Bloomington Bison

Bloomington Bison
Bloomington Bison
City	Bloomington, Illinois
League	ECHL
Conference	Western
Division	Central
Founded	2024
Home arena	Grossinger Motors Arena
Owner(s)	Hallett Sports and Entertainment
Affiliates	New York Rangers (NHL); Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL); Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)
Website	bloomingtonbisonhockey.com
Franchise history
2024–present	Bloomington Bison

The Bloomington Bison are an upcoming American minor league ice hockey team based in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 2024, the team plans to make its debut in the ECHL in 2024–25. They are the ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The Bison also have a working agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes.^[1]

History

On January 16, 2024, the ECHL awarded an expansion team to Bloomington, Illinois.^[2]^[3]^[4] The ownership group consists of Jim Hallett of Hallett Sports and Entertainment, owners of the Indy Fuel. The club will play in Grossinger Motors Arena located in Bloomington, Illinois. On May 30, it was announced that a five-year affiliation with the New York Rangers has been signed. In addition, Phillip Barski was named as the team's first head coach and general manager.^[5]

Notes

^ This is a working agreement rather than a formal affiliation.

References

^ "Canes Announce Working Agreement With Bloomington Bison". Carolina Hurricanes. July 24, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
^ "ECHL approves Expansion Membership for Bloomington, Illinois". Retrieved January 16, 2024.
^ "Pro hockey approved to play in Bloomington". Retrieved January 16, 2024.
^ "Bloomington lands a new pro hockey team". Retrieved January 16, 2024.
^ "Bloomington Bison Announce NHL Affiliation and Introduce New Head Coach". bloomingtonbisonhockey.com. May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.

External links

Official website

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[NHL2-1] This is a working agreement rather than a formal affiliation.

[2] "Canes Announce Working Agreement With Bloomington Bison". Carolina Hurricanes. July 24, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.

[3] "ECHL approves Expansion Membership for Bloomington, Illinois". Retrieved January 16, 2024.

[4] "Pro hockey approved to play in Bloomington". Retrieved January 16, 2024.

[5] "Bloomington lands a new pro hockey team". Retrieved January 16, 2024.

[6] "Bloomington Bison Announce NHL Affiliation and Introduce New Head Coach". bloomingtonbisonhockey.com. May 30, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.

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v t e New York Rangers
Founded in 1926 Based in New York, New York
Franchise	Team General managers Coaches Players Captains Draft picks Seasons Current season
History	History (Original Six) Records Award winners Retired numbers Broadcasters
Personnel	Owner(s) Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (James Dolan, chairman) General manager Chris Drury Head coach Peter Laviolette Team captain Jacob Trouba Current roster
Arenas	Madison Square Garden III Madison Square Garden IV
Rivalries	New Jersey Devils New York Islanders Philadelphia Flyers Washington Capitals
Affiliates	AHL Hartford Wolf Pack ECHL Bloomington Bison
Media	TV MSG Network Radio WEPN-FM
Culture and lore	Curse of 1940 "It's a power play goal!" GAG line Eric Lindros trade George Kalinsky Emile Francis Award Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award Ice Hockey in Harlem Hockey Night Live! "Good Feeling" (Flo Rida song) "Hockey Sock Rock" "I Wanna Be a NY Ranger" "Slapshot" Theme from New York, New York "The Face Painter" (Seinfeld episode) Mystery, Alaska John Amirante 1991 Las Vegas outdoor game June 17th, 1994 2011 NHL Premiere 2012 NHL Winter Classic 2014 NHL Stadium Series 2018 NHL Winter Classic 2023 Big City Greens Classic 2024 NHL Stadium Series
Category Commons

v t e Hartford Wolf Pack
Formerly the Providence Reds, Rhode Island Reds, Binghamton Dusters, Binghamton Whalers, Binghamton Rangers, Hartford Wolf Pack, and Connecticut Whale Founded in 1926 Based in Hartford, Connecticut
Franchise	History Records Players All articles
Arenas	Rhode Island Auditorium Providence Civic Center Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena XL Center
Coaches	Keith McCambridge Kris Knoblauch Steve Smith
Calder Cup	1938 1940 1949 1956 2000
Rivalries	Bridgeport Islanders Springfield Thunderbirds
Affiliates	New York Rangers (NHL) Bloomington Bison (ECHL)