Birmingham Bulls (ECHL)

Birmingham Bulls
Company type	Minor league professional ice hockey team
Industry	Ice hockey
Founded	1992
Defunct	2001
Fate	Relocated and renamed Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
Headquarters	Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Area served	Birmingham, Alabama
Key people	Art Clarkson (owner until 1997), Charles Felix (owner from 1997), George Shinn (owner from 2001)
Products	Ice hockey games

The Birmingham Bulls operated as a minor league professional ice hockey squad within the East Coast Hockey League from 1992 until 2001, hosting their home contests at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. In 2001, the franchise moved to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where it was renamed the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. Following the 2005 campaign, ownership transferred to a group of investors based in California, and the team was rebranded as the Stockton Thunder, serving as an affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.

On February 20, 2017, Art Clarkson, former owner of the Bulls, secured approval to revive a Bulls franchise competing in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) starting with the 2017–18 season.

History

In early 1991, Art Clarkson—then owner of the Birmingham Barons baseball team—sought to restore professional hockey to Birmingham by capitalizing on the Bulls’ heritage from their World Hockey Association days. By summer 1992, the original Cincinnati Cyclones franchise of the ECHL relocated to Birmingham and adopted the Bulls name.

The team’s NHL partnerships evolved over time: initially aligned with the New Jersey Devils (1992–93), then switching to the Florida Panthers (1993–95), followed by an affiliation with the St. Louis Blues during 1995–96. Bruce Garber was appointed as the inaugural head coach; after narrowly missing playoffs in their debut season, Phil Roberto—who had ties to Birmingham’s hockey past—assumed coaching duties through 1994–95 and led the team into postseason appearances each year. The 1995–96 season featured coaching adjustments with Jerome Bechard acting as player-coach before Dennis Desrosiers completed the season as head coach.

Prior to the 1997–98 season, Clarkson divested his ownership interest, with Charles Felix becoming the primary proprietor. The Bulls encountered difficulties both on and off the ice—including forfeiting games due to player eligibility violations—and struggled competitively. After dropping 18 of their final 20 games in 2000–01 amid dwindling fan attendance, Felix sold the franchise to NBA owner George Shinn. Shinn relocated the team to Atlantic City where it became known as the Boardwalk Bullies. The franchise captured the Kelly Cup championship in its third season there before moving once more in 2005 to Stockton, California, and subsequently relocating to Glens Falls, New York in 2015.

Playoffs

1992–93: Missed playoffs.
1993–94: Won first round against Huntsville 2–1; swept Louisville 3–0 in quarterfinals; eliminated by Raleigh 3–1 in semifinals.
1994–95: Swept Wheeling 3–0 in opening round; fell to Tallahassee 3–1 in quarterfinals.
1995–96: Did not reach playoffs.
1996–97: Triumphed over Mississippi 3–1 in first round; lost to Louisiana 3–2 in quarterfinals.
1997–98: Exited playoffs after losing to South Carolina 3–1 in opening round.
1998–99: Defeated Mobile 2–0 in first round; eliminated by Florida 3–0 in second round.
1999–00: Failed to qualify for postseason.
2000–01: Did not participate in playoffs.

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