Billings Bulls

The Billings Bulls are a Junior A level ice hockey team currently playing in the North American 3 Hockey Leagueand based in Billings, Montana. The Bulls were previously Junior A level until May, 2006 and had played their games in the Metrapark which had a max capacity of 9,000 for hockey games. However, a negotiating dispute with arena officials and local county commissioners resulted in the team losing its lease. They joined the NORPAC, which at the time was a Junior B league before it was upgraded to a Tier III Junior A affiliation in July 2007.
They currently play in the more intimate Centennial Ice Arena that holds 550 people at maximum capacity. The Bulls frequently sell out games and broadcast their games on internet radio. They have a staunch following and many fans can be seen wearing authentic Bulls jerseys in the stands.
==History==
The Bulls joined the American Frontier Hockey League in 1993 which became the America West Hockey League (AWHL) in 1998.http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/display_standings.php?tmi=4866 The Bulls joined the Tier II Jr. A North American Hockey League in 2003 when the AWHL merged with the NAHL (keeping the NAHL name). The team played in the NAHL from 2003 to 2006 until the team and their rivals, the Bozeman Icedogs and Helena Bighorns, left to join the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac), a regional league in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. When they joined the NorPac, the league was Tier III Junior B but promoted to Tier III Junior A by USA Hockey in 2007. In 2011, the Montana teams in the NorPac left the league to form the new regional American West Hockey League, made up of teams in Montana and Wyoming, including the Bulls. In March 2014, the new AWHL joined the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) as the Frontier Division.http://www.na3hl.com/news/story.cfm?id=11149
The team apparently folded on September 9, 2017.
===League History===
*1993–1998 American Frontier Hockey League
*1998–2003 America West Hockey League
*2003–2006 North American Hockey League
*2006–2011 Northern Pacific Hockey League
*2011–2014 American West Hockey League
*2014–present North American 3 Hockey League
==Season-by-season records==
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	SL 	Pts 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs
American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League	American Frontier Hockey League 	American Frontier Hockey League
1993-94 	48 	38 	8 	1 	- 	- 	77 	383 	143 	- 	1st Big Sky 	Won Championship
1994-95 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	
1995-96 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	information not available 	Won Championship
1996-97 	62 	47 	7 	8 	- 	- 	98 	349 	155 	- 	1st overall 	Won Championship
1997-98 	60 	44 	13 	0 	3 	- 	91 	308 	187 	- 	1st overall 	Won Championship
America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League
1998-99 	60 	33 	20 	7 	0 	- 	73 	252 	221 	- 	2nd overall 	Won Championship
1999-00 	58 	31 	24 	0 	3 	- 	65 	234 	227 	1430 	4th overall 	
2000-01 	60 	36 	23 	0 	1 	- 	73 	249 	190 	1437 	3rd overall 	
2001-02 	56 	38 	14 	2 	2 	- 	80 	285 	185 	1119 	2nd overall 	
2002-03 	56 	39 	14 	2 	1 	- 	81 	241 	151 	1061 	1st North 	
North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League 	North American Hockey League
2003-04 	56 	40 	14 	2 	- 	- 	82 	224 	143 	883 	1st West 	
2004-05 	56 	33 	17 	6 	- 	- 	72 	194 	170 	1374 	2nd West 	
2005-06 	58 	20 	30 	5 	3 	- 	48 	167 	252 	1433 	3rd West 	
Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League 	Northern Pacific Hockey League
2006-07 	44 	16 	28 	0 	- 	- 	32 	169 	226 	1479 	4th Rocky Mountain 	
2007-08 	48 	31 	17 	0 	- 	- 	62 	203 	131 	1210 	3rd America West 	
2008-09 	48 	15 	33 	0 	- 	- 	30 	150 	230 	1240 	5th America West 	
2009-10 	48 	20 	28 	0 	- 	- 	40 	188 	191 	1052 	4th America West 	
2010-11 	50 	30 	20 	0 	- 	- 	60 	239 	179 	- 	4th America West 	
America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League 	America West Hockey League
2011-12 	48 	26 	17 	- 	4 	1 	53 	202 	187 	- 	3rd overall 	Lost in semifinals
2012-13 	48 	20 	23 	- 	3 	2 	45 	142 	176 	- 	5th overall 	Did not qualify
2013-14 	48 	23 	21 	- 	3 	1 	50 	154 	168 	 	4th overall 	Lost in semifinals
North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League 	North American 3 Hockey League
2014–15 	47 	25 	16 	6 	- 	- 	56 	161 	140 	610 	4th of 7, Frontier Div.16th of 31, NA3HL	Lost Div. Semifinal, 0-2 vs. Great Falls Americans
2015–16 	47 	9 	32 	6 	- 	- 	24 	121 	237 	686 	6th of 7, Frontier Div.27th of 34, NA3HL	Did not qualify
2016–17 	47 	5 	41 	0 	0 	1 	11 	104 	356 	- 	6th of 7, Frontier Div. 	Did not qualify
==Notable alumni==
*Chris Holt, G (University of Nebraska-Omaha, currently with St. Louis Blues)
*Kevin Ulanski, C (University of Denver, currently with Colorado Eagles)
*Tom Reimann, D (University of Maine, last with Rocky Mountain Rage)
*Dan Knapp, D (University of Nebraska-Omaha, last with Pensacola Ice Pilots)
*Trevor Hammer, D (University of North Dakota, last with the Florida Seals)
*Jon Booras, F (Lake Superior State University, currently with Bloomington Prairie Thunder)
*John Sullivan, F (Clarkson University)
*Matt Charbonneau, D (currently with Air Force)
*Martin Husicka, D/F (University of Minnesota-Crookston)
Category:American ice hockey teams
Category:North American Hockey League team
Category:Disestablished in 2017
Category:American Frontier Hockey League teams