Portland Pirates
The Portland Pirates were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). Their home arena was the Cross Insurance Arena in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the Baltimore Skipjacks from 1982 to 1993.
| Portland Pirates | |
|---|---|
| City | Portland, Maine |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Founded | 1975 (In the NAHL) |
| Operated | 1993–2016 |
| Home arena | Cross Insurance Arena |
| Colors | Black, red, silver, white |
| Franchise history | |
| 1975–1982 | Erie Blades |
| 1982–1993 | Baltimore Skipjacks |
| 1993–2016 | Portland Pirates |
| 2016–present | Springfield Thunderbirds |
| Championships | |
| Division titles | 2: (2005–06, 2010–11) |
| Conference titles | 1: (1995–96) |
| Calder Cups | 1: (1993–94) |
The Pirates were affiliated with the Washington Capitals (1993–2005), the Anaheim Ducks (2005–2008), the Buffalo Sabres (2008–2011), Arizona Coyotes (2011–2015), and the Florida Panthers (2015–2016). The organization hosted the AHL All-Star Classic in 2003 and 2010.
On May 4, 2016, the Pirates announced it had signed a letter of intent with an outside buyer to sell and relocate the franchise for the 2016–17 season. It was reported that the team would be relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts following the pending sale and relocation of the Springfield Falcons franchise to Tucson, Arizona. The transaction was approved by the AHL on May 23, 2016, and the franchise became the Springfield Thunderbirds.