Evansville IceMen


 * This article is about the ECHL Evansville IceMen (2010-2016) franchise. For the defunct All American Hockey League franchise, see: Evansville IceMen (2008–2010).

The Evansville IceMen were a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL. The team was previously a member of the Central Hockey League and was originally a member of the International Hockey League. The franchise has won four post-season championship titles in the UHL in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005. Formerly playing at the Swonder Ice Arena, From the 2011-12 season until 2015-16 the IceMen had played at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

The IceMen were formerly known as the Muskegon Fury (1992-2008), and Muskegon Lumberjacks (2008-2010). The current IceMen franchise replaced the original Evansville IceMen (2008–2010) that were a part of the All American Hockey League before folding in 2010.

Muskegon Fury (1992-2008)
The Muskegon Fury was an International Hockey League ice hockey team located in Muskegon, Michigan. The team's colors were Teal, Purple, Black. The Fury were established in 1992 after the original Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League's previous incarnation relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. Hockey had been in Muskegon for 32 consecutive seasons to that point and Tony Lisman, Owner/President of the Fury, would not let that tradition end. Lisman kept his vow to keep hockey in Muskegon by establishing the Fury in the Colonial Hockey League, and has been very successful in doing so throughout the league's name changes.

The Fury lost to the Danbury Trashers in the 2005-2006 playoffs in their bid for a third consecutive Colonial Cup championship.

On August 30, 2006, Bruce Ramsay was named the Fury head coach for the 2006-2007 season, replacing Todd Nelson, who had accepted the assistant coaching position for the Chicago Wolves a few days earlier.Nelson is now serving as an assistant coach for the NHL Atlanta Thrashers. Ramsay resigned after the 2008-2009 season to become the head coach of the Tulsa Oilers in the Central Hockey League. Ramsay was replaced for the 2009-2010 season by Rich Kromm.

Erin Whitten one of the few female hockey players to play professionally, played for the Fury during the 1995-1996 season, before being traded to the Flint Generals.

Muskegon Lumberjacks (2008-2010)
On September 12, 2008, new owners Stacey Patulsky, Jeff Patulsky and Tim Taylor changed the teams name from the Muskegon Fury to the Lumberjacks to reflect back on what many remember as the glory days of hockey in Muskegon.

During this time frame, the Lumberjacks were affiliated with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. The Battle Creek Revolution of the All American Hockey League served as the Lumberjacks farm team affiliate.

Evansville IceMen (2010- Present)
On February 8, 2010 it was announced that the Muskegon Lumberjacks would move to Evansville, Indiana as the Evansville IceMen at the conclusion of the 2009-10 International Hockey League season. The dormant Rochester Mustangs franchise of the USHL would move to Muskegon taking on the name Muskegon Lumberjacks.

On July 13, 2010, the International Hockey League merged with the Central Hockey League, retaining the name Central Hockey League. The merger had the Bloomington PrairieThunder, Dayton Gems, Evansville IceMen, Fort Wayne Komets and Quad City Mallards IHL franchises move to the Northern Conference of the new combined IHL/CHL.

Starting with the 2011-2012 season, the IceMen practiced at Swonder, but played home games at the Ford Center.

The ECHL Evansville IceMen replaced the defunct Evansville IceMen (2008–2010) of the All American Hockey League. The former IceMen team ceased operation after winning the Rod Davidson Cup during the 2009-2010 season.

On May 17, 2012, the IceMen formally were accepted into the ECHL, with membership to begin in the 2012-13 season.

The team had announced its intention to move to the Owensboro Sportscenter in Owensboro, Kentucky for the 2016-17 season. However, the arena would require extensive renovations to bring it up to ECHL standards. The team then announced they would sit out the 2016-17 season to have the renovations completed. The city was originally going to partially foot the bill along with the team. The team was then going to be responsible the renovations causing the team to re-access the situation and that it would not be feasible to renovate the arena. The team was then put up for sale. The team was sold in early February 2017 to a group that would relocate the team to the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida for the 2017-18 season.

Championships
NOTE: The league's name has changed over the years from the Colonial Hockey League (until 1997), United Hockey League (1997–2007), and the "new" International Hockey League (2007–present). In 2010, the International Hockey League merged with the Central Hockey League, retaining the name "Central Hockey League".