The San Antonio Iguanas started play at the Freeman Coliseum in 1994 as a part of the CHL. Their orange and purple color scheme along with the Iguana logo gives them one of the most uniquely designed logos and jerseys in hockey history.
On the ice, they hit the ground running their first season (1994-95) and went 37-22-7. They also made it all the way to the IHL finals in 1995 under coach John Torchetti who would be named IHL Coach of the Year. Later, he would go on to spend a lot of time behind big league benches in the 90s and 00s. In the '95 Finals the Iguanas came up just short, losing to Wichita. The following season would be a repeat with 39 wins and another trip to the finals, only to come up short again, this time to Oklahoma City.
In their third season, 1996-97, the Iguanas would run into trouble as the IHL's San Antonio Dragons moved to town, relocating from Illinois. The Dragons and Iguanas both shared fans and an arena, splitting the local market in two in a strange scenario. The Dragons had a much bigger budget and better players as the IHL was a step up, and forced the Iguanas out of business after the season. The Dragons would spent the 1997-98 season alone in the Freeman Coliseum, however, the Dragons spent so much money they ended up out of business themselves at the end of the season. The Dragons franchise would be sold, rebranded to the Iguanas, and re-entered into the CHL. So in the end, the Iguanas sort of won the battle.
The second coming of the Iguanas proved successful on the ice, as they were over .500 every season and would make the playoffs in 3 of their 4 seasons. But success was fleeting yet again. In 2002, the AHL's San Antonio Rampage relocated from Adirondack, NY, and the Iguanas threw in the towel instead of fighting another team on their home turf for the second time.
This would make a unique gift for the hockey fan in your life or a neat find for yourself of a vintage hockey team from South Texas.
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About the hat from the manufacturer:
This is the snapback of your dreams! It's structured and high-profile, with a flat visor and a subtle grey under visor.
• 85% acrylic, 15% wool
• Structured, 6-panel, high-profile
• Plastic snap closure
• Grey under visor
• Head circumference: 22″–24″ (55–60 cm)
• Blank product sourced from China
