Bloomington Blaze

The Bloomington Blaze is a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Turner Conference and scheduled to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Based in Bloomington, Illinois, the Blaze will play its home games at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

The Blaze replace the defunct Bloomington PrairieThunder which played in the International Hockey League from 2006-2010 (in their first season the league was called the United Hockey League) before it merged with the CHL for the 2010-11 season, which they had only played the single season before folding. Though the Blaze also plays at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, they are not regarded as a continuation of the original Bloomington franchise. The former head coach, Jason Christie, resigned before the season started. He is now the Coach for the Ontario Reign of the ECHL.