Missoula Maulers
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| Missoula Maulers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Missoula, Montana |
| League | Northern Pacific Hockey League American West Hockey League Western States Hockey League |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Home arena | Glacier Ice Rink |
| Colors | Dark Blue, black, white, and gray |
| Owner(s) | Michael Burks |
| General manager | Marcus Baxter |
| Head coach | Marcus Baxter |
| Franchise history | |
| 2007–2016 | Missoula Maulers |
The Missoula Maulers were a junior ice hockey team from Missoula, Montana. The team played in the Northern Pacific Hockey League, the American West Hockey League, and the Western States Hockey League,[1] out of Missoula's Glacier Ice Rink.[2]
Michael Burks is the club's principal owner and president of operations. In 2016, Burks and the nonprofit Missoula Area Youth Association (MAYHA), the operator of Glacier Ice Rink, had a lease dispute and Burks decided to shut down the team rather than continue to fight the operators for a better contract.[3] The Maulers were quickly replaced at the Glacier Ice Rink by a North American 3 Hockey League expansion team, named the Missoula Jr. Bruins, owned by Jason and Liz DiMatteo.[4]
Former leagues
The Maulers were founded as an expansion team for the 2007–08 season in the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NorPac).[5] They played in the NorPac until 2011 when many of the eastern NorPac teams formed the new American West Hockey League (AWHL) including the Maulers.[6][7] After two seasons, the Maulers announced that were leaving the AWHL for the Amateur Athletic Union-sanctioned Western States Hockey League(WSHL).[1]
The players, ages 16–20, carried amateur status under Tier III/Tier II/Junior A guidelines with hopes to earn a spot on a collegiate or minor professional team.
- 2007–2011: Northern Pacific Hockey League
- 2011–2013: American West Hockey League
- 2013–2016: Western States Hockey League
