History
The franchise originated in 1992 as the Hamilton Canucks, which were an affiliate of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks played inHamilton, Ontario, for two seasons, before relocating to upstate New York in 1994. They were then renamed the 'Crunch' in a public vote of five names. Soon the team was among the most popular of the AHL, leading the league in sellouts in 1996-97 and 1997-98.[2] After the relocation from Hamilton was complete, the Crunch remained the AHL farm team of the Canucks until 2000 - with also a season hosting Pittsburgh Penguins players in 1997-98 - when it switched its NHL affiliation to the newly formed Columbus Blue Jackets, an affiliation it retained for a decade, before the Jackets switched their affiliation to the Springfield Falcons in 2010.[3] The Crunch then spent two seasons affiliated with theAnaheim Ducks before signing a multi-year affiliation deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning effective for the 2012–13 season.[4] In the first year of the new partnership, the team reached the 2013 Calder Cup Finals, losing to the Grand Rapids Griffins.[5] The Crunch are most known for being a fighting and beat-down team, known throughout the AHL. They also have developed an intrastate rivalry with the Rochester Americans.
The Crunch played the first outdoor game in AHL history on February 20, 2010, against the Binghamton Senators. The Mirabito Outdoor Classic took place at the Grandstand at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. The game set an AHL attendance record of 21,508. Syracuse won the game 2–1.
You can follow the Crunch by visiting the club's official website, www.syracusecrunch.com.
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| The hockey superhero made an appearance in Haunted Hockey in Lake Placid, The Puck Hog Volume 2. |
“Crunchman has been a beloved figure in the Syracuse community since the team's inception in 1994,” said Crunch Owner Howard Dolgon. “We believe with the change in our hockey partners to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the timing is perfect to go back to the future and welcome this iconic figure back into our brand.”
The new blue and gray logo features Crunchman, a superhero figure making a punching motion with one hand and holding a hockey stick in the other. The logo includes the team name 'CRUNCH' in ice block letters below the superhero figure. The 'CRUNCH' ice block letters have been a trademark feature in each of the club's three previous primary logo designs.
The Crunch have sported three logos in the team's 19-year history. Crunchman debuted with the team in 1994 and was replaced by Al, the world's only ice gorilla, when the club changed affiliates from Vancouver to Columbus in 2000. When the team partnered with the Anaheim Ducks in 2010, the Ice Gorilla logo changed in color to reflect the new partnership.
Would you like Crunchman to stop by your next event? To request a visit from Crunchman, please submit your request in writing by mail, fax or email. No phone calls please.
Mascot requests should include the organization/event name, contact name with phone/email, and event date.
Please submit your mascot request as follows:
By mail:
Amanda Linnertz
Syracuse Crunch Hockey Club
800 South State Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
By fax: (315) 473-4449 ATTN: Amanda Linnertz
