Kentucky Thoroughblades
The Kentucky Thoroughblades™ debuted in 1996-97 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, sporting one of the best emblems in minor league hockey history. The team's iconic colors of teal, purple, and silver were distinctive in their own right, but the furious, muscular horse on skates elevated their jerseys to the ranks of the most unique in all of professional sports.
The Thoroughblades were Lexington's first pro hockey team and were initially quite successful, drawing over 8,000 people every game. The squad, which was affiliated with San Jose and New York, produced a number of major leaguers, including future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara, as well as Jonathan Cheechoo, Dan Boyle, and Evgeni Nabokov.
Their first season, 1996-97, went well with a 36-35-9 record and a playoff berth, something the Thoroughblades would earn in each of their five seasons. By year three, the squad had progressed even more, with a 44-win season and two major leaguers in Nabokov and Miikka Kiprusoff between the pipes. With the addition of Johan Hedberg in the 1999-00 season, the superstar goalie tandem grew to three. They would make it to the second round of the playoffs both years before dropping out. In 1999, the 'Blades defeated Hershey in the first round before falling to Philadelphia. In 2000, they defeated their cross-state rivals, the Louisville Panthers, in four games before falling to Hershey in the second round.
The squad was still successful on the ice by the 2000-01 season, with 42 victories before another first-round playoff defeat. Off the ice, attendance was on the decline, with an average of roughly 4,500 fans in the team's sixth season. The team was sold to the Gunds at the end of that season, and they relocated to Cleveland and changed the name to the Cleveland Barons. The franchise is still known as the Barracuda and is still associated with San Jose.
The Thoroughblades were Lexington's first pro hockey team and were initially quite successful, drawing over 8,000 people every game. The squad, which was affiliated with San Jose and New York, produced a number of major leaguers, including future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara, as well as Jonathan Cheechoo, Dan Boyle, and Evgeni Nabokov.
Their first season, 1996-97, went well with a 36-35-9 record and a playoff berth, something the Thoroughblades would earn in each of their five seasons. By year three, the squad had progressed even more, with a 44-win season and two major leaguers in Nabokov and Miikka Kiprusoff between the pipes. With the addition of Johan Hedberg in the 1999-00 season, the superstar goalie tandem grew to three. They would make it to the second round of the playoffs both years before dropping out. In 1999, the 'Blades defeated Hershey in the first round before falling to Philadelphia. In 2000, they defeated their cross-state rivals, the Louisville Panthers, in four games before falling to Hershey in the second round.
The squad was still successful on the ice by the 2000-01 season, with 42 victories before another first-round playoff defeat. Off the ice, attendance was on the decline, with an average of roughly 4,500 fans in the team's sixth season. The team was sold to the Gunds at the end of that season, and they relocated to Cleveland and changed the name to the Cleveland Barons. The franchise is still known as the Barracuda and is still associated with San Jose.
