West Coast Hockey League

The West Coast Hockey League was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the western United States from 1995 to 2003. The number of teams ranged from six to nine. The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Washington. The league was formed in part by a conversion of the Pacific Southwest Hockey League from semi-professional to professional status. 
The surviving remnants of the West Coast Hockey League currently form part of the ECHL.
==Beginnings==
The league was founded in 1995 with six charter members: the Alaska Gold Kings (Fairbanks, Alaska), Anchorage Aces (Anchorage, Alaska), Bakersfield Fog (Bakersfield, California), Fresno Falcons (Fresno, California), Reno Renegades (Reno, Nevada) and San Diego Gulls (San Diego, California). The league retained these teams in a single division for the first two seasons, as well as played regular season games against a "Red Army" team from Russia.
==Expansion==
In the league's third season in 1997-98 the Alaska Gold Kings suspended operations. The remaining teams were joined by the expansion Idaho Steelheads (Boise, Idaho), Phoenix Mustangs (Phoenix, Arizona), Tacoma Sabercats (Tacoma, Washington) and Tucson Gila Monsters (Tucson, Arizona). The larger league was then split into Northern and Southern Divisions. Also, the teams in Reno and Fresno changed their names to the Reno Rage and Fresno's Fighting Falcons respectively.
The following season the Gold Kings relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and rejoined the league as the Colorado Gold Kings. The Fresno team reverted back to its original name and the Bakersfield Fog renamed themselves the Bakersfield Condors. However, the Reno Rage ceased operations before the 1998-99 season while the Tucson Gila Monsters folded 21 games into the season. The WCHL then remained stable as an eight-team league after Tucson's departure and through the 1999-2000 season.
In 2000-01 the Long Beach, California, Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League joined the WCHL.
==Decline and merger with ECHL==
The league began to contract in 2001-02 after the Phoenix Mustangs folded before the season. Before the 2002-03 season, the WCHL's last as an independent league, the Tacoma Sabercats and Colorado Gold Kings folded. The WCHL played in a single division in 2002-03 as it had its first two seasons. 
In 2003, the WCHL was absorbed by the East Coast Hockey League. In a change reflective of the nationwide presence of the ECHL, the East Coast Hockey League formally changed its name to simply ECHL on May 19, 2003, as a direct result of the merger. The six remaining WCHL teams (Anchorage, Bakersfield, Fresno, Idaho, Long Beach and San Diego), as well as a planned WCHL team in Las Vegas, Nevada, which became the Las Vegas Wranglers, joined the West and Pacific Divisions of the ECHL's National Conference. The Anchorage Aces renamed themselves the Alaska Aces before joining the ECHL.
==Legacy== 
With the December 2008 demise of the Fresno FalconsOwners ice Fresno Falcons as ticket sales decline only two of the original 1995 WCHL teams - the Alaska Aces and Bakersfield Condors - remain active in the ECHL. All of the subsequent expansion teams which played in the WCHL except the Idaho Steelheads have since ceased operations as well. (The Las Vegas Wranglers - although planned for the WCHL - never actually played in the league). Efforts to resurrect the Reno Renegades/Rage organization as an ECHL team have been repeatedly delayed by problems in finding a suitable home arena in the Reno area.Developer is working to bring pro team back to Reno However, since 2003 former WCHL teams have accounted for three Kelly Cup championships in the ECHL, Idaho in 2004 and 2007, and Alaska in 2006.
==Timeline of teams==
Team 	Location 	Arena 	Tenure 	Notes
Alaska Gold Kings 	Fairbanks, Alaska 	Carlson Center 	1995-1997	suspend operations for 1997-98; return as Colorado Gold Kings
Anchorage Aces 	Anchorage, Alaska 	Sullivan Arena 	1995-2003	join ECHL when leagues merge
Bakersfield Fog 	Bakersfield, California 	Bakersfield Centennial Garden 	1995-1998	renamed Bakersfield Condors
Fresno Falcons 	Fresno, California 	Selland Arena 	1995-1997	renamed Fresno's Fighting Falcons
Reno Renegades 	Reno, Nevada 	Reno-Sparks Convention Center 	1995-1997	renamed Reno Rage
San Diego Gulls 	San Diego, California 	San Diego Sports Arena 	1995-2003	join ECHL when leagues merge
Fresno's Fighting Falcons	Fresno, California 	Selland Arena 	1997-1998	revert to Fresno Falcons
Idaho Steelheads 	Boise, Idaho 	Bank of America Center 	1997-2003	join ECHL when leagues merge
Phoenix Mustangs 	Phoenix, Arizona 	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum	1997-2001	fold when unable to secure new lease
Reno Rage 	Reno, Nevada 	Reno-Sparks Convention Center 	1997-1998	suspend operations after season
Tacoma Sabercats 	Tacoma, Washington 	Tacoma Dome 	1997-2002	folded
Tucson Gila Monsters 	Tucson, Arizona 	Tucson Convention Center 	1997-1999	fold during 1998-99 season
Bakersfield Condors 	Bakersfield, California 	Bakersfield Centennial Garden 	1998-2003	
join ECHL when leagues merge
Colorado Gold Kings 	Colorado Springs, Colorado	Colorado Springs World Arena 	1998-2002	folded
Fresno Falcons 	Fresno, California 	Selland Arena 	1998-2003	join ECHL when leagues merge
Long Beach Ice Dogs 	Long Beach, California 	Long Beach Sports Arena 	2000-2003	oin ECHL when leagues merge
==Taylor Cup==
The WCHL's championship trophy was known as the Taylor Cup. It was named for the founder of the league, who also originally owned three of the six founding teams (Bakersfield, Fresno and Reno). The San Diego Gulls were by far the most successful postseason team in WCHL history, winning five of the eight Taylor Cup championships awarded.
;Winners
*1995-96 - San Diego Gulls
*1996-97 - San Diego Gulls
*1997-98 - San Diego Gulls
*1998-99 - Tacoma Sabercats
*1999-00 - Phoenix Mustangs
*2000-01 - San Diego Gulls
*2001-02 - Fresno Falcons
*2002-03 - San Diego Gulls
==References==
==External links==
* WCHL standings
Category:West Coast Hockey League
Category:Defunct ice hockey leagues