| Laredo Bucks | |
 | |
| City: | Laredo, Texas |
|---|---|
| League: | USA Central Hockey League |
| Founded: | 2018 |
| Home Arena: | Sames Auto Arena |
| Colors: | Navy, Gold, and White |
The Laredo Bucks were an ice hockey team from Laredo, Texas. The team was a founding member of the USA Central Hockey League. The league intended to be a tuition free junior hockey league similar to Tier I and Tier II and began play in the fall of 2018. The team was based out of the Sames Auto Arena.
This is the second incarnation of the team as the Laredo Bucks played in the Central Hockey League from 2002 to 2012. On June 13, 2018, the new USACHL team announced they had acquired the rights to the CHL Bucks nickname.[1]
The Bucks played in the league's inaugural game on October 26, 2018, losing to the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (USACHL). The league then ran into several arena issues leading to many cancelled and postponed games. The league also had several personnel issues with all initial coaches and the league president leaving the league before one month into the season. By November 14, the media advisor, after failing to receive payment, deleted all social media accounts and the player advisor then began pulling players from the league, leading to short benches and rumors of the league's demise.[2]
By December 1, both the Texas Lawmen and the Wichita Falls Force had folded due to lack of players and unpaid arena bills. With the league down to two teams and the entire Bucks' staff quitting over non-payment, the league cancelled the remainder of the season on December 7, 2018. Due to the schedule, the Bucks played only one home game with a reported attendance of 3,724.