Columbus Chill The Columbus Chill was a professional ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998 - 99 season . They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in Columbus , Ohio . The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading , Pennsylvania . The Columbus Chill are know known as the Reading Royals . History . The Chill . The Columbus Chill burst onto the sports scene - first locally , then nationally - as an expansion team in the East Coast Hockey League ( now ECHL ) . The Chill followed three previous minor - league hockey franchises in the International Hockey League that failed in Ohio ' s capital city : Checkers , 1966 - 1970 ; Seals , 1971 - 73 and Owls , 1973 - 77 . Chicago businessman and sports entrepreneur Horn Chen , purchased the rights to the franchise in the spring of 1991 , with the intent of placing it in Cleveland , but new team President / General Manager David Paitson convinced him that Columbus was the right market . Paitson hired former NHL player Terry Ruskowski a . k . a . " Rosco " as head coach . The team started with the simple goal of introducing new audiences to the sport of ice hockey and building a strong fan base . Instead , the Chill became a cultural phenomenon inspiring a city - wide passion and excitement . With their counter - culture attitude , risky in - your - face marketing and creative promotional strategy , the Chill quickly built an impressive and loyal fan following and garnered the attention of the media in the United States and Canada . The team ' s aggressive marketing campaign received unprecedented coverage for a minor - league hockey team through " The Wall Street Journal " ( which described the Chill as " hockey for the hip " ) , " Sports Illustrated " , " The Hockey News " and " ABC World News Sunday " . " Columbus Monthly " said , " Going to a Chill game is like walking into the world ' s largest dorm party , " and named it the city ' s " Best Sporting Event " in 1992 and 1993 . The " American Marketing Association " would recognize the Chill as " best marketing project " in 1994 and the " Canadian Broadcasting Company " proclaimed - " ( the ) Chill is the most successful minor league franchise in history . " Although initially not successful on the ice , the Chill was a huge marketing success through their outlandish promotions , edgy and sometimes " borderline - offensive print ads and biting radio and TV commercials . " Beginning in January 1992 , the Chill sold out 83 straight games - more than tripling the previous minor - league hockey mark . It was a standard that would last for nearly a decade . The Chill would sell out more than 80 percent of their games during their eight - year history in the 5 , 600 - seat Ohio State Fairgrounds Expo Coliseum , which opened in 1918 and was the oldest building to house a pro team . While the Chill regularly filled the building , it would take Ruskowski three seasons to reach the playoffs , doing so in 1994 . The Chill would go on to win division championships in 1997 and 1999 and make the playoffs five of eight seasons . Ruskowski would become the ECHL ' s first coach to be promoted to the Triple - A level when he became the coach of the expansion Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League in June 1994 . All four Chill coaches ( Ruskowski , Moe Mantha , Brian McCutcheon and Don Granato ) would advance through the ranks with two ( McCutcheon , Buffalo Sabres and Granato , St . Louis Blues ) becoming NHL assistant coaches . McCutcheon would be named the 1997 ECHL Coach - of - the - Year . Paitson was named 1997 ECHL Executive - of - the - Year . A near disastrous scheduling snafu by Fairgrounds officials in the fall of 1992 that , unbeknownst to the Chill , would have eliminated many of the home games in the second half of the season nearly cost the city its franchise . The problem was quickly resolved after enormous public pressure . The united show of force helped trigger formation of a downtown arena study and talk of NHL expansion . The Chill was deeply involved in the process from the onset with Paitson appointed as the sole hockey / sports representative to the 10 - person Sports Facilities Work Group that included members from the city , chamber of commerce , county and convention authority . The Chill actively promoted the city ' s efforts to build a downtown arena and in 1994 publicly committed to be the major tenant . In June 1996 , Paitson was part of a delegation that went to New York to inform National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman that Columbus was interested in an NHL franchise . In February 1997 , the Franklin County Commissioners approved putting a 0 . 5 percent , three - year sales tax on the May ballot to help finance the construction of a $ 277 million complex that included a 21 , 000 - seat arena and a 30 , 000 - seat soccer stadium for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer . Issue One was defeated at the ballot on May 6 , 1997 , just days before the NHL was to announce its decision on expansion . Three days later , the NHL granted Columbus and other expansion city hopefuls more time to resolve their arena problems . On June 2 , 1997 , the arena portion of the project was rescued as Nationwide Realty , Inc . announced it would build the arena privately . John H . McConnell , founder of Worthington Industries , stepped forward to become the principal owner of the NHL expansion franchise , later to be named the Columbus Blue Jackets . The NHL board of governors on June 25 , 1997 , approved Columbus , Atlanta , Minnesota and Nashville as expansion cities . With the impending arrival of the Blue Jackets ' first game in October 2000 , the 1998 - 99 ECHL season would be the Chill ' s final one as the team was voluntarily suspended . As part of an agreement with McConnell , Chen would receive a small ownership stake in the Blue Jackets . Supension and Relocation . After the 1998 - 1999 season , the Chill suspended operations for both the 1999 - 2000 and the 2000 - 2001 ECHL season ' s after the arrival of the Columbus Blue Jackets . The Columbus Chill were sold and relocated to Reading , Pennsylvania during their two year inactive status to become the Reading Royals for the 2001 - 2002 ECHL season . Success and Community impact . The Chill would send five players to the NHL and promote countless others to the American Hockey League and International Hockey League . Numerous Chill front office employees advanced their careers to NHL , NFL , NBA , MLB , NCAA , NASCAR , Indy Racing League , etc . , including several front office employees of the Blue Jackets . In addition to the Chill being the catalyst for the NHL coming to Columbus , the franchise provided much - needed services to the skating community . The Chill has the distinction of becoming the first minor - league team to build , own and operate its own facility ( Chiller Dublin , 1993 ) and at the time they opened their second dual ice rink ( Chiller Easton , 1997 ) they joined the Anaheim Mighty Ducks as one only two franchises at any level to own and operate two facilities . Considered to be among the finest ice rink facilities in the United States , the Chillers provided the platform for an explosion of hockey from learn - to - skate classes to adult leagues : Nine high - school hockey programs and youth hockey participation grew from 150 to over 1 , 300 kids during the 1990s while the Chill was in existence . The Columbus Chill Youth Hockey Association ( CCHYA ) continues to thrive . A partnership formed in 1997 between the Chill and Blue Jackets has today resulted in the Chillers and the NHL club owning and managing eight sheets of ice in Central Ohio - Chiller North was added in 2003 and the Chiller Ice Works in 2005 - as well as serving as an integral marketing extension of the Blue Jackets ' brand . Season - by - season record . " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , OTL = Overtime losses , Pts = Points , GF = Goals for , GA = Goals against , PIM = Penalties in minutes "