The Lubbock Cotton Kings were a professional ice hockey team formerly based in Lubbock, Texas. The team was a member of the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) and later the Central Hockey League (CHL).
For those not in the know, the Lubbock Cotton Kings were a semi-pro ice hockey team that played in the Lubbock Colesium. They had one of the coolest logos ever and it was generally a riot to go take in a game and enjoy all the things that minor league sports love to do (giveaways, special nights, jerks like me on the Zamboni).
Early Years and Inaugural Season
The Lubbock Cotton Kings played their first game in Lubbock Municipal Coliseum (later City Bank Coliseum) in October 1999. During the inaugural season, the Cotton Kings went 42-24-4 and lost in the second round of the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) playoffs.
Let's also forget that the loss of the Cotton Kings meant the loss of ice in general so we also lost ice skating and some displacement of Texas Tech Hockey (which apparently is still a thing).
Anyways...as you can see the log still looks good and fresh and almost not like a throwback at all. This just might be the perfect thing to get a Lubbock sports fan for Christmas as it would be a surefire conversation starter amongst all of those who loved the team.
Read also: The History of the Springfield Kings
Merger and Subsequent Seasons
Since the WPHL merged with the Central Hockey League, the team made the playoffs only once.
The End of an Era
The Lubbock Cotton Kings were around from 1999 to about 2007. There was some possibly shady goings-on with the Lubbock Colesisum and the team basically lost their lease.
In June 2007, after the Cotton Kings failed to reach an agreement with the city of Lubbock for use of City Bank Coliseum, the Central Hockey League announced that the Cotton Kings must take a year off, suspending operations for the 2007-08 season.
I have to admit that the nostalgia got me *right there* on this one.
Lubbock Cotton Kings vs Laredo Bucks CHL fights 6-12-02
Coaching Changes
Lubbock Cotton Kings General Manager Mark Adams announced that Cotton Kings head coach and director of hockey operations Tracy Egeland had chosen to remain committed to an agreement offered by another franchise, with which he had already signed a contract. By doing so, Egeland stepped down as the head coach and director of hockey operations with the Cotton Kings.
Read also: Features of Custom Hockey Gloves
"Tracy was caught in the middle of a tough situation when Bill McDonald resigned from his coaching post (to go to New Mexico) and he did us a favor coaching this team the remainder of the season," said Adams. "He had already signed a contract to coach elsewhere at that time but had received permission to coach the Cotton Kings till season's end. We gave him an offer to stay here, but he has chosen to stay committed to his previous contract. Egeland has been here for three of the four seasons of Cotton Kings hockey and he will be missed, and we know he will be successful building a new franchise on and off the ice as he has done here. Our goal now is to find a new coach for our team and I hope that a new coach can carry most of the qualities Egeland has presented."
Egeland, a native of Lethbridge, Alberta, was the team's third head coach in franchise history and leaves with an 18-22-3 coaching record in 43 games. At the age of 32 (8/20/70), Egeland ranked as the youngest coach in the Central Hockey League and the fourth youngest coach in all of North American professional hockey.
His coaching career began unexpectedly after Cotton Kings head coach Bill McDonald resigned 21 games into the season. Egeland was promoted within, after serving as the squad's assistant coach. At the time, he had already signed a coaching contract to coach elsewhere for the 03/04 season but was given permission to head the 'Kings for the season's remainder. Egeland did the organization a favor in staying so that a coach from outside the organization would not disrupt the team chemistry and make a lot of transactions. The 'Kings were the only team in the CHL (and could be the only in league history) that did not waive, release, or trade any player from their opening night roster. Plagued with injuries, Egeland only coached 6 games with a full 18-man roster. His coaching leadership helped turn the club's power play record around late into the season going 13 for 42 in the month of March for the second-highest power play percentage (31.0%) in a month's span in Cotton Kings franchise history.
"I will certainly miss Lubbock," said Egeland. "I have been on the roller coaster of ups and downs with this franchise and have watched things grow on the ice and within the community. My reason of leaving is not to say that I do not like Lubbock, but that it is show commitment to a prior contract that I have already signed elsewhere. I will keep up with what is going on in Lubbock and recommend players and people to Lubbock because of the fans and the community. And to all those that have supported the 'Kings I thank you."
Egeland had been with the Cotton Kings organization since the 00/01 season, when he signed with the squad as a player/assistant coach. He played 11 games during the 00/01 season with Lubbock picking up 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Egeland stepped into the front office the remainder of that season and through countless community hours, was named the team's nominee for the Western Professional Hockey League "Man of The Year" award.
Read also: The story of Craig Needham
When the WPHL/CHL merged prior to the 01/02 season, Egeland was the first player signed, marking the Cotton Kings first signee under the CHL label. During the 01/02 season, Egeland was again limited in action only appearing in 16 games collecting 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. His season and his career would come to an end in early December last season after re-injuring his shoulder.
Egeland's playing career spanned twelve professional seasons, as he scored 189 goals and 184 assists, equaling 373 points, while also accumulating 1745 penalty minutes in 592 games. The Chicago Blackhawks selected Egeland as their fifth selection, 132 nd overall, in the 1989 NHL Draft.
The 6'2", 200-pound right-hander played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League from 1986-90, and in that span, Egeland played 238 games scoring 80 goals and 72 assists equaling 152 points. In the WHL, Egeland played in Swift Current, Medicine Hat, and Prince Albert. In Swift Current, he played alongside Colorado Avalanche star Joe Sakic, and in Prince Albert, he played alongside Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano.
Egeland turned professional in 1990 jumping into the International Hockey League with the Indianapolis Ice, who served as the top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. He played three seasons in Indianapolis, where he scored 48 goals and contributed with 47 assists to equal 95 points, while also playing with NHL'ers Dominik Hasek, Stu Grimson, Tony Hrkac and Sergei Krivokrasov.
The Chicago Blackhawks traded Egeland's rights to Philadelphia, which placed him in Hershey, the top affiliate of the Flyers in the American Hockey League. Egeland played two seasons in Hershey, tallying 28 points off 12 goals and 16 assists amassing 388 penalty minutes in 95 games.
Egeland played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1996-2000. He had a career season in 1996-97 with Huntington, as he put together 36 goals and 27 assists for 63 points. Egeland is third on the all-time scoring list for the now-defunct Huntington Blizzard with 162 points and ranks third on the all-time Huntington goal list with 89 in the three years he played in Huntington. He endured two call-ups to the AAA-level, while in Huntington. One resulted in a 26-game stay with the Fort Wayne Komets, who were an IHL franchise serving a dual affiliation with the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers during the 1998-99 season.
In his final season in the ECHL (99/00), Egeland played with three organizations, where he combined 19 goals, 29 assists, 48 points, and 185 penalty minutes in 66 games. He began the season in Charlotte and then was involved in a four-player deal sending him to Greensboro. Egeland remained in Greensboro until a multi-player trade sent him to Jackson to close the season.
The Cotton Kings are currently gearing up for their fifth season, which begins in October. Season tickets and corporate advertising ventures are currently available by calling (806) 747-7825.