By Jack Sponagle, The Hockey News Intern
Much has been said about some of the unusual names that can be found in minor league baseball. The Hartford Yard Goats, the Amarillo Sod Poodles and, of course, the Rocket City Trash Pandas are just a few of the notable team nicknames that are hard to forget once you’ve heard them.
But the world of hockey doesn’t shy away from some seriously strange monikers, either. In pro and semi-pro leagues across the hockey world, there are some team names that are eye-rollingly awesome.
From the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, to the radio station-sponsored Saint Georges de Beauce Cool FM 103.5 of the Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey based in Quebec, to the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs in the Southern Professional Hockey League, here are some of the teams with the wildest names in hockey history.
Savannah Ghost Pirates (ECHL)
The Ghost Pirates began play in the ECHL in the 2022-23 season, and the name was chosen from over 3,000 entries. It symbolizes the history of supposedly haunted locations in Savannah that are available for tours, and the city's pirate folklore.
Athens Rock Lobsters (FPHL)
The Ghost Pirates aren’t the only team in Georgia with a standout name, as the Rock Lobsters began play this season in the Federal Prospects Hockey League. The Rock Lobsters get their name from the B-52’s song of the same name. The band, known for other songs such as “Love Shack,” was formed in Athens in 1976.
Tahoe Knight Monsters (ECHL)
The Vegas Golden Knights’ ECHL affiliate is named after Tahoe Tessie, a creature from local folklore in the vein of the Loch Ness Monster or Ogopogo. The team announced a multi-year affiliate agreement with the Golden Knights in July 2024.
Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL)
The first and so far only American team to have won the QMJHL’s top prize is the Lewiston MAINEiacs, who joined the ‘Q’ in 2003, folded in 2011 and were replaced by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. The capitalization of the word ‘MAINE’ lends to this team’s charm in their commitment to a dad-joke-caliber name.
St. John’s Fog Devils (QMJHL)
The ‘Q’ also boasted the St. John’s Fog Devils, who played from 2005 to 2008, joining the league at the same time as their New Brunswick-based expansion cousins, the Saint John Sea Dogs, who still exist to this day.
Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)
A mudbug is another word for a crawfish or crawdad. Not exactly a fearsome mascot. But the Louisiana-based North American League team chose the Mudbugs as their name in 1997 and again in 2015 when the team was revived.
Pensacola Ice Flyers (SPHL)
This Florida-based team draws inspiration for their name from Pensacola’s aviation history, and their original owner, Tim Kerr, who played 11 NHL seasons with Philadelphia. However, that still doesn’t answer what exactly an “Ice Flyer” is.
Albany River Rats (AHL)
Now known as the Charlotte Checkers, the River Rats played from 1993 to 2010. During that time, they were affiliates for the Devils, Avalanche and Hurricanes. Their name draws inspiration from their close proximity to the Hudson River, and one can only assume the rats that live near it.
Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)
The only other Canadian team on this list, the Smoke Eaters play in the BCHL, a Jr. A league based in British Columbia. They take their name from a senior hockey team from the 1920s.
The name’s origin is a bit of a mystery. It comes from the smelter workers who played on the team, or a famous incident during a game where a fan threw a pipe on the ice and a Trail player smoked it while killing a penalty. A columnist who was at the game dubbed them the ‘Smoke Eaters' in a cartoon. Either way, it’s a unique moniker.
Baton Rouge Zydeco (FPHL)
The Louisiana-based club debuted in 2023-24 with a name that draws inspiration from a local style of music. Zydeco is a genre of music that originated in southwest Louisiana.
Kentucky Thoroughblades (AHL)
A short-lived AHL franchise, the Thoroughblades relocated to Cleveland in 2001 after five seasons in Kentucky. Their name is a spin on thoroughbred, a breed of racing horse. The team’s existence was brief, but it does boast some impressive alumni. Miikka Kiprusoff, Dan Boyle and Zdeno Chara all spent time in Kentucky.
Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (ECHL)
Now the Adirondack Thunder, an ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, the Boardwalk Bullies played from 2001 to 2005, and the name is inspired by the legendary sporting venue, Boardwalk Hall.
Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (AHL)
This Calgary Flames affiliate only managed two seasons of play, in 2005-06 and 2006-07. The hyphen-laden name comes from the local Omaha civic organization, the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben. As you may or may not have noticed, Ak-Sar-Ben is ‘Nebraska' spelled backwards.
Greensboro Gargoyles (ECHL)
The only team on this list that has yet to play a game, the Carolina Hurricanes’ affiliate will launch its maiden ECHL season in 2025-26. The team’s official colors are “Gargoyle Grape, Greensboro Gold and Midnight.” I don’t think you’ll find those colors in your box of crayons.
Danbury Trashers (UHL)
The brief history of the Danbury Trashers was enough for a documentary made by Netflix, and an upcoming movie about the team’s unique demise. From their name, inspired by team owner James Galante’s waste-management business, to Galante appointing his 17-year-old son A.J. to be the team’s president and GM, to their trash-can-holding-a-hockey-stick logo, the Trashers made quite an impact on the hockey world in a brief time.
Toledo Goaldiggers (IHL)
This IHL team was active from 1974 to 1986. Their name is a hockey-themed riff on 'gold digger.' It was chosen by a fan vote, and the name wasn’t just suggested once, but five times.
Brûleurs de Loups (Ligue Magnus)
The lone European team on this list, the name translated to English means Wolf Burners. This name comes from a local legend that says wolves were herded by peasants who were sick of seeing dead livestock and then burned alive. Which is definitely unique.
Greenville Grrrowl (ECHL)
Before Greenville had the Swamp Rabbits, they had the Grrrowl. Founded in 1998, they played in Greenville until 2006. They even won the league championship in the 2001-02 season.
Minot Minotauros (NAHL)
The North Dakota-based club has a minotaur on their logo, but decided to go with Minotauros instead. Minotauro is the Spanish name for the half-man, half-bull hybrid.
Gold Coast Blue Tongues (AIHL)
We finish off in Australia with the Blue Tongues, named after the blue-tongued skink, a lizard native to Southeast Queensland. They began play in 2005 and folded in 2012. The name makes more sense when you know what a blue tongue is, but to a non-Australian audience it takes a little more explaining.
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