Cincinnati Cyclones

The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Originally established in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at Heritage Bank Center. The Cyclones are a minor league affiliate of the New York Rangers (National Hockey League) and the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League). Cincinnati has fielded Cyclones teams with three separate franchises in two different leagues: the International Hockey League (1992–2001) and the ECHL (1990–1992, 2001–2004, 2006–present). Together, the franchises have combined to win two Kelly Cups (2008 and 2010), three conference championships (2008, 2010 and 2014), two overall points championships (2008 and 2019), and five division championships (1996, 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2019). In 2007–08, the team had the most successful season in ECHL history with 55 wins, 115 points, and its first conference and league championships. History There have been three separate franchises known as the Cincinnati Cyclones, two in the ECHL and one in the IHL. The early ECHL years: 1990–1992 The first franchise to use the name Cincinnati Cyclones was founded in 1990. The team played their games at the Cincinnati Gardens. They lost in the first round of the playoffs in the 1990–91 season. In the 1991–92 season, the Cyclones lost in the Riley Cup semifinals. The team's owner at the time, Doug Kirchhofer, was granted an International Hockey League franchise and chose to move the Cyclones name to that franchise. He then sold the ECHL franchise to Art Clarkson of Birmingham, Alabama, to form the new Birmingham Bulls.