Alaska Aces

Alaska Aces (ECHL)

The Alaska Aces are a minor league ice hockey team in Anchorage, Alaska. They were originally part of the West Coast Hockey League, but when the WCHL was absorbed by the East Coast Hockey League in 2003, the team joined the merged ECHL. In 2005, the Aces joined an affiliation with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League and the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League. The Aces official team mascot is Boomer, a polar bear. Aces fans are known for using small, ceremonial cow bells painted with the Aces insignia to show their support during games.

Originally an amateur club known as the Anchorage Aces, they won the National Amateur Championship in 1993 and 1994. They finished second in 1992 and 1995.

Anchorage was an original WCHL franchise, joining the league in 1995. In 2002, with financial troubles, the team was put up for sale on eBay. They were renamed the Alaska Aces in 2003. The team gained national notoriety in 2004 when it signed New Jersey Devils all-star and Alaska-born Scott Gomez after the NHL lockout, who went on to lead the ECHL in scoring and win league Most Valuable Player honors. Home games are played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

The triple overtime win against Las Vegas Wranglers (2006) was the third longest game in ECHL history, 113 minutes, 30 seconds long.

In 2006, the Aces became only the second team in ECHL history (joining the South Carolina Stingrays of Charleston, SC) in winning both the Brabham Cup and Kelly Cup championships in the same season.

The Aces play in the West Division of the ECHL's National Conference.

In 2006, Alaska won the ECHL Kelly Cup title in five games over the Gwinnett Gladiators. This was the first professional sports title won by an Alaska team since 1980. Mike Scott received the ECHL Kelly Cup MVP award after the Aces' 4-3 win over the Gladiators in Game Five of the series.

On October 4, 2007, the Aces announced a one-year affiliation extension with the Blues and the Rivermen.

Dennis Sorenson formed an Anchorage senior men’s ice hockey team, named Anchorage Aces, to compete against a local in-state team, the Fairbanks Gold Kings. The Aces played four unofficial games during in the 1989-90 season. During the 1990-1991 season, Keith Street led the team on a 22-game schedule, which included 20 games against teams registered with USA Hockey. The 1990-1991 season ended with the Aces winning the Senior Men's Open National Championship held in Fairbanks.

The Aces joined the Pacific Northwest Hockey League for the 1991-92 season, playing six of their home games at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage and eight at the Central Peninsula Sports Center in Soldotna. The Aces finished second in the PNHL with a 16-12-2 regular season record, and were the runners-up in the national USA Hockey tourney after a 0-4-1 tourney run.

In the 1992-93 season, new Head Coach Mike Ashley led the Aces to a 19-3-0 regular season record. However, in the USA Hockey Senior Men's Open Tournament, the Aces finished second for the second year in a row after compiling a 4-1 record in the tourney, losing the tiebreaker to the Chicago Chargers. Ashley resigned following the season.

For the 1993-94 season, Steve Gasparini took over as head coach, and led the Aces to a 22-9-1 regular season record. The Aces also won their second championship in the USA Hockey Senior Men's Open National Tournament with a 5-0 run highlighted by the 6-0 rout of the Fresno Falcons. In 1994-95, the team went 27-9 and lost in the championship game to the Gold Kings.

After an unsuccessful attempt to form a new Pacific Rim Hockey League, the Aces joined the new West Coast Hockey League for the 1995-96 season, and played in that league until 2003.

Mike Cusack Jr. became sole owner of the franchise following the 1995-1996 season.

In the 1996-97 season, the Aces initially lost in the league playoffs to the Fresno Falcons three games to one. However the WCHL commissioner determined that their 2-4 loss in game four would be changed to a 1-0 victory due to forfeit by the Fresno Falcons when they failed to meet the minimum roster requirement because of injuries and suspensions. The Aces won the deciding fifth game 5-3 and advanced to the Taylor Cup.

In the 2000-2001 season a new Director of Player Personnel/Assistant Coach, Stirling Wright, was brought in. The Aces finished in third place with a 34-30-4 record and advanced to the semifinals, only to be ousted by Tacoma in three games.

In 2000-01, Stirling Wright was instrumental in bringing in former NHL players when the Aces signed former NHL goalie Vincent Riendeau and right wing Kevin Brown. The Idaho Steelheads defeated the Aces 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

In 2001-02, the Aces hired Stirling Wright as the new GM. He then hired former NHL coach and player Butch Goring as their new head coach, and re-signed only four players from the previous season. The Aces signed five former NHL players: defenseman Jim Paek, goaltender Scott Bailey, wingers Todd Harkins and Daniel Goneau and center Clayton Beddoes. Clayton Beddoes retired just a few games into the season due to a previous shoulder injury. The Aces promoted a "Guaranteed Win Night" where if they lost the game, the fans in attendance would receive free Aces tickets. After a 10-18-4 start, Aces' owner Mike Cusack fired Goring and VP of business operations Lou Corletto, and hired former head coach Poddubny. Shortly thereafter, general manager Stirling Wright stepped down due to his disapproval of the owner's decisions. The Aces went on to win only a few more games and the mass exodus of players soon followed after Wright left the team. The team itself was making a profit but the owner's other financial ventures continued to drain the team of its revenue. Much of the staff and players did not get paid on a regular basis.

In May 2002, Both Mike Cusack personally and his business properties including an Anchorage hotel and the Aces filed for bankruptcy; according to the filing papers, the team was almost $2 million in debt. In June 2002, the Aces were put up for sale on eBay. The club's owner, Cusack, accepted a $1.862 million bid from Duncan Harrison, owner of Alaskan Automotive Distributing in Anchorage, but U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Donald MacDonald converted the Aces' bankruptcy case to Chapter 7, which allowed him to reject the Harrison bid. The club was eventually sold for $1.05 million to a seven-member group led by Terry Parks, a local investor, and Dan Coffey, a local businessman. Cusack's former hotel, known as the Northern Lights Hotel, was placed in receivership and currently sits empty.

The Aces joined the ECHL for the 2003-04 season following a merger between the WCHL and the East Coast Hockey League. They were renamed the Alaska Aces after the league switch, and unveiled a new logo and new uniforms.

Records as of April 3, 2009.

As of April 3, 2009. Data taken from ECHL website.

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Alaska Aces (PBA) seasons

This is a list of seasons by the Alaska Aces of the Philippine Basketball Association.

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2008–09 Alaska Aces season

The 2008-09 Alaska Aces season will be the 23rd season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

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Alaska Aces (PBA)

The Alaska Aces is a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 12 PBA championships with the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest. They are one of the most popular team in the league and the entire Philippines.

They are known for winning nine PBA championships in the 1990s, including a rare grand slam (winning three championships in one season) during the 1996 season, joining the Crispa Redmanizers (1976, 1983) and the San Miguel Beermen (1989) as one of only three franchises to achieve the feat.

After the temporary departure of the Magnolia team prior to the start of the 1986 season, the league reduced to only five teams. Alaska Milk Corporation of American owner Wilfred Uytengsu was accepted as the league's sixth team before the start of the 1986 season in April. Alaska acquired several holdovers from the old Magnolia team (Marte Saldana, Rudy Distrito and Biboy Ravanes among others) for their inaugural campaign.

Alaska's imports for the 1986 Reinforced Conference were former Utah Jazz Jerry Lee Eaves and former Toyota import Donnie Ray Koonce.

In its very first conference, Alaska would place third behind Tanduay, Great Taste, and Ginebra.

Norman Black stayed with Alaska as its import for the Open Conference teaming up with an import by the name of Mike Morrison.

A list of the 1986 Alaska lineup is listed on this .

In 1987, Alaska Milk changed its name to the Hills Bros. Coffee Kings. After Manila Beer's disbandment, the Coffee Kings acquired Yoyoy Villamin to form a bruising tandem with Ricky Relosa, known as the "Bruise Brothers".

They also had former Crispa shooter William "Bogs" Adornado to banner the team, although the former three-time MVP was already slowing down at the time.

The All-Filipino saw the team finally jelling, with the emergence of the "Bruise Brothers" combination of Villamin and Relosa. It entered the Finals, where it got swept 3-0 by Great Taste Coffee. Despite the sweep, it was a brutal, physical Finals series with Villamin and Relosa being matched up against Great Taste's "Royal Brothers" Abe King and "Prince" Philip Cezar.

By virtue of its runner-up finish, Hills Bros. participated in the first PBA-IBA World Championship Cup. It finished third, behind the Los Angeles Cougars (which had future Alaska import Sean Chambers in its line-up) and Great Taste Coffee.

Reinforced Conference saw Hills Bros. parading a sweet-shooting import by the name of Jose Slaughter. On October 18, 1987 in a game which Hills Bros. won over Great Taste 129-115, Jose Slaughter scored 79 points, the most ever scored by an Alaska/Hills Bros. player in a game. He also scored 14 three point field goals.

The team also made the Finals, losing however to the Bobby Parks-reinforced San Miguel Beermen 4-1.

By the end of the year, Villamin and Relosa would be named the All-Defensive team. Villamin would also be named most improved player, the same award won by Ricky Relosa the year before. Nat Canson and former Tanduay bench tactician Turo Valenzona were the team's head coach during the '87 campaign.

After that year, Adornado announced his retirement from the league, his jersey no. 33 was retired and was hung in the rafters of the ULTRA during the opening of the 1988 season. He was first player in Alaska/Hills Bros franchise to have his number retired and was later named as the team's coach.

In 1988, the team reverted back to the Alaska name with the Air Force monicker. Some believe that the nickname was a sort of Uytengsu's support for the US soldiers that were based in Olongapo at that time.

The Air Force finished third place in both the Open and All-Filipino Conferences but failed to place more than fourth in the season-ending Reinforced Conference.

Before the 1989 season, Alaska acquired three players in what many believed as the richest drafts in league history. Bong Alvarez, Ric-Ric Marata and Boy Cabahug were taken from the draft. Same as a year before, Alaska won two third place trophies in the Open and Reinforced Conferences with Sean Chambers winning the best import award.

In 1989, American Earl Timothy Cone became the new coach of the Air Force after Adornado was fired during the season (owner Uytensu coached a won ballgame for the team). The year also saw the debut of Sean Chambers as Alaska's import.

In 1990, Alaska advanced in the finals of the Third Conference against a young Purefoods team. Their imports then were Carlos Clark and Chambers. After a 2-0 lead in the Best-of-five series, Alaska suffered one of the biggest collapses in league history as Purefoods won the next three games to win the title. The team had the top pick in the draft and grabbed Alex Araneta out of Ateneo. But in later years, Araneta was considered a bust and was out of the league by 1997.

In 1991, Eugene Quilban joined Alaska from the rookie draft to bolster the Alaska squad. Jojo Lastimosa was acquired after being taken from Purefoods in a trade with Elmer Cabahug. After a third-place showing in the All-Filipino, they returned to the finals of the Third Conference against crowd-favorite Ginebra San Miguel and former Laker Wes Matthews. Alvarez, Lastimosa and their teammates dominated the series that saw them winning it, 3 games to 1 for their first title in team history.

Alvarez was then eased out of the team, when his one-on-one style didn't suit the new offensive scheme being enforced by Tim Cone – the triangle offense. Quilban later left Alaska for 7-Up, in which he led the team to a finals loss to Swift.

Alaska managed one third place finish in 1992. In the 1993 draft, the Milkmen drafted Far Eastern University point guard Johnny Abarrientos, an energetic and exciting little man who can drive to the basket against taller opponents. The Milkmen never won a trophy during their '93 campaign.

In 1994, Alaska acquired Bong Hawkins from Sta Lucia which helped "The Hawk" resurrect his career. Alaska lost to Purefoods in the Commissioner's Cup Finals. In the Governor's Cup, Alaska defeated Swift to win their third PBA title with Abarrientos, Lastimosa, Hawkins and import Sean Chambers leading the team.

In 1995, Alaska got Jeffrey Cariaso from the draft and added center Edward Juinio to the team. Alaska made it to the Finals of all conferences of 1995. In the All-Filipino, they lost a seven-game tussle against Sunkist. In the rematch, the Ronnie Grandison led Juicers once again powered the Derrick Hamilton-led Alaska to win the Commissioner's Cup crown. But, in the Governor's Cup, the Milkmen overcame a 2-3 deficit to defeat San Miguel in seven games with a strong performance by Lastimosa. Jeffrey Cariaso won Rookie of the Year honors at the end of this year.

In the All-Filipino Conference, the Milkmen defeated the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs team of Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera in five games. In the series-clincher, Jeffrey Cariaso was fouled in the final second on an inbound play. Cariaso sank both free-throws to seal Alaska's first title of the year.

Their toughest championship series was in the Commissioner's Cup Finals against a tough Formula Shell team of Benjie Paras, Victor Pablo, and import Kenny Redfield. After six grueling games, the Milkmen captured the seventh and final game to win their fifth title in franchise history with Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa and Bong Hawkins leading the team alongside import Sean Chambers, who came in to replace Derrick Hamilton midway through the conference.

Chambers returned for Alaska in the Governor's Cup and for the eighth straight time since 1994, Alaska was back in the Finals against crowd-favorite Ginebra San Miguel who ousted sister team San Miguel in the semis. But it was a one-sided affair as the Milkmen went to win the first three games of the series before defeating Ginebra in Game five to capture the feat.

By season's end, Hawkins, Lastimosa and Cariaso were included in the Mythical team while Abarrientos became the smallest man in PBA history to capture the coveted Most Valuable Player award.

Alaska suffered one of the biggest losses prior to the 1997 season when Jeffrey Cariaso signed with new PBA franchise, Pepsi Cola . The Milkmen failed to enter the semis of the All-Filipino Cup. In the Commissioner's Cup, the first ten games of the tournament was bannered by former Ginebra import Sylvester Gray. He was eventually replaced by Kevin Holland and the Milkmen advanced to the Finals against Gordon's Gin Boars. The Boars took a 3-0 series lead but Alaska managed to win the next two games to cut the deficit to 3-2. However, Gordon's won Game Six as Alaska fell short again. In the Governor's Cup, they landed Kenneth Duremdes from Pop Cola and the 24 year old slasher became a perfect replacement for Jeffrey Cariaso and a perfect running mate for Lastimosa and Abarrientos. Alaska, with Chambers once again as import, defeated Purefoods to win the title in five games.

In 1998, Alaska traded for former San Sebastian Star and slasher, Rodney Santos from the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs. Alaska then dominated the All-Filipino Cup and took on San Miguel in the finals. The Beermen led 3-2 after a strong showing by Nelson Asaytono in game five. But, Alaska won the next two games to capture another title.

Dreadlock-wearing Devin Davis powered Alaska in the Commissioners Cup, winning Best Import honors. The team advanced to the finals in a rematch against the Beermen. Duremdes was named as the Best Player of the Conference while defeating San Miguel in six games for their ninth title despite losing Bong Hawkins to a season-ending injury.

Already, several people were hyping a possible 'Grand Slam II' for the team. But, with the 1998 Asian Games set in December and Cone was named head coach, he tapped Abarrientos, Duremdes and Lastimosa to lead the Philippine team.

Assistants Jun Reyes and Dickey Bachmann took over for Alaska. But despite a strong showing by from slasher, Rodney Santos and shooter, Roel Gomez, the Milkmen failed to enter the semis of both the special 1998 PBA Centennial Cup and the season-ending Governors Cup.

Duremdes was named the Most Valuable Player at the end of the year, the second Alaska Milkman to win the coveted individual award.

With the arrival of some talented Filipino-American cagers in the league, the Milkmen opted to stick with the same core for the 1999 season. In the All-Filipino, the Milkmen was eliminated by expansion team Tanduay in the semis.

In the Commissioner's Cup, Devin Davis made his return to the team, but the young San Miguel team of Danny Ildefonso and Danny Seigle eliminated the Aces in five games. They finished third in the tournament.

Alaska advanced to the Finals of the Governor's Cup with Chambers at the helm but San Miguel led by Lamont Strothers defeated the Milkmen in six games despite Alaska getting an early 2-1 series lead.

In 2000, Jojo Lastimosa was traded to Pop Cola as part of the team's future plan to rebuild. Alaska won their 10th PBA title at the expense of Purefoods in the All-Filipino Conference. Purefoods won Game one of this series but the Milkmen won the next four games to win the series.

The Milkmen failed to enter the Finals of the Commissioner's Cup after they were eliminated by Beermen in the semi-finals.

As part of the league's move to strengthen its marketing through the PBA Properties, Alaska adopted a new monicker in the Alaska Aces (curiosly, the PBA team came up with the "Alaska Aces" name first, since the Anchorage Aces of Anchorage, Alaska was renamed only on 2003) replaced its original logo and uniforms to a more cartoonish-look which they still have today. Despite the change, however, Alaska failed to reach the Finals of the Governor's Cup once again.

Before the 2001 season, the Aces traded popular star Johnny Abarrientos to the Pop Cola Panthers for forward Ali Peek and guard Jon Ordonio. In the draft, Alaska used the fifth pick to draft fil-am John Arigo. The Aces also signed Duremdes to a reported 48 million peso deal for seven years.

In the All-Filipino, the Aces were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Abarrientos and Pop Cola. In the Commissioners Cup, a strong showing by Peek gave defending champion San Miguel a fight but still loss in five games of the semis. In the Governors Cup, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Chambers retired three games into the Governors Cup. In a simple ceremony, the Aces retired his #20 jersey, becoming the second player in team history to have his number retired.

Duremdes was borrowed by the Philippine National Team in 2002 and Lastimosa made his return to Alaska. The Aces, with Ron Riley and Montreal Dobbins as imports, but after 6 games, Dobbins was replaced by James Head, advanced to the finals of the Governor's Cup against Purefoods. The Aces led 2-0 in the seven game series, but the TJ Hotdogs won the next three games. After Alaska tied it up in Game Six, Purefoods won Game seven to deny the Aces its 11th title. In the Commissioner's Cup, Ajani Williams and Chris Carawell bannered the Aces but was eliminated by Talk N' Text in the semi-finals. Duremdes returned for the Aces in the All-Filipino and made it to the finals. After winning Game 1, the Aces lost the next three games to settle another runner-up finish.

In the 2003 PBA Draft, Alaska shocked the league by trading their superstar, Kenneth Duremdes to the Sta. Lucia Realtors for the fifth pick of the first round. This enabled Alaska to get Brandon Cablay as the team's top draft pick.

The Aces also held the first overall pick in the draft and selected De La Salle University-Manila star point guard Mike Cortez, who was considered as the next great point guard in the Alaska franchise's history, following Johnny Abarrientos.

During halftime of their season opening game, Alaska retired Jojo Lastimosa's #6 jersey. During the offseason, Lastimosa announced his retirement after playing 15 seasons in the league. He is currently one of the team's assistant coaches.

In the All-Filipino, Alaska failed in its bid to enter the Finals as they were eliminated by Talk N' Text in a grueling five-game series.

In the Invitational tournament, Alaska had to play in the qualifying round to enter the tournament. The Aces swept the elimination round, winning all four of its games, to make it to the semis. In a one-game showdown, Alaska defeated Red Bull Barako to face Coca Cola in the Finals.

The Tigers won Game One of the series, but the Aces won the next two games to win their 11th PBA title, this time with a different set of players. Brandon Cablay was named as Finals MVP, while Ali Peek won Best Player of the Conference honors.

In the Reinforced Conference, Alaska struggled in the tournament and was eliminated by Duremdes and Sta. Lucia in the quarters.

Alaska paraded former NBA journeyman Galen Young for the 2004 Fiesta Conference. The Aces placed second after the elimination round of the tournament. But, they failed to enter the finals of the said tournament winning only one game in three outings in the semi-finals.

In the 2004–05 season, the Aces managed to finished fourth in the qualifying round. After eliminating FedEx in the Wild-Card phase, they were swept by San Miguel in the quarters. During the tournament, Arigo and Peek were shipped to Coca-Cola for Jeffrey Cariaso and Reynel Hugnatan. Bong Hawkins also made his return to the Aces, reuniting him with Cariaso, assistant coach Jojo Lastimosa and Cone.

Alaska hired Leon Derricks for the Fiesta Conference. However, his inconsistent game led to his replacement by former Chicago Bull Dickey Simpkins. The addition of Simpkins helped Alaska climbed into third place at the end of the classification round. The Aces faced San Miguel Beer in the semis. A back injury sustained by Simpkins, after being elbowed in the back by Dorian Pena, prevented him from playing at full strength during the series. Former Alaska Ace, Bryan Gahol, hit the last second shot in Game three to eliminate Alaska from the tournament.

Prior to the start of the 2005–06 PBA season, the Aces built up their lineup by acquiring national team pool members, Tony Dela Cruz and Rich Alvarez from the disbanding Shell Turbo Chargers. The Aces also acquired the services of former Mobiline and Coca-Cola import Artemus "Tee" McClary for the Fiesta Conference.

After the Aces placed second behind Team Pilipinas in the Brunei Sultan's Cup, with Dela Cruz playing for the said team, the team was considered as one of the top contenders to win the upcoming season.

However, the Aces went on a slide after a good start. After Alaska blowing a 28-point lead and losing to the Purefoods Chunkee Giants, the team went on a downhill since. With McClary's decline starting to show, he was eventually replaced by the 3-point shooting Odell Bradley who showed some impressive scoring outputs. However, Alaska still finished seventh in the classification phase with a 7-9 record.

The Aces swept Sta. Lucia in a best-of-three matchup in the wildcard phase before being swept in a best-of-five affair by eventual champion Red Bull Barako.

Weeks before the start of the Philippine Cup, Alaska traded Brandon Cablay to San Miguel in exchange for veteran Nic Belasco. On May 8, 2006, the Aces traded Don Allado to Talk 'N Text for guard Willie Miller and forward John Ferriols. Alaska finished with a 9-7 record in the classifications, thus earning an outright berth in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, the Aces defeated the Coca-Cola Tigers, with former Alaska star Johnny Abarrientos on the squad, 3-1. The opening game of the series saw Alaska winning on a last second three-pointer by Nic Belasco.

In the semi-finals against top-seed Purefoods Chunkee Giants, the Aces led 3-1 and was a win away from a finals berth but failed to win all of the remaining games. Alaska would end the tournament on a winning note, capturing the third place trophy with a 102-95 win over San Miguel, their 12th third-place finish in team history.

Head coach Tim Cone signed a contract extension to remain with the team, erasing speculation of his possible dismissal. In the 2006 PBA Draft, Alaska selected Letran's Aaron Aban and UST's Christian Luanzon.

Alaska started the 2006–07 PBA Philippine Cup poorly but rebounded to finish with an 8-10 record for a wildcard berth. After losing in a last-second overtime thriller against Coca-Cola, and a win by Sta. Lucia on the next game date eliminated Alaska from contention despite winning their last game against Sta. Lucia.

Injuries to Reynel Hugnatan and Mike Cortez affected the team's play throughout the said conference.

However, Alaska started the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference with a 7-4 card before the All-Star break, with Rosell Ellis as their import. Shooting Guard, Willie Miller provided a strong performance for the Aces during the tournament posting numerous 20 point-games.

The return of Cortez sparked a late surge by the team by finishing with a 12-6 record and beat Ginebra in a one-game playoff to earn an outright semifinals berth.

After eliminating the San Miguel Beermen in the semifinals via a 4-2 series win, the Aces entered the finals for a 19th time to meet the Talk N' Text Phone Pals.

Despite a 1-2 and a 2-3 deficit in the titular showdown, Miller, named the league's Most Valuable Player, erupted for 29 points to tie the series in Game 4 and recovered from a dismal performance in Game 5 with a sterling 37-point output in Game 6 to force a decider.

The seventh game was a seesaw battle before Miller fired a go-ahead layup in the last two minutes to seal a 99-96 championship win for Alaska.

Alaska picked Adamson stalwart, Ken Bono, and University of Visayas Green Lancers starting center, JR "Baby Shaq" Quiñahan as the 6th and 7th overall picks of the 2007 PBA Draft along with second round selection Ardy Larong.

In order to free up some cap spaces, the team traded veteran forward Nic Belasco to Welcoat in exchange for Junjun Cabatu while signing free agent Ariel Capus.

In the 2007–08 Philippine Cup, the Aces lost at the semis against Sta. Lucia.

Before the start of the Fiesta Conference, Alaska acquired former King Blue Eagles L.A. Tenorio and Larry Fonacier in exchange for ace point guard Mike Cortez and 1st round draft pick Ken Bono. They also tapped former Chicago Bull and Talk N' Text import Randy Holcomb as their reinforcement to help them defend the crown. Alaska, started slowly winning only 2 of their 6 matches including a 4-game losing streak. Fans were dissapointed when the team sticked with Holcomb – who is to blame why the team is not progressing well because of his inconsistent plays. Then came a rumor that Holcomb will be replaced by former Milwaukee Buck Daniel Santiago. However, it was confirmed that the rumors were not true and they are not in negotiations with the Puerto Rico National team Starting Center. Alaska came on to a conference high 6-game winning streak and made their record to 8-6 and has a chance of getting a semi-final seat, credited the players including Holcomb to it's key of success.

In their 2nd round game against Magnolia, Alaska was trailing along the way until the final minute which they came in and even grabbed the lead, but Alaska's semi-final dream came to an end when a lousy call by the referee with 0.3 seconds left and the game was tied at 99 all. Former Alaska Ace Mike Cortez split his freethrows to give Magnolia a one point lead.. However, Larry Fonacier's jumper went in front of the rim as time expired as Magnolia escaped with a nail-biting 100-99 win over the defending champions.

Alaska lost 2 more crucial games. Against Ginebra, they couldn't hold of a 10 point lead and the Kings route to a win which brought them to the quarter finals and Alaska was forced to play in the Wild Card against Philippine Cup champions Sta. Lucia Realtors. Alaska lost to the Realtors in a blow-out game that would eliminate them of the conference joining the Welcoat Dragons.

In the 2008 Annual Rookie Draft held on August 31, 2008 at Market! Market!, Taguig City, Alaska drafted scoring guard Solomon Mercado at no.5 in the first round and grabbing Mapua star Kelvin Dela Peña also at no.5 in the second round. A day after the draft, the team acquired last year's first overall pick and team leading scorer Joe Devance from Rain or Shine (formerly Welcoat Dragons) in exchange for Solomon Mercado and swingman Eddie Laure.

On September 4, 2008, the team signed 2004 7th overall pick Ervin Sotto. While on September 22, 2008, Alaska traded JR Quiñahan to the Air21 Express in exchange for 2008 6th overall pick Mark Borboran. Meanwhile, the team also signed veteran Eric Canlas through free agency.

The Aces started their campaign on their quest for their 4th All-Filipino crown on a high note including a 4-0 start. They struggled at the middle part of the conference but still remained the leader in the standings. Alaska finished as the number one team after the elimination round winning 12 games in 18 matches and was the first team to secure a seat in the Semifinals giving them a long rest. After three weeks of waiting, they faced the defending Philippine Cup champion Sta. Lucia Realtors, a re-match of last year's Semifinals which went to a seven-game grueling series. The Realtors swept the depleted-lineup Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Quarterfinals. The Aces beat the defending champion Realtors in six games to advance and arranged a Finals showdown with the Talk n' Text Tropang Texters. They had a 2-0 lead first but Talk 'N Text tied the series 2-2. In Game 5, Alaska wins 95-93 courtesy by Willie Miller's tough three point shot. In Game 6, Talk 'N Text tied the series 3-3 to force a Game 7. In Game 7, they had a chance to win the title but missed free throws during the crucial seconds of the game by Miller and Joe Devance gave Talk 'N Text the win and the title, 93-89.

The Aces' mascot is E. Cow, a cow wearing an Alaska jersey and shades. He currently appears in Alaska's milk products marketed for young children and at times can be seen shooting hoops or walking around the crowd during timeouts or intermissions.

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Las Vegas Wranglers

The Las Vegas Wranglers are a minor league ice hockey team in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wranglers play in the Pacific Division of the ECHL's National Conference and are one of the most prolific teams in ECHL history.

The Wranglers were originally to begin play in the West Coast Hockey League, but the WCHL merged with the ECHL before the beginning of the 2003 season. Home games are played at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Wranglers are the only team to hold a game that is played at midnight. The annual "Midnight Holiday Roundup" (the 'Holiday' part is so-called because it is held every December) was created so that Las Vegans who work during the usual game times (e.g. employees of the gaming industry), could watch a game. Other Wranglers promotions have included the traditional mullet hat night and even a give away of orange vests that said "Don't Shoot...I'm Human!" during a game on March 17, 2006, a joke on the Dick Cheney hunting incident. The Wranglers are the first team in ECHL history to have three consecutive 100-point seasons.

The Wranglers have been the ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Calgary Flames and the AHL's Quad City Flames since the team's inaugural season in 2003. Under the terms of the affiliation agreement, up to nine Flames prospects can play for Las Vegas.

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed ECHL regular season.

Records as of end of the 2007-08 ECHL season.

This is a table of the overall win-loss-tie records for the Wranglers against certain opponents. Teams in italics are no longer members of the ECHL. Some franchises have moved over the years, and records against franchises which have since moved are combined. Records in the playoffs are also included in the overall win-loss-tie records presented. The Wranglers have the most success against the Phoenix Roadrunners and the least success against the Reading Royals. Of the other 21 teams in the current 22-team ECHL, the Wranglers have never played against Charlotte, Charleston (SC), Dayton, Duluth (GA), or Elmira (NY). The Wranglers have only played against Cincinnati during the 2008 Kelly Cup Finals.

The Las Vegas Wranglers have significant rivalries with the Alaska Aces, Bakersfield Condors, Fresno Falcons, Idaho Steelheads, and Utah Grizzlies. The longest of the rivalries is with the Utah Grizzlies, which started between the Las Vegas Thunder and the Utah Grizzlies in the International Hockey League and came to its highest point during 1996 IHL Western Conference Finals. The Wranglers and the Steelheads have had a constant rivalry that has centered around the playoffs. The Wranglers have met the Steelheads in all three of their playoff appearnaces. The Alaska Aces rivalry began during the 2005-06 season in which the Wranglers fell one point behind the Aces for the West Division and Brabham Cup titles. The rivalries with the Condors and Falcons started off very softly during the Wranglers inaugural season but has become more heated since the Wranglers move into the Pacific Division during the 2006-07 season. In 2008-09, the Wranglers are expecting a new rival with the Texas Wildcatters relocating to Ontario, CA. The Reign, are to be affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings who have a heavy fan base in the Las Vegas metropolitan area as Las Vegas is a part of the Los Angeles sports market.

Former rivals of the Wranglers included the Long Beach Ice Dogs, San Diego Gulls, and Toledo Storm. The rivalry with Long Beach and San Diego came from the time that the teams were members of the IHL and made numerous playoff appearances against each other, while the rivalry with Toledo was based upon the large population of Las Vegas residents from Toledo, OH.

The Wranglers have had numerous songs that represent the team during pre-game introductions. Songs that represented the regular season have included: Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy), Stand Up, Ready Steady Go, ...To Be Loved, Crash. When the team makes the playoffs, the song that was used in the regular season is usually changed. Songs that have represented the playoffs have included: The Hand That Feeds and Lights and Sounds. During the regular season the Wranglers used Ain't Nothing Wrong With That by Robert Randolph and the Family Band and The Pretender by the Foo Fighters as their theme song. For the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Wranglers used Give It All by Rise Against. Currently the Wranglers are using Hell Yeah by Rev Theory as their theme song.

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Idaho Steelheads

The Idaho Steelheads are an American professional minor league ice hockey team based in Boise, Idaho. The team began playing in 1997 and has been a member of the ECHL since 2003.

During the 2003-04 season and since the 2005-06 season the Steelheads have been an affiliate of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars. From 2005 to 2008, the Steelheads were also affiliated with the American Hockey League's Iowa Stars (now Iowa Chops). Home games are played at the 5,000-seat Qwest Arena in downtown Boise.

The team was founded by Diamond Sports Management in 1996, headed by Cord Pereira. The Steelheads currently play in the West Division of the ECHL's National Conference.

The Steelheads are named for a species of seagoing rainbow trout native to Idaho streams and rivers and popular with local anglers. The fish was a secondary element in the team's original logo, which was in use through the 2005-06 season. The current Steelheads logo, however, does not include a fish. Instead, it consists of a mountain scene with the wordmark, but the fish is in Idaho's alternate logo.

The Steelheads began play as part of a four-team expansion in the West Coast Hockey League in 1997 along with the Tacoma Sabercats, Phoenix Mustangs and Tucson Gila Monsters, which have all since ceased operations. Former New York Islanders defenseman Dave Langevin became Idaho's first head coach. During its inaugural season, in addition to its WCHL schedule the Steelheads played two regular season exhibition games in Boise against the Russian Super League team CKA-Amur (now Amur Khabarovsk). The Steelheads finished third in the WCHL North Division in 1997-98, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Anchorage Aces (now Alaska Aces).

Langevin left the team in 1998 and was replaced as head coach by former NHL goaltender Clint Malarchuk. Under Malarchuk the Steelheads were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

In 2000 Malarchuk was succeeded as head coach by John Olver, who had coached the Tacoma Sabercats to the WCHL championship in 1998-99. The Steelheads reached the WCHL finals in 2000-01 and 2001-02, but were defeated by the San Diego Gulls and Fresno Falcons, respectively.

Although the Steelheads finished with the best record in the WCHL's final season in 2002-03, the Falcons eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs.

In 2003 the WCHL was absorbed by the ECHL and folded. The Steelheads, along with several other WCHL-affiliated teams - namely the Alaska Aces, Bakersfield Condors, Fresno Falcons, Las Vegas Wranglers, Long Beach Ice Dogs and San Diego Gulls - became ECHL members beginning with the 2003-04 season. Idaho won the 2004 Kelly Cup in its first season in the ECHL, defeating the Florida Everblades in the Kelly Cup Finals. The Steelheads were the first team to win the ECHL championship in its first year in the league since the Greensboro Monarchs won the title in the league's second season of operation (1989-90).

In 2004-05 the Steelheads were eliminated in the first round of the ECHL playoffs by the Long Beach Ice Dogs. Olver was succeeded as head coach by Derek Laxdal after the season. In 2005-06 Laxdal guided the team back to the playoffs, but they were eliminated in the second round by the Las Vegas Wranglers.

The Steelheads hosted the 2007 ECHL All-Star Game in Boise. Later that year the Steelheads won their second Kelly Cup by defeating the Stockton Thunder, Las Vegas Wranglers and Alaska Aces in the playoffs, and ultimately the Dayton Bombers in the league finals. Idaho is one of only two active ECHL teams to win multiple league championships, alongside the South Carolina Stingrays. The defunct Toledo Storm and Hampton Roads Admirals also won multiple ECHL championships.

As of March 30, 2009. Data taken from ECHL website.

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