Green Bay Gamblers

The Green Bay Gamblers are a Tier I junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). They play in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, at the Resch Center.

Green Bay Gamblers
CityAshwaubenon, Wisconsin
LeagueUSHL
ConferenceEastern
Founded1994
Home arenaResch Center
ColorsBlack, yellow, white
     
Owner(s)PMI Entertainment Group
General managerPat Mikesch (2014–19)
Head coachPat Mikesch (2014–19)
Franchise history
1994–presentGreen Bay Gamblers
Championships
Regular season titles5 Anderson Cups (1995–96, 1996–97, 2008–09, 2009–10, and 2011–12)
Playoff championships4 Clark Cups (1996, 2000, 2010, and 2012)

History

Professional hockey in Green Bay

The first professional hockey team to be based in Green Bay was the Green Bay Bobcats who started playing in 1958 when the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena was built. There is some confusion over what league the team played in during its early years or if the team played in multiple leagues. Some sources cite that the Bobcats played in the U.S. Central Hockey League, a predecessor to the current United States Hockey League (USHL). Other sources claim that the Bobcats did not start playing in the USCHL until 1961. The Green Bay Bobcats franchise folded after the 1980-1981 season and 23 years of play. However, since the 2008-2009 season the Green Bay Gamblers have used a yellow bobcat prominently in the team's logo as well as having a bobcat by the name of "Ace" as the teams mascot.

Green Bay Gamblers

Since their inception into the United States Hockey League in 1994 the Green Bay Gamblers have been one of the premiere junior "A" hockey franchises in all of North America. To their credit the Gamblers have won two Junior A, Tier 2 National Championships (Gold Cups in 1996 and 1997), five Anderson Cups (1996, 1997, 2009, 2010, and 2012), four Clark Cups (1996, 2000, 2010, and 2012), four USHL Eastern Division titles, and one USHL Northern Division title. Since the USHL became Tier 1 in 2002, the Clark Cup also represents that level's national championship.

Home rinks

From when the Gamblers entered the league at the start of the 1994-1995 season through the 2001-2002 season, the team's primary venue was at the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena. For the start of the 2002-2003 season, the Gamblers moved into the Resch Center, an 8,800 seat arena which was built on the opposite side of Shopko Hall. The team played at the Memorial Arena a few times each season due to scheduling conflicts with the Resch Center until the arena was scheduled for demolition in 2019.

During the years at the Arena, other venues were sometimes used due to scheduling conflicts. These include the De Pere Ice & Recreation Center, the Brown County Youth Hockey Arena, the Cornerstone Community Center, Fond du Lac's Blue Line Ice Center, Beaver Dam Ice Arena, Greenheck Ice Center in Schofield.

Since 1994 the average attendance of a Gamblers Game is 3,353 people,[1] which is among the top in the USHL. In 2010, the Green Bay Gamblers set a USHL record for the highest attended playoff game when 8,487 fans showed up to see game five of the USHL Playoff championship, a game the Gamblers won resulting in franchise's third Clark Cup. The record has since been broken multiple times.[2]

Season-by-season record

Reference[3]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

SeasonGPWLTOTLSOLPTSGFGAPIMFinishPlayoffs
1994–95489341402314726411th of 11Did not qualify
1995–96463211300672197371st of 11Won Clark Cup
1996–975441110208426018718821st of 6, NorthWon Quarterfinals, 4–2 vs. Fargo-Moorhead Ice Sharks
Won Semifinals, 4–3 vs. North Iowa Huskies
Lost Championship, 4–0 vs. Lincoln Stars
1997–985631200055115718315763rd of 6, NorthLost Quarterfinals, 4–0 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
1998–995641110408621314315681st of 4, EastWon Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Thunder Bay Flyers
Lost Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Omaha Lancers
1999–005835180057523217413182nd of 7, EastWon Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
Won Semifinals, 3–2 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
Won Championship, 4–1 vs. Twin City Vulcans
2000–015632130110751771539941st of 6, EastLost Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Tri-City Storm
2001–026135200607618417912571st of 6, EastWon Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
Lost Semifinals, 3–1 vs. Sioux City Musketeers
2002–03601636354013921513415th of 5, EastDid not qualify
2003–04602728415917117611445th of 6, EastDid not qualify
2004–0560213720441412209715th of 6, EastDid not qualify
2005–06603026136418218311273rd of 6, EastLost Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
2006–07602430155417619813174th of 6, EastLost First Round, 4–0 vs. Indiana Ice
2007–08601341243213022413466th of 6, EastDid not qualify
2008–09603917048223716513631st of 6, EastWon Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
Lost Semifinals, 3–1 vs. Indiana Ice
2009–10604510239521214013941st of 8, EastWon Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
Won Semifinals, 3–1 vs. Indiana Ice
Won Championship, 3–2 vs. Fargo Force
2010–1160411522861891317902nd of 8, EasternWon Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Indiana Ice
Won Semifinals, 3–1 vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Lost Championship, 3–1 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints
2011–126047922982501388821st of 8, EasternWon Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Youngstown Phantoms
Won Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Indiana Ice
Won Championship, 3–2 vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
2012–13643723317823420710692nd of 8, EasternLost Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Youngstown Phantoms
2013–1460302433661831768874th of 8, EasternLost Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Indiana Ice
2014–15601834354415621310109th of 9, EasternDid not qualify
2015–1660371643811911358812nd of 9, EasternLost Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints
2016–1760342222721731455th of 9, EasternDid not qualify
2017–1860302442661721703rd of 9, EasternLost Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Dubuque Fighting Saints
2018–1962193463471732509678th of 9, EasternDid not qualify
2019–2048241923531681478403rd of 8, EasternSeason cancelled

Players

Current roster

As of November 20, 2020[4]

No. S/P/C Player Pos Ht Wt DoB Hometown Previous team College commitment
4 Jarod Crespo D 6' 0" 209 lb 2002-04-30 Eastampton Township, New Jersey Salisbury (USHS-Prep) Penn State
5 Greg Spitznagel F 6' 2" 201 lb 2003-03-10 Summit, New Jersey New Jersey Rockets 16U (Midget AAA) None
7 Michael Ferrandino D 5' 10" 170 lb 2000-03-17 Lisle, Illinois Tri-City (USHL) None
8 Jake Schmaltz (A) F 6' 1" 168 lb 2001-04-24 McFarland, Wisconsin Chicago (USHL) North Dakota
9 Kyler Grundy F 6' 1" 190 lb 2000-04-19 Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin Minnesota (NAHL) None
10 Alex Nordstrom F 5' 11" 165 lb 2000-11-25 Hancock, Michigan Fargo (USHL) Michigan Tech
11 Xan Gurney D 6' 3" 198 lb 2000-05-28 Grosse Ile, Michigan Fargo (USHL) Western Michigan
12 Tyler DesRochers D 6' 0" 170 lb 2003-04-02 Howell, New Jersey Mount St. Charles Academy (Midget AAA) Providence
14 Cade Penney D 6' 0" 165 lb 2001-03-23 White Rock, British Columbia New Jersey (NAHL) New Hampshire
16 Camden Thiesing F 5' 11" 161 lb 2001-03-26 Franklin, Tennessee Chippewa (NAHL) Ohio State
17 Matt DeBoer F 6' 0" 174 lb 2002-09-02 Madison, New Jersey Salisbury School (USHS-Prep) Holy Cross
18 Sawyer Scholl F 6' 2" 181 lb 2002-02-14 Green Bay, Wisconsin Notre Dame Academy (USHS–WI) Wisconsin
19 Jesse Tucker (C) F 5' 11" 174 lb 2000-03-01 Thunder Bay, Ontario North York (OJHL) Lake Superior State
20 Mason Lohrei (A) D 6' 4" 201 lb 2001-01-17 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Culver Military Academy (USHS-Prep) Ohio State
22 John Mittelstadt F 5' 8" 154 lb 2001-10-01 Eden Prairie, Minnesota Eden Prairie HS (USHS–MN) Minnesota
24 Brayden Stannard F 6' 3" 185 lb 2002-11-25 Bark River, Michigan Maryland (NAHL) Omaha
25 Jackson Hallum F 6' 0" 170 lb 2002-09-08 Eagan, Minnesota St. Thomas Academy (USHS–MN) Michigan
26 Ryan Kirwan F 6' 2" 194 lb 2002-02-27 DeWitt, New York Madison (USHL) Penn State
27 Ryan Greene F 6' 1" 174 lb 2003-10-21 Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador Selects Academy 16U (Midget AAA) Boston University
28 Braiden Simmons-Fischer F 6' 6" 223 lb 2002-01-26 Detroit, Michigan Compuware 16U (Midget AAA) Western Michigan
29 Jackson Kunz W 6' 3" 209 lb 2002-08-13 Grand Forks, North Dakota Shattuck St. Mary's 18U (USHS-Prep) North Dakota
30 Aaron Randazo G 6' 0" 174 lb 2001-05-31 Annapolis, Maryland Maryland (NAHL) St. Cloud State
33 Jed Baliotti G 6' 3" 185 lb 2002-02-07 New Canaan, Connecticut Berkshire School (USHS-Prep) New Hampshire
35 Matt Davis G 6' 0" 172 lb 2001-06-21 Calgary, Alberta Spruce Grove (AJHL) Denver
43 Cam VanSickle F 6' 1" 185 lb 2004-02-24 Fairbanks, Alaska Honeybakes 15U (Midget AAA) Denver
55 Jake Ratzlaff D 6' 3" 185 lb 2002-06-23 Rosemount, Minnesota Rosemont HS (USHS–MN) Minnesota
61 Alexander Servagno F 5' 9" 172 lb 2002-06-16 Gibsonia, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U (Midget AAA) Ohio State
74 Dylan Abbott D 6' 0" 181 lb 2001-11-26 Wasilla, Alaska Fairbanks (NAHL) Minnesota State
93 Damien Carfagna D 5' 10" 161 lb 2002-12-12 Wood Ridge, New Jersey Lawrence (USHS-Prep) New Hampshire

Team captains

  • Ryan Petersen (2004–05)
  • Ryan Little (2007–08)
  • Max Hartner (2011–12)
  • Grant Arnold (2011–12)
  • Ryan Lough (2013–14)
  • Sam Saliba (2015–16)
  • Jared Spooner (2016–17)
  • Jackson Charlesworth (2017–18)
  • Nick Leitner (2018–19)
  • McKade Webster (2019–20)

NHL

On March 25, 2013, former Gamblers head coach Jon Cooper was named the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.[5] He is the first USHL coaching alumnus to lead an NHL team. Former Gamblers head coach Derek Lalonde was hired by the Lightning as an assistant coach on July 12, 2018, joining Cooper's staff.[6]

NHL draft picks

Green Bay Gamblers have had the following players selected in the NHL draft.

Year draftedPlayerDrafted teamPick
1997Aaron MiskovichColorado Avalanche5th round
Heath GordonChicago Blackhawks6th round
1999Ed HillNashville Predators2nd round
Stephan BabyAtlanta Thrashers7th round
Jeff FingerColorado Avalanche8th round
2000John EichelbergerPhiladelphia Flyers7th round
Jure PenkoNashville Predators7th round
2002Matt GreeneEdmonton Oilers2nd round
Matt JonesPhoenix Coyotes3rd round
Nate GueninNew York Rangers4th round
Jake TaylorNew York Rangers6th round
Joey CrabbNew York Rangers7th round
Adam BurishChicago Blackhawks9th round
2004Blake WheelerPhoenix Coyotes1st round
Victor OreskovichColorado Avalanche2nd round
Kyle KlubertanzAnaheim Ducks3rd round
Wes O'NeillNew York Islanders4th round
Spencer DillonFlorida Panthers9th round
Luke BeaversonFlorida Panthers9th round
2005Greg BellerNew York Rangers6th round
2006Michael ForneyAtlanta Thrashers3rd round
Eric GrybaOttawa Senators3rd round
Derrick LaPointFlorida Panthers4th round
2007Justin BraunSan Jose Sharks7th round
2009Nick JensenDetroit Red Wings6th round
Anders LeeNew York Islanders7th round
2010Ben GallacherFlorida Panthers4th round
Christopher CraneSan Jose Sharks7th round
2011Andy WelinskiAnaheim Ducks3rd round
Adam WilcoxTampa Bay Lightning6th round
Colin SullivanMontreal Canadiens7th round
Alex BroadhurstChicago Blackhawks7th round
Aaron HarstadWinnipeg Jets7th round
2012Jordan SchmaltzSt. Louis Blues1st round
2013Connor HurleyBuffalo Sabres2nd round
Gustav OlofssonMinnesota Wild2nd round
2014Nick SchmaltzChicago Blackhawks1st round
Brendan LemieuxBuffalo Sabres2nd round
Joe WegwerthFlorida Panthers4th round
Matt BerkovitzAnaheim Ducks5th round
Christopher BrownBuffalo Sabres6th round
2015Vili SaarijarviDetroit Red Wings3rd round
Brent Gates Jr.Anaheim Ducks3rd round
Christian WolaninOttawa Senators4th round
Karch BachmanFlorida Panthers5th round
Adam ParsellsSan Jose Sharks6th round
Adam HuskaNew York Rangers7th round
2016Andrew PeekeColumbus Blue Jackets2nd round
Rhett GardnerDallas Stars4th round
2017Casey MittelstadtBuffalo Sabres1st round
Maksim ZhukovVegas Golden Knights4th round
2018Ryan O'ReillyDetroit Red Wings4th round
Demetrios KoumontzisCalgary Flames4th round
Jackson PerbixAnaheim Ducks4th round
David HrenakLos Angeles Kings5th round
John LeonardSan Jose Sharks6th round
2019Michael VukojevicNew Jersey Devils3rd round
McKade WebsterTampa Bay Lightning7th round
2020Mason LohreiBoston Bruins2nd round

Olympics

Maris Ziedens appeared in the 2006 Winter Olympics for his native Latvia. Latvia finished 12th.

Blake Wheeler was selected to the United States national team for the 2014 Winter Olympics.[7] They finished 4th.

NCAA champions

Gamblers alumni have played on multiple NCAA men's hockey national champions teams:

Year Player School Division
2000 Jason Notermann North Dakota Division I
2002 Judd Stevens Minnesota Division I
2003 Judd Stevens Minnesota Division I
2006 Adam Burish Wisconsin Division I
A.J. Degenhardt
Josh Engel
Kyle Klubertanz
2008 Brandon Longley St. Norbert Division III
Ryan Petersen
Nick Tabisz
2009 Eric Gryba Boston Division I
2011 Brandon Longley St. Norbert Division III
Nick Tabisz
Aaron Crandall Minnesota–Duluth Division I
Keegan Flaherty
2013 Mitch Witek Yale Division I
2014 Patrick McCadden St. Norbert Division III
Tony Kujava
Ryan Peterson[lower-alpha 1]
2016 Christian Wolanin North Dakota Division I
Nick Schmaltz
2018 Matt Anderson Minnesota–Duluth Division I
2019 Jesse Jacques Minnesota–Duluth Division I
Matt Anderson
  1. Assistant coach

Statistical leaders

Head coaches

References

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