Pee Dee Pride
ECHL team from Florence, South Carolina, 1997–2005.
The Pee Dee Pride were a professional minor-league hockey team based in Florence, South Carolina, that played in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) from 1997 until 2005. The franchise originated as the Knoxville Cherokees, one of the five charter members of the ECHL, before relocating to Florence. The team was known as the Florence Pride for the 2003–04 season. The Pride played their home games at the Florence Civic Center, which seats 7,426 fans. The organization's name derived from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina in which Florence is located, and its mascot was Paws the Lion.
- Founded
- 1997 (relocation of Knoxville Cherokees)
- Home arena
- Florence Civic Center (capacity 7,426)
- League
- East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)
- Mascot
- Paws the Lion
- Championships
- Palmetto Cup, Brabham Cup
- Last season
- 2004–05
Lore & Background
The Pee Dee Pride arrived in Florence as a relocation of the Knoxville Cherokees, one of the five charter members of the ECHL. The team took its name from the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, and its mascot, Paws the Lion, became a fixture at the Florence Civic Center. The Pride never won the Kelly Cup, the ECHL championship trophy, but they did capture the Palmetto Cup, awarded to the best team in South Carolina, and the Brabham Cup for the best regular season record. Their in-state rivals included the South Carolina Stingrays, the Greenville Grrrowl, and the Columbia Inferno.
Reader's Guide
The Pee Dee Pride represented a significant chapter in minor-league hockey in the southeastern United States, particularly within South Carolina. Over eight seasons, the team established a competitive presence in the ECHL, reaching the playoffs in six of their first seven seasons. Their playoff runs included a semifinal appearance in 1998–99, where they lost to Mississippi. The Pride's rivalry with in-state teams such as the South Carolina Stingrays and Greenville Grrrowl helped cultivate a regional hockey identity. After the 2004–05 season, the franchise moved to Myrtle Beach and became the Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz, but construction delays on a planned 7,000-seat arena at Coastal Carolina University stalled the relocation. At the ECHL league meetings in June 2009, the franchise was returned to the league, ending its lineage. The Pride's legacy is that of a stable, competitive minor-league team that contributed to the growth of hockey in the Carolinas before its eventual dissolution.
Did You Know?
- The Pride won the Brabham Cup for best regular season record and the Palmetto Cup for best team in South Carolina.
- The franchise was returned to the ECHL at league meetings in June 2009, ending its lineage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Pee Dee Pride?
The Pee Dee Pride were a professional minor-league ice hockey franchise based in Florence, South Carolina, competing in the East Coast Hockey League from 1997 through the 2004–05 season. Their name referenced the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, and their mascot was a lion named Paws.
Where did the Pee Dee Pride franchise come from?
The team traces its roots to the Knoxville Cherokees, one of the five original charter clubs of the ECHL. After the franchise relocated to Florence, South Carolina, it was rebranded as the Pee Dee Pride (briefly called the Florence Pride during the 2003–04 campaign).
What arena did the Pee Dee Pride call home?
The Pride played their home games at the Florence Civic Center, a multi-purpose venue with a seating capacity of 7,426 fans.
What titles did the Pee Dee Pride win during their run?
During their eight seasons in the ECHL, the franchise captured both the Palmetto Cup and the Brabham Cup, the league's regular-season and playoff honors respectively.
Why did the Pee Dee Pride stop playing?
The franchise's final season was 2004–05, after which the team ceased operations and no longer exists as an active ECHL club. The organization folded following that last campaign, leaving Florence without its minor-league hockey team.
More in Defunct Ice Hockey Teams, Part 4 1-24
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