Tallahassee Tiger Sharks Apparel

Tallahassee Tiger Sharks™ History

Who were the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks?

The Tallahassee Tiger Sharks™ spent seven seasons in the late 90s playing at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center. The Tiger Sharks relocated from Huntsville, AL for the 1994-95 season.The team found immediate success on the ice, winning over 36 games each of their first three seasons, making the playoffs all three times. In 1995-96, they won a team record 42 games and advanced to the third round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Charlotte. During these years, the team received solid fan support with over 6,000 per game attending. Unfortunately, the team wouldn't fair as well on the ice later on, missing the playoffs four times and going above 36 wins only once in their final four seasons. 

The Beginning of the Tiger Sharks

The beginning of the Tiger Sharks in Tallahassee was far from the beginning of the franchise. Though the Tiger Sharks moved to Tallahassee in 1994, the franchise was established in 1981. They settled in Florida after being housed in Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama.

The Tiger Shark tale is very similar to many minor hockey league teams during the 1990s: they had a strong beginning when the franchise appeared in Tallahassee, but after the new wore off, the crowds dwindled until the team eventually moved elsewhere.

The Tiger Sharks drew crowds that towered around 6000 their first several years in Tallahassee. They were also very successful their first season, with a record of 36-25-7. Their first season ended with a second place finish in the West Division, and they only fell in the playoffs to the eventual league champion, Richmond.

They went on to win over 36 games in each of their first three seasons and made the playoffs for each season as well. In their 1995-96 seasons, they won a team record 42 games and advanced to the third round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual champion, Charlotte.

The Spark Fades…

The team’s success on the ice didn’t last in their later seasons. They missed the playoffs four times. They also only went above 36 points a season once in their last four seasons. By 1999, their crowd reached a record low at 2,728. Things also took a strange turn when the team was fined $50,000 and docked 15 points in the standings for circumventing the league salary cap and making payments to NHL and AHL teams for players. The penalties prevented the Tiger Sharks from participating in the playoffs.

The owner also moved the team to Macon, Georgia in June of 2001. The franchise continued as the Macon Whoopees.

While the beginning of the Tiger Sharks’ story is a tale as old as time for the minor league hockey circuit, the franchise is still in existence today. That’s not something we can say for many of the teams we showcase. After a year in Macon, the team moved to Lexington, Kentucky for one year. Their next move was to Utah where they became the Utah Grizzlies. The Grizzlies still take the ice today.

Notable Players

Manon Rheaume played one period in one game during the Tiger Sharks’ first season. Rheaume was a female goaltender who played for a lot of different teams and always helped them to draw in a crowd. Unfortunately, Rheaume gave away four goals during the one period she donned a Tiger Shark jersey.

Michael Ryder was the most noteworthy player to spend time with the Tiger Sharks. He joined the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. Over the next few years, he had several 30 goal seasons with the Canadiens and Dallas Stars. In 2011, he won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins.

Mark Streit, another NHL Cup Winner, spent some time with the Tiger Sharks as well. His career boasts 96 goals in 786 games.

Todd Reirden followed up his Tiger Sharks stint with a long time career as an NHL coach. He was eventually a cup winner with the Washington Capitals.