The Huntington Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Toledo , Ohio . It was completed in 2009 and cost $ 105 million to build. It replaced the Toledo Sports Arena , which has since been demolished.
25-813: It serves as the home of the Toledo Walleye ECHL ice hockey team, and was the home of the Toledo Crush of the Legends Football League for the 2014 season. After a successful partnership on the Mud Hens Stadium ( Fifth Third Field ), the Lucas County Commissioners teamed with HNTB Architecture Inc., a national sports architecture firm located in Kansas City ; The Collaborative Inc., of Toledo; and Poggemeyer Design Group, of Toledo, for
50-521: A 2-2 draw on January 4. Anthony Wayne High School , Saint Ignatius High School , Saint John's High School , Whitmer High School , and many other youth and adult teams also participated in the Winterfest. Over 10 days, an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people attended events at the stadium. The Walleye’s rivalry with the Cyclones is one of proximity, as both teams play in the state of Ohio. They also play in
75-460: A light-colored roof membrane to reflect heat and sunlight, and underground cisterns collecting rain water to re-use for landscaping purposes around the arena, are also emphasized to earn LEED points for the project. The Huntington Center opened in 2009. The arena is part of a complex that includes SeaGate Convention Centre and Fifth Third Field . The first person to perform at this venue was Jeff Dunham . Other performances that have happened at
100-469: A new arena. The arena was designed as the first new LEED sports arena in the United States. The arena's signature green design element is a 900-square-foot (84 m) "green wall" outside of the building, to feature the use of plant life on the exterior of the building to help cool the arena by shading the glass-enclosed main entrance of the arena. The arena's location near mass transit systems, use of
125-869: A professional ice hockey team based in Toledo, Ohio . The Walleye are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL . The Walleye were founded in 1991 as the Toledo Storm and play their home games at the Huntington Center , which opened in 2009. Since the beginning of the 2009–10 season, the team has been affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and
150-658: The 2005–06 season , ultimately losing to the Gwinnett Gladiators in five games. The Storm's final game came on April 19, 2007 during the 2007 North Division semifinals losing to in-state rival, Cincinnati Cyclones by a score of 4–0 getting swept in the series 3 games to 0. In sixteen seasons in the ECHL, the Storm posted a 610-395-103 record, winning two Riley Cups, two Brabham Cups and six division titles. In 2007, Toledo Arena Sports, Inc., an Ohio-Not-For-Profit Corporation, purchased
175-581: The 2006 American Conference Finals against the Gwinnett Gladiators . However, the Walleye would lose the next three games to Charlotte and were eliminated from the playoffs in four games. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Walleye voluntarily suspended operations for the 2020–21 season . Coming back from the voluntary suspension, the Walleye would go on to win the Brabham Cup in the 2021–22 season, finishing with
200-862: The Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League with an agreement in place through the 2023–24 season. They won the Season 9 Servus cup in The AXHL The Walleye were founded in 1991 as the Toledo Storm , playing their home games at Toledo Sports Arena across the river from downtown Toledo. The Storm were the first hockey team to play in Toledo since the International Hockey League 's Toledo Goaldiggers suspended operations in 1986, eventually moving to Kansas City in 1990. In
225-578: The 2018-19 Kelly Cup Finals, 4 games to 1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal. On July 27, 2009, the Walleye introduced Spike, their costumed mascot at a Toledo Mud Hens baseball game. Spike is a yellow anthropomorphic walleye, adorned with a white Walleyes jersey, blue gloves, helmet and shoes and a gap tooth smile. Spike's nemesis is Cat Trick, a fuzzy blue cat, with a fishing vest and bright yellow boots. The two like to take cheap shots at each other during games. The first ECHL outdoor hockey event
250-871: The American Conference All-Star team and played at the All-Star Game at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California on January 20. Sawyer was named the captain of the American Conference All-Stars. At the end of the regular season, defenseman J.C. Sawyer was named as a First Team selection to the All-ECHL team and won the Defenseman of the Year award, while center Maxime Tanguay
275-524: The ECHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago's AHL affiliate the Rockford IceHogs . The Walleye opened their inaugural season on October 16, 2009, hosting the defending Brabham Cup champion Florida Everblades in the first of a three-game series. Prior to the Walleye's home opener, head coach Nick Vitucci named defenseman Ryan Stokes as the team's captain. Despite a strong effort,
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#1732859007129300-621: The Huntington Center include: Janet Jackson , Daughtry , Tool , Lil' Wayne , Rascal Flatts , Carrie Underwood , Elton John , Brad Paisley , Stevie Nicks , Kid Rock , Jason Aldean , Hunter Hayes , Bob Seger , Trans-Siberian Orchestra , TobyMac , Snoop Dogg , Wiz Khalifa , Ying Yang Twins , & Disturbed . It's also the Toledo-area stop for WWE . All Elite Wrestling debuted in Toledo with AEW Collision on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated bought
325-563: The NHL's award ceremonies in Las Vegas, Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland stated that the Walleye would become Detroit's ECHL affiliate for the 2009–10 season and that the Wings would send one of their three goaltender prospects (either Jordan Pearce , Thomas McCollum or Daniel Larsson ) to Toledo for the season. On August 5, 2009, the Walleye announced a second affiliation agreement, becoming
350-636: The Storm's inaugural season, the team won the West Division title and the Henry Brabham Cup after posting the league's best record in the regular season. The following year the Storm won its first Jack Riley Cup , defeating the Wheeling Thunderbirds in six games. The Storm came back the following season and won its second Riley Cup, defeating the Raleigh Icecaps in five games, becoming only
375-532: The Walleye dropped their opener to Florida 1–2 in front of a sell-out crowd of 8,000, the largest crowd to ever watch a pro hockey game in Toledo at the time. The Walleye would return the next night and rookie goaltender Jordan Pearce would stop 35 of 37 shots faced as the Walleye scored three goals in the final period to get past the Everblades for the team's first win, 5–2. On December 31, defenseman J.C. Sawyer and forward Maxime Tanguay were selected to
400-821: The Year CCM Rookie of the Year ECHL All-Star Game Selection Sportsmanship Award North Division Champions Central Division Champions Bruce Taylor Trophy ECHL Western Conference Playoff Champion Henry Brabham Cup ECHL regular season champion John Brophy Award ECHL Coach of the Year Executive of the Year Reebok Athletic Trainer of
425-621: The Year Ticket Executive of the Year Outstanding Media Award Team awards 1991%E2%80%9392 ECHL season The 1991–92 ECHL season was the fourth season of the ECHL. In 1991, the league welcomed four new franchises: the Columbus Chill , Dayton Bombers , Raleigh Icecaps , and Toledo Storm . The fifteen teams played 64 games in the schedule. The Toledo Storm finished first overall in
450-695: The franchise when it returned to the ice in 2009. One week after announcing Vitucci as head coach, Toledo Arena Sports Inc. renamed the Storm the " Walleye ," in reference to the popular game fish that is abundant in the area. At the ECHL Mid-Season Board of Governors meeting, the league announced that the Walleye would be members of the American Conference's North Division along with the Cincinnati Cyclones, Elmira Jackals , Johnstown Chiefs , Wheeling Nailers and Kalamazoo Wings . During
475-587: The league's best points % with.708, the only team above .700%. They would then go on to win in comeback fashion the first series of the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs , 4–3. They then went on to sweep Wheeling and best Utah in 5 games after losing Game 1. The Walleye would go on to lose the Kelly Cup Finals to the Florida Everblades, who beat the Newfoundland Growlers, the team that beat Toledo in
500-709: The naming rights to Lucas County Arena in April 2010 and renamed it as the Huntington Center. The six-year, $ 2.1 million naming rights and sponsorship agreement includes three renewal options of six years each, and could mean total Huntington payments of $ 11 million. The proceeds are to be applied to paying down the arena's $ 90 million debt. The Huntington Center hosted the 2019 CCM/ECHL All Star Classic on January 21, 2019. 41°38′59″N 83°32′14″W / 41.6498596°N 83.5372281°W / 41.6498596; -83.5372281 Toledo Walleye Assistant Captains Conlan Keenan Trenton Bliss The Toledo Walleye are
525-598: The rights to the Toledo, Ohio Territory from the ECHL. The new ownership group was planning to build a new state-of-the-art arena in downtown Toledo to replace the aging Sports Arena. Shortly after the sale, Toledo Arena Sports announced that after the 2006–07 season, the Storm would not compete again until the arena was completed and the ECHL granted the Storm a two-year voluntary suspension from competition. In February 2008, General Manager Joe Napoli announced that former Storm goaltender, ECHL Hall of Famer, and head coach from 2003 to 2007 , Nick Vitucci would return to coach
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#1732859007129550-535: The same division. In both the 2022 and 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs , the two teams met each other, with Toledo winning the series 4-3 in 2022 and Toledo winning again in 2023 4-0. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes Updated August 12, 2021 Most Valuable Player Leading Scorer All-ECHL First Team All-ECHL Second Team All-ECHL Rookie Team CCM Defenseman of
575-480: The second team in league history to win back-to-back league titles (the first being the Hampton Roads Admirals in 1991 and 1992 ). The Storm were dominant in its first few years, winning four division titles in their first five seasons and posting a winning record in thirteen of the sixteen seasons the team played. The Storm won its second Brabham Cup in 2003 and made the American Conference finals during
600-672: Was at Fifth Third Field on Saturday, December 27, 2014. The Walleye lost 2-1 to the visiting Kalamazoo Wings . On January 5, the Walleye fell to the Fort Wayne Komets 3-2 in a shootout. In addition to the Walleye games, the annual Battle of the Badges game between the Toledo Police Department and Toledo Fire Department occurred on December 31, the U.S. National Under 18 Team defeated Adrian College 6-1 in an exhibition on January 1, and Bowling Green played Robert Morris to
625-536: Was named to the All-Rookie team. The Walleye would finish the regular season in eighth place in the American Conference leading to a matchup with the American Conference regular season champions, the Charlotte Checkers . Toledo, behind a hat trick from winger Adam Keefe, claimed a 7–2 victory over top-seeded Charlotte in game one of the series, the first playoff game win for the organization since game two of
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