Magic City Hockey - A Look at Hockey in Birmingham, Alabama

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Problems w/ the Northstars organization ultimately led to the demise of the B'ham S.Stars, despite playing for the CHL championship in its only season of existence Other, shorter manifestations of hockey have also been a part of the Birmingham Hockey chronicle. The most notable of which would be the Birmingham South Stars, who filled the void after the CHL Bulls folded in 1981. The Stars only operated in the '82-83 season, under a great deal of financial/managerial turmoil with their Minnesota North Stars parent organization.

Dave Hanson even made a last minute attempt to get Paul Newman to help us out. He didn't get a hold of him in time... After ending operations as the Stars, the group made an ill-fated attempt to play in the Atlantic Coast League, this time under the old Bulls moniker. The club was unable to survive the previous year's debts and folded after its third game on October 27, 1983, which it won, 7-3 over the Mohawk Valley Stars. It would be nine years before professional hockey would return to Birmingham.

Also noteworthy are the semi-pro teams that played in the late 1990's. The first installment was the Alabama Gunners, who entered the Southern Elite Hockey League in 1998 and played their home games at the Pelham Civic Complex. The Gunners enjoyed an 18 game winning streak before poor financing forced the team to fold after 24 games.

SEHL Champs! The next season saw another SEHL team in the Pelham Prowlers. The SEHL enjoyed great success in seeing many players advance to the ECHL and WPHL. The Prowlers won the 1999-2000 SEHL championship. Unfortunately the league suspended operation for the 2000-01 season with the intention of returning for '01-02. The league never returned.

In 2003, hockey legend Bobby Hull attempted to revive the World Hockey Association. As part of the new WHA, a developmental league would be created as well, called the WHA2. It was this league that brought us the Alabama Slammers, who played in Pelham. The Slammers lasted but one season, as the Civic Complex was forced to lock them out until they could make good on the rent. The Slammers went the way of the dodo bird and the so-called new WHA...

The complete history of these teams can be found at BirminghamProSports.com, who has done an OUTSTANDING job cataloguing all of Birmingham's pro teams over the years, including the hockey - which really puts into question the purpose of my site. Well, I guess I was just bored. It may just seem lazy of me to direct you over there, but I don't think there's anything else that can be done in researching these teams. Do yourself a favor, check it out - it's awesome.

Roll Tide! The most recent installment of hockey in town comes to us via The University of Alabama, who now has a club hockey team. The Alabama "Frozen Tide" plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, facing other D-I colleges like Tennessee, Georgia, Ga. Tech, Florida, and Vandy. Bama's home ice is at the Pelham Civic Complex. Perhaps one day the entire SEC will field an NCAA hockey division. Can't you just see the BJCC Coliseum filling up for an Alabama-Auburn hockey game?

SEHL Champs! With the Alpine gone, area hockey has found it's home in Pelham. The Pelham Youth Hockey League provides divisions from jr. mites up to high school. Adults can still enjoy the game in the Birmingham Adult Hockey Association.

Slammers Photos courtesy of Alabama Pro Hockey and Greg Watson Photography
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