Richmond RiverDogs The Richmond RiverDogs were a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Richmond , Virginia and played in the United Hockey League . They played their home games at the Richmond Coliseum . The team was formed during an expansion of the United Hockey League in the fall of 2003 , replacing the ECHL Richmond Renegades , which folded in April 2003 . The franchise operated in Richmond from 2003 to 2006 . The RiverDogs relocated to Hoffman Estates , Illinois which is part of the Chicago metropolitan area to become the Chicago Hounds for the 2006 - 07 season . The franchise then disbanded after that . History . In their first year of play in the United Hockey League , the RiverDogs won the Eastern Division in the regular season and made the playoffs only to lose in the first round to the Elmira Jackals . In the January 31 , 2006 sports section of the " Richmond Times - Dispatch " , team President Jay Acton was quoted as saying " The fans aren ' t paying my bills . " This was very upsetting to a number of fans that pay for tickets to every game or are season ticket holders . Acton was also quoted as saying " We ' re losing $ 500 , 000 , and I don ' t see any more business coming in the building . I don ' t see any more fans coming into the building . " In UHL attendance , Richmond was generally in the top 3 . However , the transfer of coach – general manager Robbie Nichols to a new UHL expansion franchise located in the Chicago area in February 2006 started speculation that the RiverDogs would disband after the season . However , the RiverDogs ended up relocating for the 2006 - 07 season . The expansion UHL Chicago franchise was already named " Chicago Hounds " , but this new expansion franchise was then dissolved allowing the RiverDogs to relocated to the Chicago area . The Chicago Hounds name was then transferred to the relocating RiverDogs franchise . Nichols ended up staying with the team while based in the Chicago area , but then left the franchise in April 2006 to become general manager of the UHL Elmira Jackals and the First Arena in Elmira , New York . Late in the 2006 – 07 season , the franchise was sold to Craig Drecktrah , owner of the Rockford IceHogs . Drecktrah suspened the team after one season due to problems securing a lease at the Sears Centre . The franchise attempted to resume play as the Hounds in the IHL for the 2008 - 09 season , however Drecktrah was unable to secure a venue in the Chicago area . The franchise ceased operations when a new franchise called the Chicago Express was formed in 2011 . This new franchise also ceased operations after playing in the ECHL for the 2011 - 12 season only . Before the relocation , in April 2006 , the Richmond Coliseum ' s management announced that the RiverDogs had missed several deadlines to renew their lease for 2006 - 07 , ending the franchise ' s operations in Richmond . The RiverDogs were replaced by the second incarnation of the Richmond Renegades , which began play in the Southern Professional Hockey League in October 2006 . Former RiverDog Brian Goudie was named player – assistant coach of the SPHL Renegades in 2006 - 07 , and head coach of the Renegades in 2007 - 08 . Some of their most popular players included David Brosseau , J . J . Wrobel , Brian Goudie , David Hymovitz , Luch Nasato , Kevin St . Jacques , and Maxime Gingras . Some of the known fighters in the RiverDogs ' short history included Trevor Senn , Brad Both , Dave Shields , Matt Goody , and their last head coach , Kris Waltze . " Raz " the RiverDogs mascot was played first by Tim Gearles , and in later seasons by Derrick Hanks and Jamie Hogan .