a crushing 8–2 loss.[41] For the 2004–05 season, the Stingrays returned to the East Division, where they finished second in the regular season. They were defeated three games to one in the first round of the playoffs, again to the Everblades.[42] The 2005–06 season marked the Stingrays' first year in the newly designated South Division, in which they have remained to the present day. They finished fourth in the regular season and defeated the Charlotte Checkers in the Kelly Cup playoffs' first round, only to fall in a second round sweep—three games to none—by theGwinnett Gladiators.[43]
After failing to qualify for the ECHL playoffs for the only time in franchise history during the 2006–07 season,[44] Fitzsimmons resigned, and was assigned by the Washington Capitals as a scout.[45] Bednar took over as head coach, withCail MacLean, who had been thecaptain for the Stingrays, as a part-time assistant while completing his studies at The Citadel.[46] Bednar took the Stingrays to the Kelly Cup playoffs for both of his seasons as head coach. In the 2007–08 season, the Stingrays advanced to the American Conference finals, losing 4–1 to the Cincinnati Cyclones in a suspense-filled series wherein three games (including the final) were decided in overtime.[47]
The Stingrays built on this momentum in the 2008–09 season, sweeping Cincinnati 4–0 in the conference finals and winning the Kelly Cup on the road in the culmination of a 4–3 series with the Alaska Aces.[48] Bednar resigned shortly thereafter, joining theCalgary Flames' system inAbbotsford as assistant coach,[49] and later earned his first AHL head coaching assignment with theSt. Louis Blues' farm club inPeoria for 2010–11.[50] MacLean was named head coach, with the assistant coach position becoming vacant.[51] Building on their championship success, many players on the 2009 Kelly Cup team were called up to the American Hockey League during the 2009–10 season. Six players from the 2009 team played in the2010 Calder Cup Championship – five for the victoriousHershey Bears, and one for the runner-upTexas Stars.
This success, however, was short-lived. Despite a strong regular season showing that left the Stingrays tied with the South Division (and American Conference) leader Charlotte Checkers and North Division leaderKalamazoo Wings, the team ended up fourth seed in the2010 Kelly Cup playoffs, falling three games to two in the first round to the eventual champions, the Cincinnati Cyclones. For a team that was the first in the ECHL to reach 30 wins that season (in a 5–3 victory over theReading Royals in front of a record sellout crowd of 10,570),[52] the first round defeat was disappointing to players and fans alike.[53]
Former Stingray Rob Concannon was picked to succeed Darren Abbott as team president at the end of the 2009–10 season.[54] In August 2010, the Stingrays announced that formerforwardSpencer Carbery had been named the team's assistant coach.[55] With the return of forwardsMaxime Lacroix andPierre-Luc O'Brien—both of whom played a vital role in the 2009 Kelly Cup championship—the team looked to build momentum towards a fourth championship.[56] However, injuries, call-ups, and ultimately inconsistent play on the ice resulted in another disappointing first round playoff loss, this time to theWheeling Nailers.[57]
A bright spot in the midst of the team's disappointing seasons came from a terrible tragedy. In February 2011, former Stingrays goaltenderKirk Daubenspeck—who played for the team from 1999 to 2006 and was part of the Kelly Cup championship team in 2001—was in a near-fatal car accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury that left him in a coma for six days.[58] Friends, family members and former teammates from the Stingrays, the Hershey Bears,Culver Military Academy and theUniversity of Wisconsin (Daubenspeck's alma maters) banded together to raise money to help defray the extensive medical bills. The team sold T-shirts bearing Daubenspeck's name and number (29) at the season's remaining home games.[59] In April 2011, current and former Stingrays donned their skates and took to the ice for the team's first ever alumni game, held to benefit the Daubenspeck family. The event (held at the Carolina Ice Palace) drew a capacity crowd of over 700 and raised over $20,000 in ticket sales and from a post-game jersey auction. Daubenspeck and his family were in attendance, and Daubenspeck dropped the game's ceremonial first puck.[60]
The team announced in July 2011 that head coach Cail MacLean had accepted the assistant coaching position for the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, a spot previously held by former Stingrays head coach Jared Bednar.[61] Assistant coach Spencer Carbery was tapped to take MacLean's place, making him the team's sixth head coach and the youngest head coach in the league.[62] In a break with recent practice, the team selected a new assistant coach from outside the organization.J.B. Bittner, previously an assistant coach forOhio State University's ice hockey team as well as a former professional player, joined the team in September 2011.[63] The team also faced some controversy when it was revealed that fan favorite and veteran enforcerNate Kiser would not be returning to the Stingrays for the 2011–12 season. Kiser had not been offered a contract for the season and subsequently announced his retirement from professional hockey.[64] To honor his contributions to the team over his seven-year career, the organization announced that Kiser would be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame on October 14, 2011, the opening night for the 2011–12 season.[65]
On July 25, 2012, the Stingrays announced an affiliation deal with the NHL'sBoston Bruins and their AHL affiliateProvidence Bruins.[66]
Spencer Carbery announced on September 4, 2013, that the team has agreed to terms with rookie forward Tory Allan and first-year defenseman Tom Janosz.[67]
On June 26, 2014, the Washington Capitals announced an affiliation agreement with the Stingrays for the 2014–15 season[68] giving the Stingrays two NHL affiliates for the season for what was intended to be a 20-team ECHL. In 2015, the ECHL Board of Directors voted to only allow one NHL affiliate per ECHL team following the merger with the Central Hockey League just before the 2014–15 season (a 28-team league) and the Boston Bruins switched their affiliation to theAtlanta Gladiators beginning with the2015–16 season. The Capitals' affiliation with the Stingrays also included the Capitals sending their radio broadcaster to Charleston during selected 2015 ECHL playoff games, including the Kelly Cup Finals.
In the first round of the2015 playoffs, the Stingrays defeated theReading Royals in seven games. After dispatching theFlorida Everblades in six games in the second round, the Stingrays faced the regular season championToledo Walleye in the Eastern Conference Finals. South Carolina won the first three games, but Toledo won the next three games to force a seventh game. Toledo was on the verge of becoming the sixth team in the history of North American sports to come back from an 0–3 deficit to win a playoff series, but South Carolina won the seventh game in the third overtime period to advance to the Kelly Cup Finals. In the championship series, the Stingrays faced theAllen Americans. Both teams split the first four games of the series, but the Americans won the fifth game to have a chance to clinch the Kelly Cup in South Carolina. In response, the Stingrays won the sixth game on home ice to force a seventh game back in Allen. However, they lost the seventh game of the series to the Americans, who subsequently won their first championship title since coming from the Central Hockey League before the 2014–15 season.
In the2015–16 season, the Stingrays would once again finish first in their division and qualify for theKelly Cup playoffs. The team made it to the conference finals before losing to theWheeling Nailers 4-games-to-3. After the season ended, head coachSpencer Carbery would leave to take the head coaching position with theSaginaw Spirit of theOntario Hockey League.[69]
On July 6, 2016, Stingrays' assistant coachRyan Warsofsky (later an NHL head coach) was announced as the new head coach and director of hockey operations.
The2016–17 season was also successful for the team. After the Stingrays made the playoffs with two games left in the season, they defeated the lower-seededGreenville Swamp Rabbits in six games, before winning their second round series against theFlorida Everblades in five games. They came back against theManchester Monarchs in the Eastern Conference finals, winning in seven games after losing the first two games at home. Ultimately, the Stingrays were swept by theColorado Eagles in four straight games in the Kelly Cup finals.
On April 17, 2018, the Zucker family, part owners of the franchise since 1994 and the controlling interest since 2011, sold the majority stake of the franchise to Connecticut businessman Todd Halloran.[70]
Following the2017–18 season, Warsofsky was hired as an assistant coach with theCharlotte Checkers in theAmerican Hockey League[71] and was replaced by Spiros Anastas.[72] Anastas kept the job for one season and the Stingrays were the last team to qualify for a spot in the2019 Kelly Cup playoffs. They were then eliminated in five games by theOrlando Solar Bears and Anastas was fired on April 26, 2019.[73] He was replaced by assistant coach Steve Bergin. Bergin then lead the team to a 44–14–4 record in the2019–20 season, and were leading the league when the rest of the season was cancelled due to thecoronavirus pandemic. Bergin won the 2020John Brophy Award for coach of the year[74] and then left to become an assistant coach forSacred Heart University.[75] Assistant Ryan Blair was then named the head coach for the 2020–21 season.[76]
Blair was coach until March 7, 2022, when the Stingrays fired him.[77] Brendan Kotyk replaced him as interim coach. He was coach through the rest of the 2021-22 season, named head coach before 2022-23, then fired at the end of the 2023-2024 season.[78]Jared Nightingale took over as the Stingrays head coach for the2024-25 season, leading the team to franchise records in points (109) and wins (52) in a single season. The Stingrays lost in the first round of the playoffs to theOrlando Solar Bears, and Nightingale was signed by theRockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of theChicago Blackhawks, to be their head coach.[79]
David Warsofsky, the brother of former Stingrays head coach Ryan Warsofsky, took over as head coach after serving as a special coaching advisor for the Stingrays in the 2024-25 season.[80]
The team's primary logo has evolved over the years. Beginning as a realistic rendition of astingray, it transitioned through a cartoon-style representation before settling on thestylized version used today. Thestate flag ofSouth Carolina was originally used as the secondary logo (worn on the jersey shoulders). It has since been replaced by a variety of logos representing team affiliation, anniversary celebrations, and team championships. The current secondary logo (worn on home jerseys) returns to its origins as a rendition of the state flag, while the tertiary logo (worn on away jerseys) gives tribute to theCharleston area with its representation of theRavenel Bridge.[81]
The organization'smascot is Cool Ray, a stingray that currently resembles the previous Stingrays logo used from 2000 to 2008.[82][83] Alongside theplayers, Cool Ray serves as the organization'sambassador to thelocal community, often appearing atlocal schools, athletic competitions andcharity events.[84][85][86] Cool Ray also provides entertainment andcomic relief on ice and in the stands during games, and serves as the Stingrays' Kids Club mascot.
Additional mascots have included Little Puck, ananthropomorphichockey puck who partnered with Cool Ray from 1993 to 2008,[82] and Excalibear, the Carolina Ice Palace's mascot, who joined Cool Ray for the 2010–11 season.
The Stingrays are covered by multiplemedia outlets. ThePost and Courier providesnewspaper coverage for the team. The team was covered by sports reporters Keith Namm and Gene Sapakoff from 1993 to 1998. Andrew Miller currently reports on the Stingrays and also authors ablog entitled "Rays the Roof," where he providesopinion pieces on the team's performance and transactions.[87]
Television coverage of Stingrays games is provided over theinternet on apay-per-view or subscription basis by Flosports, with selected home games viaGray Television's Palmetto Sports and Entertainment channel viaWCSC 5.7 andWIS 10.5.
Play-by-play Radio coverage of the Stingrays is handled by Brendan Reilly, the club's Manager of Communications and Broadcasting who joined the club in 2025. This coverage is available over the internet via the team's website.
The Stingrays maintain a strong online presence, utilizing social media outlets such asFacebook andTwitter to engage with fans. Video clips of team commercials and interviews are made available via "Stingrays TV," the Stingrays'YouTube channel.[88]
The Stingrays organization honors the legacy of former ownerJerry Zucker by taking an active role in supporting local charities, to include theMUSC Children's Hospital,Ronald McDonald House, and Hockey Players for Kids, an organization supporting local youth hockey, among others. Player involvement includes celebrity bartender events to raise donations for charity, autographed equipment auctions, and visiting and playing with hospitalized children.[89]
The crowning event of the Stingrays season is the annual "Pink in the Rink" night, supportingSusan G. Komen for the Cure and the fight againstbreast cancer. Proceeds from ticket sales, vendor tables, and live and silent auctions featuring sports memorabilia including the actual game-used hockey sticks and jerseys were presented to the Lowcountry chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Pink in the Rink 2009 raised over $20,000, while the 2010 event raised over $40,000.[90] The 2011 Pink in the Rink game raised the most to date, with donations in excess of $46,000.[91] With more than $24,000 raised by the sixth annual event in 2012, the team's total donations since the event's inception in 2006 come to more than $143,000.[92]
In honor of Jerry Zucker's contributions to the team and the local community, the Stingrays created the Jerry Zucker Community Service Award, to be presented yearly to the Stingrays player who made the most significant impact on the local community. Past awardees includeSpencer Carbery (2008–09),Matt Scherer (2009–10),Jordan Pietrus (2010–11), Johann Kroll (2011–12), andScooter Vaughan (2012–13).[93]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Standing | Year | Wild Card Round* Conf. 1st Round (2006–08)§ | 1st round | 2nd round | 3rd round | Kelly Cup Finals | |
| 1993–94 | 68 | 33 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 75 | 294 | 291 | 6th, East | 1994 | — | L, 1–2,HRD | — | — | — | |
| 1994–95 | 68 | 42 | 19 | 7 | — | 91 | 225 | 215 | 1st, Southern | 1995 | — | W, 3–2,JHN | L, 1–3,NVL | — | — | |
| 1995–96 | 70 | 40 | 22 | — | 8 | 88 | 284 | 251 | 3rd, East | 1996 | — | W, 3–0,LOU | L, 2–3,CHR | — | — | |
| 1996–97 | 70 | 45 | 15 | — | 10 | 100 | 345 | 253 | 1st, East | 1997 | — | W, 3–0,CHR | W, 3–0,HRD | W, 3–2,PEN | W, 4–1,LA | |
| 1997–98 | 70 | 41 | 23 | — | 6 | 88 | 246 | 218 | 1st, Southeast | 1998 | — | L, 2–3,PD | — | — | — | |
| 1998–99 | 70 | 40 | 20 | — | 10 | 90 | 235 | 216 | 3rd, Southeast | 1999 | BYE | L, 0–3,MIS | — | — | — | |
| 1999–00 | 70 | 35 | 25 | — | 10 | 80 | 253 | 242 | 4th, Southeast | 2000 | W, 2–0,BR | W, 3–2,PD | L, 0–3,LA | — | — | |
| 2000–01 | 72 | 42 | 23 | — | 7 | 91 | 240 | 210 | 1st, Southeast | 2001 | BYE | W, 3–1,ARK | W, 3–2,MOB | W, 4–0,LA | W, 4–1,TRE | |
| 2001–02 | 72 | 39 | 26 | — | 7 | 85 | 235 | 225 | 4th, Southeast | 2002 | L, 1–3,FLA | — | — | — | — | |
| 2002–03 | 72 | 42 | 22 | — | 8 | 92 | 248 | 225 | 2nd, Southeast | 2003 | BYE | L, 1–3,PD | — | — | — | |
| 2003–04 | 72 | 39 | 28 | — | 5 | 83 | 205 | 202 | 4th, Southern | 2004 | BYE | W, 3–1,CBA | L, 0–3,FLA | — | — | |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 39 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 87 | 230 | 219 | 2nd, East | 2005 | — | L, 1–3,FLA | — | — | — | |
| 2005–06 | 72 | 32 | 25 | 7 | 8 | 79 | 230 | 237 | 4th, South | 2006 | W, 2–1,CHR | L, 0–3,GWT | — | — | — | |
| 2006–07 | 72 | 36 | 27 | 4 | 5 | 81 | 250 | 251 | 6th, South | 2007 | Did not qualify | |||||
| 2007–08 | 72 | 47 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 97 | 256 | 192 | 2nd, South | 2008 | W, 3–2,AUG | W, 3–2,GWT | W, 3–2,CBA | L, 1–4,CIN | — | |
| 2008–09 | 71 | 42 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 90 | 249 | 187 | 2nd, South | 2009 | — | W, 4–2,CHR | W, 4–2,FLA | W, 4–0,CIN | W, 4–3,AK | |
| 2009–10 | 72 | 41 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 94 | 248 | 216 | 2nd, South | 2010 | — | L, 2–3,CIN | — | — | — | |
| 2010–11 | 72 | 37 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 80 | 194 | 204 | 2nd, South | 2011 | — | L, 1–3,WHL | — | — | — | |
| 2011–12 | 72 | 37 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 81 | 191 | 180 | 4th, South | 2012 | — | W, 3–1,GWT | L, 1–4,KAL | — | — | |
| 2012–13 | 72 | 38 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 84 | 198 | 171 | 3rd, South | 2013 | — | L, 0–4,GWT | — | — | — | |
| 2013–14 | 72 | 43 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 92 | 197 | 173 | 1st, South | 2014 | — | L, 0–4,WHL | — | — | — | |
| 2014–15 | 72 | 45 | 20 | 1 | 6 | 97 | 224 | 163 | 2nd, East | 2015 | — | W, 4–3,REA | W, 4–2,FLA | W, 4–3,TOL | L, 3–4,ALN | |
| 2015–16 | 72 | 44 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 98 | 224 | 162 | 1st, South | 2016 | — | W, 4–1,KAL | W, 4–3,ADK | L, 3–4,WHL | — | |
| 2016–17 | 72 | 40 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 84 | 227 | 211 | 3rd, South | 2017 | — | W, 4–2,GRN | W, 4–1,FLA | W, 4–3,MAN | L, 0–4,COL | |
| 2017–18 | 72 | 48 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 104 | 214 | 153 | 2nd, South | 2018 | — | L, 0–4,ORL | — | — | — | |
| 2018–19 | 72 | 35 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 76 | 221 | 223 | 3rd, South | 2019 | — | L, 1–4,ORL | — | — | — | |
| 2019–20 | 62 | 44 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 92 | 216 | 147 | 1st, South | 2020 | — | Season cancelled | ||||
| 2020–21 | 70 | 34 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 81 | 216 | 212 | 4th, Eastern | 2021 | — | — | W, 3–2,FLA | W, 3–1,GRN | L, 1–3,FW | |
| 2021–22 | 72 | 28 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 62 | 187 | 238 | 7th, South | 2022 | Did not qualify | |||||
| 2022–23 | 72 | 45 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 95 | 263 | 194 | 1st, South | 2023 | L, 2–4,FLA | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | 72 | 39 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 85 | 249 | 218 | 5th, South | 2024 | Did not qualify | |||||
| 2024–25 | 72 | 52 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 109 | 279 | 161 | 1st, South | 2025 | L, 3–4,ORL | — | — | — | ||
From Rick Adduono (1998) toSpencer Carbery (2015), each Stingrays head coach (Jason Fitzsimmons,Jared Bednar,Cail MacLean andSpencer Carbery) has been the team's previous assistant and a former Stingrays player. Rob Concannon (named team president in2010) played on the1997Kelly Cup team.[54]
Since then, only theWarsofskybrothers have been previously in a role at the Stingrays.
Many former Stingrays have played in theNational Hockey League (NHL), and at least six,Rich Peverley,Braden Holtby,Philipp Grubauer,Nathan Walker,Pheonix Copley, andLogan Thompson have won the Stanley Cup.[94] List of Stingrays alumni that advanced to the NHL and the first NHL team they appeared with:
Updated December 2, 2019.[95]
Stingrays that played in the NHL before playing with the team:
Updated August 5, 2011.[93]
12 –Mark Bavis, who played from 1994 to 1996 when the Stingrays were an affiliate of theBuffalo Sabres. Bavis, by then aLos Angeles Kings scout, was killed along with Kings Director of Professional ScoutingGarnet Bailey onUnited Airlines Flight 175 whenAl-Qaeda terrorists hijacked the airliner, and steered it towards theWorld Trade Center during theSeptember 11 attacks. The Stingrays retired his jersey before the start of the 2001–02 season.
14 – David Seitz, who played from 1996 to 2004 and was a popular forward on the franchise with team records in goals, assists, and points, including over 200 goals and 500 points overall, fifth on the ECHL's all-time assists list, and two ECHL Kelly Cups. Seitz's retirement, caused by an ECHL restriction on experienced players on a roster after the Stingrays signed players for a road trip, sent shockwaves through the community.
24 – Brett Marietti, a popular player and former captain, retired after the 2002–03 season. Team management promptly retired his jersey in 2003. Marietti's tenure as captain ranks among the longest in ECHL history for a player to captain a single team.
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This is a list ofECHL records that the Stingrays either hold or are tied for the top position.
Updated April 14, 2011.[19][33]
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| Preceded by | Brabham Cup champions 1996–97 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kelly Cup champions 1996–97 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kelly Cup champions 2000–01 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Kelly Cup champions 2008–09 | Succeeded by |
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