Manchester Monarchs (AHL)
AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings from 2001 to 2015.
The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team that competed in the American Hockey League (AHL). Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, they played their home games at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Throughout their entire existence, the team served as the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Los Angeles Kings. The Monarchs captured their only Calder Cup championship during their final season in the league.
The franchise was established in 1999 when Howard Baldwin formed Manchester Hockey Group LLC, moving a dormant AHL team to New Hampshire to begin play in 2001. The Los Angeles Kings purchased the team from Baldwin's group on June 14, 2000, and three months later hired Jeff Eisenberg as team president. The team was named the Manchester Monarchs on November 13, 2000, while the Verizon Wireless Arena was still under construction.
Before the Monarchs played their first game, two members of the Kings organization—Garnet Bailey and Mark Bavis—were killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while returning to Los Angeles from a scouting trip. The Monarchs debuted on October 6, 2001, losing 6–3 to the Lowell Lock Monsters. Their first win came a week later, on October 13, against the Norfolk Admirals. The team consistently competed within its division, winning its first Atlantic Division title in 2004–05 but losing in the first round to the Providence Bruins—extending a streak of first-round playoff exits that included the 2005–06 season.
The 2006–07 campaign was the team's best before its championship season. Under rookie head coach Mark Morris, with leading scorers Matt Moulson and Noah Clarke and former league MVP Jason LaBarbera in goal, the Monarchs won the Atlantic Division title and finished with the second-best points total in the AHL. Despite doubts entering the playoffs due to LaBarbera's season-ending injury, the Monarchs defeated the Worcester Sharks in six games—including double-overtime thrillers in Games 2 and 6—then beat the Providence Bruins in six games to reach their first Eastern Conference Finals. There, they were swept in four games by the defending champion Hershey Bears.
After that run, Jason LaBarbera and several other players were called up to the Kings. The 2007–08 season ended with a first-round sweep by the Providence Bruins.
- Founded
- 2001
- Arena
- Verizon Wireless Arena
- Affiliate
- Los Angeles Kings
- Calder cup titles
- 1
- Final season
- 2014–15
- Relocated to
- Ontario, California
- New name
- Ontario Reign
Lore & Background
The franchise was founded in 1999 by Howard Baldwin's Manchester Hockey Group LLC, moving a dormant AHL franchise to New Hampshire. The Los Angeles Kings bought the team in 2000, and the team was named the Manchester Monarchs on November 13, 2000. Their first game was on October 6, 2001, a 6–3 loss to the Lowell Lock Monsters. Prior to that game, two Kings scouts, Garnet Bailey and Mark Bavis, were killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Monarchs made the playoffs every season except one, winning their first Atlantic Division title in 2004–05. Their deepest playoff run before 2014–15 came in 2006–07, when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals but were swept by the Hershey Bears. For the 2014–15 season, the team changed its colors from purple and gold to black and silver, matching the Kings' scheme. On January 29, 2015, the AHL confirmed the Monarchs would relocate to Ontario, California, becoming the new Ontario Reign, while the ECHL Ontario Reign moved to Manchester and retained the Manchester Monarchs name.
Reader's Guide
The Manchester Monarchs are notable as the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings for their entire existence, from 2001 to 2015. They achieved their greatest success in their final season, 2014–15, winning the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for best regular-season record, the Richard F. Canning Trophy as conference champions, and the Calder Cup championship, defeating the Utica Comets 4–1. This made them the fourth team in AHL history to win the Calder Cup in their last game in the league, and the first since the New Brunswick Hawks in 1982. The team's relocation to Ontario, California, and the simultaneous move of the ECHL Ontario Reign to Manchester created a unique franchise swap. The Monarchs' career records include Noah Clarke (85 goals, 199 points), Gabe Gauthier (122 assists), Martin Jones (84 wins), and Adam Hauser (15 shutouts). The team's single-season records were set by Mike Cammalleri in 2004–05 with 46 goals, 63 assists, and 109 points.
Did You Know?
- The Monarchs won their only Calder Cup in their final AHL season, 2014–15.
- The Monarchs traded places with the ECHL Ontario Reign in 2015, with the AHL team moving to California and the ECHL team moving to New Hampshire.
- Mike Cammalleri holds the single-season records for goals (46), assists (63), and points (109), all set in 2004–05.
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