Vancouver VooDoo

The Vancouver VooDoo were an inline hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which played in Roller Hockey International (RHI). The VooDoo were one of the original 12 teams to join the league in 1993. Founded and owned by Tiger Williams and Bill McMenamon, the team played in the PNE Agrodome in 1993 and 1994, the Pacific Coliseum in 1995. In 1996, the team played in General Motors Place after being sold to Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, but folded in 1996 after the league ceased operations.

Vancouver Voodoo
CityVancouver, British Columbia
Founded1993
Home arenaPNE Agrodome
(1993–1994)
Pacific Coliseum
(1994–1995)
General Motors Place
(1996)
ColoursPurple, Black, Orange, White

                   

Murphy CupsNone
Conference ChampionshipsNone
Division Championships1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
Franchise history
1993–1996Vancouver Voodoo

Season by season

The Voodoo experienced consistent success in the regular season throughout their four-year history, winning their division all four years. Despite their regular season success, however, the Voodoo never made it out of the second round of the playoffs.

1993

In the RHI's inaugural season, Vancouver finished first in the King Division, atop the Calgary Rad'z, Portland Rage, and Utah Rollerbees, good for second overall, behind the Anaheim Bullfrogs.[1] In the first round of the playoffs, they were eliminated by the division rival Calgary Rad'z 8-7.

Star forward Jose Charbonneau, a former NHLer, led the RHI in regular season scoring with 68 points in 14 games.[2] He attracted the attention of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, who resigned him, despite having previously released Charbonneau in 1989.[3] Charbonneau went on to play 33 more games for the Canucks before finishing his career in Europe. Team co-owner and head coach Tiger Williams, who holds the NHL career mark for penalty minutes, played in one game for the Voodoo and registered two points, with a goal and an assist, plus two penalty minutes.[4][5]

Playing at the PNE Agrodome, the Voodoo's average attendance was 3,800.

1994

As league expansion doubles the league's team total to 24, the Voodoo are placed in the new Northwest Division with the Calgary Rad'z, Phoenix Cobras, Portland Rage, Edmonton Sled Dogs, and Sacramento River Rats. They finish atop their division, as well as second overall in the Western Conference, behind the Los Angeles Blades.[6] The Voodoo's leading scorer was Ryan Harrison, who finished with 62 points in 22 games, good for 15th overall in the league.

In the playoffs, the Voodoo were once again defeated in the first round, ousted by Portland in two games; the VooDoo lost the first game in an 8-7 shootout at Portland before being eliminated in game two in Vancouver by a score of 14-8.[7]

The Voodoo's average attendance rises to 4,600 as they begin playing games at the Pacific Coliseum – in close vicinity to the PNE Agrodome – as well.

1995

The Voodoo finish atop their division and second in their conference for the third straight season. Ryan Harrison leads Vancouver in scoring again with 63 points in 24 games, 15th overall in the league once more.

In the playoffs, Vancouver makes it out of the first round for the first time, defeating the Oakland Skates by a score of 10-4.[8] The playoff bid was halted in the second round by the San Jose Rhinos, the inevitable Murphy Cup champions.

As the Voodoo fully relocated to the Pacific Coliseum, their average attendance rose again to nearly 5,300, third-highest in the league.[9]

1996

The Voodoo relocated again to the Vancouver Canucks' home stadium General Motors Place, and the average attendance peaks at 5,500. Vancouver's Doug Ast finished second overall in the league in regular season scoring with 91 points in 28 games. Vancouver won their division for the fourth consecutive season, but are eliminated in the second round in three games by the Anaheim Bullfrogs.[10]

At the end of the 1996 season, the Vancouver Voodoo franchise folded after four years.

Regular season records

For the four seasons played by the VooDoo, the team's regular season records were:[11]

SeasonGPWLOTLPtsPctGFGAPIM
1993141121230.82116091350
1994221561310.705188157412
19952413101270.563203185459
1996281873390.696217162665
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References
  1. 1992-93 Roller Hockey International Standings, HockeyDB.com. Accessed February 1, 2017.
  2. RHI 1992-93 League Leaders, HockeyDB.com. Accessed February 1, 2017.
  3. Sell, Dave. "Charbonneau Uses VooDoo To Gain Spot With Canucks", The Washington Post, November 2, 1993. Accessed February 1, 2017.
  4. Nelson, Andrea. "Dual Citizenship: Tiger Williams", National Hockey League, September 3, 2012. Accessed February 1, 2017. "There’s no doubt that Williams filled his role as an enforcer. He holds the NHL record for most career penalty minutes, spending 3,966 minutes or just over 66 hours in the penalty box.... Williams laced up a pair of skates again in 1993, but not for a comeback. He briefly came out of retirement to play one game for Roller Hockey International’s Vancouver Voodoo."
  5. Dave "Tiger" Williams, HockeyDB.com, Accessed February 1, 2017.
  6. 1993-94 Roller Hockey International Standings, HockeyDB.com. Accessed February 1, 2017.
  7. Northrop, Milt. "STAMPEDE TRIES TO ADD TO LEGACY VECCHIARELLI HOT AT RIGHT MOMENT", The Buffalo News, September 2, 1994. Accessed February 1, 2017. "The Rage (11-10-1) finished fourth in the Northwest Division of RHI, and 12 of the 16 playoff teams had more regular-season points than Portland's 23. In the playoffs, though, Black's team found itself. First it upset regular season division champion Vancouver, 8-7, at home in a shootout. Then it routed the Voodoo, 14-8, in Vancouver to clinch the series."
  8. Staff. "Skates Ousted From Playoffs", San Francisco Chronicle, August 16, 1995. Accessed January 26, 2017. "The Vancouver VooDoo eliminated the Oakland Skates from the 1995 Roller Hockey International playoffs last night, defeating the Skates, 10-4. The loss put an end to the Skates' season, which saw Oakland battle back from a 1-6 start to finish the season at 10-10-4 and earn a playoff berth."
  9. RHI League Attendance - 1995, RHI Stats. Accessed February 1, 2017.
  10. Staff. "VooDoo Advances to Face Bullfrogs", San Francisco Chronicle, August 22, 1996. Accessed February 1, 2017. "The Vancouver VooDoo defeated the Oakland Skates, 12-3, on Wednesday night in Vancouver to win a Roller Hockey International playoff series and advance to the Western Conference finals against the Bullfrogs."
  11. Vancouver Voodoo Statistics and History, HockeyDb.com. Accessed February 1, 2017.
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