Houston Aeros

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Houston Aeros
City: Houston, Texas
League: American Hockey League
Conference: Western Conference
Division: West Division
Founded: 1994 (in the IHL)
Home Arena: Toyota Center
Colors: Green and Red
Owner(s): Minnesota Sports and Entertainment
General Manager: Tom Lynn
Head Coach: Kevin Constantine
Media: Houston Chronicle
Affiliates: Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Texas Wildcatters (ECHL)
Austin Ice Bats (CHL)
Franchise history
1994 to 2001 (IHL): Houston Aeros
2001 to present (AHL): Houston Aeros
Championships
Regular Season Titles: 1 IHL (1998–99)
0 AHL
Division Championships: 1 IHL (1998–99)
1 AHL (2002–03)
Conference Championships: 1 (2002–03)
Turner Cups: 1 (1998–99)
Calder Cups: 1 (2002–03)

The Houston Aeros are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Houston, Texas, USA at the Toyota Center.

Contents

[edit] History

The Houston Aeros were an expansion team in the International Hockey League in 1994. The team's name is an homage to the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association in the 1970s, one of the teams Gordie Howe played for in the WHA. The Aeros were the second IHL team to be named after a WHA franchise, the first being the Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL); unlike the Roadrunners, who used the same logo as their WHA predecessor, the IHL Aeros used a new logo, a bomber flying over the team name (essentially their current logo). The Aeros would defeat the Orlando Solar Bears to win the 1999 Turner Cup, following an impressive 54-win season.

The Aeros were one of six IHL teams to join the AHL in 2001 when the IHL folded. The AHL version of the Aeros would go on to win the 2003 Calder Cup. They are the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.

The team plays their home games in the Toyota Center, which they moved to from the Compaq Center for the 2003–04 season.

In 2003, the Aeros replaced their original bomber logo, carried over from their IHL days, to a new logo featuring a forward-facing modern fighter jet below a bold "AEROS", and using the WHA Aeros' colors of light and dark blue. In 2005, as part of their affiliation with the Wild, the Aeros changed their colors to the Wild's forest green and Iron Range red. On April 18, 2006, the team announced that the 2006–07 season would see the Aeros return to their original bomber logo associated with their championship seasons, with only minor color alterations; the blue elements of the original logo were replaced with green.

[edit] Season-by-season results

[edit] Regular season

Season Games Won Lost Tied OTL SOL Points Goals
for
Goals
against
Standing
1994–95 81 38 35 8 84 272 283 2nd, Central
1995–96 82 29 45 8 66 262 328 5th, Central
1996–97 82 44 30 8 96 247 228 2nd, Southwest
1997–98 82 50 22 10 110 268 214 2nd, Southwest
1998–99 82 54 15 13 121 307 209 1st, Southwest
1999–00 82 44 29 9 97 219 197 3rd, Western
2000–01 82 42 32 8 92 229 245 2nd, Western
2001–02 80 39 26 10 5 93 234 232 2nd, West
2002–03 80 47 23 7 3 104 266 222 1st, West
2003–04 80 28 34 14 4 74 197 220 4th, West
2004–05 80 40 28 6 6 93 212 195 4th, West
2005–06 80 50 24 3 3 106 285 242 2nd, West
2006–07 80 27 43 4 6 64 205 269 7th, West
2007–08 80 45 29 2 4 96 206 183 3rd, West

[edit] Playoffs

Season Prelim 1st round 2nd round 3rd round Finals
1994–95 L, 1–3, PHX
1995–96 Out of playoffs.
1996–97 W, 3–0, LV W, 4–1, SA L, 1–4, LB
1997–98 L, 1–3, MIL
1998–99 W, 3–2, LB W, 4–3, CHI W, 4–3, ORL
1999–00 W, 4–1, UT L, 2–4, CHI
2000–01 L, 3–4, MTB
2001–02 W, 3–2, UT W, 4–0, HER L, 1–4, CHI
2002–03 W, 3–0, MIL W, 4–2, NOR W, 4–3, GR W, 4–3, HAM
2003–04 L, 0–2, CIN
2004–05 L, 1–4, CHI
2005–06 W, 4–0, PEO L, 0–4, MIL
2006–07 Out of playoffs.
2007–08 L, 1–4, RFD

[edit] Franchise Records

Single season
Goals: 47 Flag of the United States Patrick O'Sullivan (2005–06)
Assists: 88 Flag of Canada Brian Wiseman (1998–99)
Points: 110 Flag of Canada Kirby Law (2005–06)
Penalty Minutes: 333 Flag of Canada Gord Donnelly (1995–96)
GAA: 2.01 Flag of Canada Josh Harding (2004–05)
SV%: .930 Josh Harding (2004–05)
Career
Career Goals: 132 Mark Freer
Career Assists: 210 Mark Freer
Career Points: 342 Mark Freer
Career Penalty Minutes: 724 Flag of Canada Trent Cull
Career Goaltending Wins: 126 Flag of Canada Frederic Chabot
Career Shutouts: 18 Frederic Chabot
Career Games: 469 Mark Freer
Retired Numbers
9 Gordie Howe (1973-77)

[edit] External links

Flag of Houston
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Sports teams based in greater Houston
Baseball MLB: Houston Astros, CBL: Bay Area Toros
Basketball NBA: Houston Rockets, WNBA: Houston Comets, ABA: Houston Takers
Football NFL: Houston Texans, IFL: Katy Ruff Riders, af2: Texas Copperheads, APFL: Conroe Storm, NAFL: Houston Sharks, Montgomery County Bulls, Bay Area Gamblers, IIFA: Harris County Militia, Galveston Tidalwave, WPFL: Houston Energy
Australian Rules Football USAFL: Houston Lonestars
Soccer MLS: Houston Dynamo, PDL: Houston Leones
Hockey AHL: Houston Aeros
Tennis WTT: Houston Wranglers
College athletics
(NCAA Division I)
Houston CougarsHouston Baptist HuskiesPrairie View A&M PanthersRice OwlsTexas Southern Tigers