The Mountain West Hockey League (MWHL) is a Senior ice hockey league consisting of teams from the Western United States.
 Mountain West Hockey League | |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| First season | 2012–13 |
| Commissioner | Thomas Brown |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country | United States |
| Most recent champion(s) | NorCal Ice Raiders (2019) |
| Most titles | San Diego Skates Vail Yeti NorCal Ice Raiders (2 each) |
| Official website | MWHL.net |
History
editThe MWHL was founded in Las Vegas, Nevada by Thomas Brown in 2012. It is a Senior A ice hockey league with clubs spanning the western United States. MWHL clubs are composed of North American and European players with junior, college, and professional experience. The MWHL features two geographic divisions: Sierra and Rocky.
The MWHL regular season runs from November through March. The club with the best record at the end of the regular season is awarded the Commissioner's Cup. The MWHL Cup Playoffs are held in April, culminating in the MWHL Cup Finals. The winner of the MWHL Cup Finals is awarded the MWHL Cup. The league also sponsors the MWHL Classic, a mid-season inter-division game held at a neutral location.
The Park City Pioneers were the first league champion in 2013 defeating the Las Vegas Hookers in the final.
The San Diego Skates became the first repeat champion winning the league championship in 2015 and again in 2016.
Media
editThe MWHL Network provides news, scores, stats, and features about the league and its clubs via the league website and associated club websites. The MWHL Network also provides live webcast coverage of select games during the regular season and playoffs on its YouTube channel.
Teams
edit| Team | City | Arena | Joined MWHL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breckenridge Vipers | Breckenridge, Colorado | Stephen C. West Ice Arena | 2015 |
| Mansfield Barracudas | Mansfield, Texas | Children's Health StarCenter Mansfield | 2019 |
| Vegas Jesters | Summerlin, Nevada | City National Arena | 2012 |
| Reno Ice Raiders | Reno, Nevada | Reno Ice | 2015 |
| San Diego Super Hornets | San Diego, California | UTC Ice | 2023 |
| Santa Rosa Growlers | Santa Rosa, California | Snoopy's Home Ice | 2019 |
| Stockton Stampede | Stockton, California | Oak Park Arena | 2020 |
| Texas Titans | Dallas, Texas | StarCenter Frisco | 2018 |
| Utah County Blizzard | Provo, Utah | Peaks Ice Arena | 2016 |
Former teams
edit- Arizona Outlaws (2015-19)
- Aspen Leafs (2012-14)
- Breckenridge Brewers (2014-15)
- Boulder Bison (2015-16)
- Jackson Hole Moose (2012-14)
- Las Vegas Hookers (2012-13) - renamed Wolves, Cavalry, Jesters
- McCall Buccaneers (2012-13)
- North County Checkers (2017-19)
- Orange County Checkers (2014-17) - moved and renamed North County Checkers
- Park City Pioneers (2012-15)[1]
- Pikes Peak Vigilantes (2015-19)
- Salt Lake City Ice Wolves (2013-15) - sold and relocated to Oakland; renamed Ice Raiders.
- Salt Lake City Rebels/Golden Eagles (2012-14)
- Sun Valley Suns (2013-14)
- Utah Buccaneers (2015-16)
- Vail Yeti (2013-19)
- West Coast Seals (2017-19)
Champions
edit| Season | Commissioners' Cup
(regular season) |
MWHL Cup
(playoff champion) |
Playoff
Runner-up |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | Las Vegas Hookers | Park City Pioneers | Las Vegas Hookers | |
| 2013-14 | Vail Yeti | Vail Yeti[2] | Las Vegas Wolves | 7-4[3] |
| 2014-15 | San Diego Skates | San Diego Skates | ||
| 2015-16 | Breckenridge Vipers[4] | San Diego Skates[5] | Breckenridge Vipers | 2-1 (best-of 3) |
| 2016-17 | NorCal Ice Raiders[6] | Vail Yeti | Arizona Outlaws | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2017-18 | San Diego Skates | NorCal Ice Raiders | Vail Yeti | 2-1 (best-of 3) |
| 2018-19 | NorCal Ice Raiders[7] | NorCal Ice Raiders | Breckenridge Vipers | 2-0 (best-of 3) |
| 2019-20 | none | none | --- | --- |
Notable alumni
edit- Zach Pochiro, Las Vegas Hookers - Bakersfield Condors (AHL) Allen Americans (ECHL)
- Mark Adamek, Park City Pioneers - Utah Grizzlies (ECHL)
- Zack Hale, Park City Pioneers - Watertown Privateers (FHL)
- Jeff Hazelwood, Las Vegas Hookers - Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
- Ben Wilner, Park City Pioneers - Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
- Brian Jacque, Las Vegas Hookers - Chi-Town Shooters (AAHL) Flint Generals (IHL)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Pioneers call it quits". Park Record. 23 October 2015.
- ^ "Thank you for your support". Vail Daily. 22 May 2014.
- ^ "Vail Yeti Schedule". Vail Yeti. 13 April 2014.
- ^ "Breck Vipers men's team brings 3rd hockey title to town in 2016". Summit Daily. 16 April 2016.
- ^ "Skates Win MWHL Cup". Mountain West Hockey League. 2 May 2016.
- ^ "NorCal Ice Raiders to host playoffs April 7-9". Vacaville Reporter. March 21, 2017.
- ^ "Vacaville's minor league hockey team ready to host playoffs". Vacaville Reporter. April 2, 2019.