Springfield Jr. Blues
CitySpringfield, Illinois
LeagueNAHL
DivisionMidwest
Founded1993
Home arenaNelson Center
ColorsNavy, Gold
     
Owner(s)Dan Ferguson
General managerTodd Pococke
Head coachTodd Pococke
MediaHockey TV
Franchise history
1993–presentSpringfield Jr. Blues
Championships
Playoff championshipsRobertson Cup
2 (1996,1997)

The Springfield Jr. Blues are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's Midwest Division.[1] The team plays their home games at the Nelson Center in Springfield, Illinois.[2]

History

Founded by John D. O'Laughlin and Al Jennings, the franchise joined the North American Hockey League for the 1993–94 season.[3] Springfield had previously been home to multiple semi-pro teams the Springfield Kings and Springfield Capitols. The team has made numerous appearances in the NAHL playoffs and were back-to-back Robertson Cup National Championships in 1996 and 1997.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that curtailed the 2019–20 season, the Jr. Blues suspended operations for the 2020–21 season.[4][5]

Season-by-season records

Season GP W L OTL PTS GF GA PIM Finish
2004–05 56 30 25 1 61 207 200 1,509 5th, South Div.
2005–06 58 28 26 4 60 181 208 1,721 3rd, South Div.
2006–07 62 26 31 5 57 188 203 1,588 6th, Central Div.
2007–08 58 27 25 5 59 190 190 1,253 4th, Central Div.
2008–09 58 25 28 5 55 183 185 1,182 4th, South Div.
2009–10 56 21 29 8 50 163 193 921 4th, South Div.
2010–11 58 31 24 3 65 191 170 976 5th, North Div.
2011–12 60 31 27 2 64 202 190 1216 3rd, Midwest Div.
2012–13 60 26 30 4 56 159 181 907 6th, North Div.
2013–14 60 26 26 8 60 141 160 875 5th, North Div.
2014–15 60 23 31 6 52 126 184 815 6th, North Div.
2015–16 60 29 25 6 64 155 164 770 5th of 6, Midwest Div.
13th of 22, NAHL
2016–17 60 27 28 5 59 174 189 717 5th of 6, Midwest Div.
18th of 24, NAHL
2017–18 60 33 21 6 72 169 166 670 3rd of 6, Midwest Div.
9th of 23, NAHL
2018–19 60 33 22 5 71 192 177 901 3rd of 6, Midwest Div.
9th of 23, NAHL
2019–20[a] 54 16 34 4 36 133 206 968 6th of 6, Midwest Div.
23rd of 26, NAHL
2020–21 Did not participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 60 36 20 2 76 211 177 1018 2nd of 8, Midwest Div.
7th of 29, NAHL
2022–23 60 26 31 3 55 147 174 710 7th of 8, Midwest Div.
25th of 29, NAHL
2023-24 27 9 15 3 21 70 102 412 8th of 8th Midwest, 28 of 32 NAHL probably not
  1. ^ Season cancelled prior to completion.

Playoff records

Season GP W L OTL PTS GF GA Round Results
2005 Did not qualify
2006 4 1 3 0 9 13 83 Lost 1st Round, 1–3 vs. Texarkana Bandits
2007 Did not qualify
2008 8 5 3 0 31 18 119 Won 1st Round, 3–0 vs. North Iowa Outlaws
Lost 2nd Round, 2–3 vs. Alexandria Blizzard
2009 4 1 3 0 5 9 93 Lost 1st Round, 1–3 vs. St. Louis Bandits
2010 4 1 3 0 10 20 76 Lost 1st Round, 1–3 vs. Topeka RoadRunners
2011 Did not qualify
2012 9 4 5 0 18 26 155 Won Div. Semifinals, 3–2 vs. Janesville Jets
Lost Div. Finals, 1–3 vs. St. Louis Bandits
2013 2 0 2 — 1 13 32 Lost Div. Play-in Round, 0–2 vs. Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings
2014 Did not qualify
2015 Did not qualify
2016 Did not qualify
2017 Did not qualify
2018 3 0 3 0 0 2 7 Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Janesville Jets
2019 4 1 3 0 2 10 18 Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–3 vs. Minnesota Magicians
2020 Postseason cancelled
2021 Did not participate
2022 3 0 2 1 1 5 8 Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-2-1 vs. Anchorage Wolverines
2023 Did not qualify

References

  1. ^ "Jr. Blues skate on as Springfield's longest-operating sports franchise". sj-r.com. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  2. ^ "The History of Hockey in Springfield". dexknows.com. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  3. ^ "Junior Blues' finances 'better every year'". sj-r.com. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  4. ^ "Springfield Jr. Blues suspend operations for 2020-21 season". NAHL. September 16, 2020.
  5. ^ Mahan, Ryan. "Springfield Jr. Blues cancel 20-21 season". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved 2020-12-21.

External links

Sports teams based in Illinois
North American Hockey League
Categories