The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Omaha, Nebraska, United States at the Omaha Civic Auditorium from 2005–2007. Following the 2006–07 season, the Calgary Flames announced that the team would relocate to the Quad Cities for 2007–08.
| Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Omaha, Nebraska |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Operated | 2005–2007 |
| Home arena | Omaha Civic Auditorium |
| Colors | Red, black, gold and silver |
| Affiliate | Calgary Flames |
| Franchise history | |
| 1977–1987 | Maine Mariners |
| 1987–1993 | Utica Devils |
| 1993–2003 | Saint John Flames |
| 2005–2007 | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights |
| 2007–2009 | Quad City Flames |
| 2009–2014 | Abbotsford Heat |
| 2014–2015 | Adirondack Flames |
| 2015–2022 | Stockton Heat |
| 2022–Present | Calgary Wranglers |
| Championships | |
| Division titles | 1: (2006–07) |
History
editIn 2005, the AHL franchise of the Calgary Flames (the Saint John Flames, which existed from 1993 to 2003) was reestablished in Omaha. The Ak-Sar-Ben part of the team's name comes from the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, an Omaha civic organization, whose logo was integrated into the insignia of the team and was a partner with the Omaha organization. Ak-Sar-Ben, which is (ironically) "Nebraska" spelled backwards, was also the name of the arena of the original Omaha Knights. The team logo was shown with identical flame marks as the Calgary Flames' logo.
Following two difficult seasons at the gate, rumors swirled around both Omaha and the Quad Cities that the Flames would relocate their affiliate to the latter region, which was at the time served by the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League.[1] The Calgary Flames and Quad City Mallards confirmed the move on May 24, 2007.[2]
Season-by-season record
edit| Year | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | PTS | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 80 | 35 | 31 | 3 | 11 | 206 | 221 | 84 | 6th, West | Out of playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 80 | 49 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 214 | 189 | 104 | 1st, West | Lost 1st round, 4–2, Iowa Stars |
Team records
editSingle season
edit- Goals: 28, Carsen Germyn (2006–07)
- Assists: 43, Andrei Taratukhin (2006–07)
- Points: 60, Dustin Boyd, Carsen Germyn, and Andrei Taratukhin (2006–07)
- Penalty minutes: 294, Brandon Prust (2005–06)
- Plus/minus: +27, David Van Der Gulik (2006–07)
- Wins: 35, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07)
- Shutouts: 7, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07)
- GAA: 2.13, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07)
- SV%: .917, Curtis McElhinney (2006–07)
Career
edit- Career goals: 52, Carsen Germyn
- Career assists: 63, Carsen Germyn
- Career points: 115, Carsen Germyn
- Career penalty minutes: 505, Brandon Prust
- Career goaltending wins: 44, Curtis McElhinney
- Career shutouts: 10, Curtis McElhinney
- Career games: 156, Warren Peters
Team captains
edit- Craig MacDonald 2005–06
- No captain; (Carsen Germyn, Warren Peters, and Brad Ference served as alternates) 2006–07
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ DeVrieze, Craig (May 15, 2007). "Report: AHL hockey team moving from Omaha to the Quad-Cities". Quad-City Times. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
- ^ "Flames announce relocation of AHL franchise to Quad Cities". Calgary Flames. May 24, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2021.