Tupelo T-Rex

The Tupelo T-Rex started play in the WPHL in 1998 at the Tupelo Coliseum. The team was fairly successful on the ice, reaching the playoffs in two of their three seasons in the WPHL and went an impressive 46-20 in their third season, 2000-01.

However, off the ice the team had precarious footing. They setup shop in Mississippi's 7th biggest city with a population of about 34,000 at the time. The T-Rex almost went bankrupt during their first season, but new ownership came in and kept the team afloat. After three seasons in the WPHL, the league merged with the CHL but the T-Rex didn't go with it opting to try their luck in another pro league. Unfortunately for them, the CHL invoked a non-compete clause and the T-Rex were locked out of pro hockey.

They would find a home in the America West Hockey League (AWHL), a low level junior league for the 2001-03 season. It wasn't much of a home, though. They were the only team in the league's history located east of the Mississippi River, with most of the league's teams residing in Texas, Montana and Canada. They also struggled mightily, winning only 4 of 112 games over two seasons. Yes, four. And they were out scored 850-178. After two AWHL seasons, the T-Rex folded in 2003.