New Mexico Scorpions
Shop retro New Mexico Scorpions tees, hoodies, jerseys and hats. The Scorpions brought pro hockey back to Tingley Coliseum in 1996, won 49 of 70 games and reached the WPHL finals in 1999 to 2000, and later moved to the new Rio Rancho Events Center. Celebrate over a decade of Albuquerque area hockey by browsing all of our Scorpions gear, then read the team history below. Vintage Ice Hockey Canada is a small business that keeps the designs and history of forgotten hockey clubs alive.
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New Mexico Scorpions History
When the WPHL first began play in 1996-97, the New Mexico Scorpions were a founding member. The Scorpions played at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, which hadn't hosted pro hockey in 20 years since the Chaparrals disbanded. The Scorps were immediately successful, winning 42 games in each of their first two seasons.Their finest season in the WPHL was 1999-00, when they won 49 of 70 games and advanced to the playoff finals. The finals, however, were won by the Shreveport Mudbugs, who defeated the Scorps in six games. The WPHL would merge with another league in 2001, taking the Scops with them. They would play for seven seasons, finishing above .500 six times and making the playoffs three times.
The team would suspend operations for a year in the middle of their run, skipping the 2005-06 season. They would return in 2006-07 in a new arena, the Rio Rancho Events Center, which opened in 2006. The team would disband after three seasons in their new home when their league folded in 2009.
