Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center
|
P.O. Box 13347 Birmingham, AL 35202 (205) 458-8400 Hockey Capacity: 16,800 Tenant: Birmingham Bulls (ECHL) Former Tenants: Birmingham Bulls (WHA) 1976-1979 Birmingham Bulls (CHL) Birmingham Bulls (ACHL) |
|
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center
|
P.O. Box 13347 Birmingham, AL 35202 (205) 458-8400 Hockey Capacity: 16,800 Tenant: Birmingham Bulls (ECHL) Former Tenants: Birmingham Bulls (WHA) 1976-1979 Birmingham Bulls (CHL) Birmingham Bulls (ACHL) |
|
Seeing that the NHL's Atlanta Flames were struggling but surviving in the American South, John Bassett moved the Toronto Toros to Birmingham, Alabama for 1976-77. The "bull"logo was kept while the team was renamed the Birmingham Bulls. Birmingham took quick advantage of the WHA's liberal signing restrictions, and soon a talented but young group of players was on the ice. The club improved on its 1975-76 finish but still was left out when the playoffs started.
Arena Resources
Other Resources Amazon.COM Stadium Books In 1977 the WHA and NHL were talking merger. However, Birmingham, along with Indianapolis, were never seriously considered for membership. The club was interested in the talks, however, because if merger failed the team would survive. Bassett's deep pockets kept the team running trouble free. The 1977-78 club, under coach Glen Sonmor, was something of a goon squad, but did make the playoffs, losing to Winnipeg.
In the WHA's swan song season, the "Baby Bulls", as they were unofficially dubbed, due to the age of the players, struggled. Led by Rob Ramage and Michel Goulet, the club finished 32-42-6, but missed the playoffs. This was also the end of the franchise, as the NHL and WHA had finally agreed to a merger. Birmingham, along with Cincinnati, were paid to fold. The Birmingham Bulls and Cincinnati Stingers did not actually fold when the merger occurred. The two teams joined the Central Hockey League. The Stingers lasted only one year in the CHL, and the Bulls lasted two, folding at the end of 1980-81. (The CHL itself folded in 1984, and a new CHL was founded in 1992). However, when the ECHL came around in the late 1980's, Birmingham ended up with a new go-around of the Bulls in 1992, if in name only. The Cincinnati Cyclones were in the ECHL at the time and were offered a spot in the IHL. They made the jump, but also retained their ECHL franchise by moving to Birmingham and becoming the Bulls.
In addition to the WHA/CHL Bulls and the ECHL Bulls, there has been one other team called the Birmingham Bulls. This was a team in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, an indirect ancestor to the ECHL (two of today's ECHL teams played in the ACHL: The Tallahassee Tiger Sharks, who played under several different names in the Roanoke Valley area of Virginia, and the Wheeling Nailers, who then were in Winston-Salem NC playing as either the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds or the Carolina Thunderbirds). The ACHL Bulls played just three games of the 1984-85 season before folding. (The ACHL was hardly the pinnacle of stability, to say the least.)
Information on this page is from The Complete Historical and Statistical Reference to the World Hockey Association 1972-1979; by Scott Adam Surgent as written by Andrew Stiffler
The 19,000-seat Coliseum, home of the Birmingham Bulls of the East Coast Hockey League, rises ten stories from floor to ceiling.
The versatility of the Coliseum is reflected in its schedule of eventsó musical performances by top name artists, Disney on Ice and the house-packing Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The Coliseum has hosted major sporting events including the Southeastern Conference, the Sunbelt Conference and the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments.
The BJCC Coliseum seats 17,000 for major sporting events or up to 19,000 for in-the-round performances.
Technical Specifications:
Building is oval 220' x 110' seating up to 19,000 for in-the-round; Scoreboard 18 ' x 18', 53' to floor; Laser hook-up, yes; Dressing rooms,6; Locker rooms, 2; Sky Boxes, Press Box and Press Room; VIP Reception Area; House stage, yes, 8' X 8' Seco Sectional, adjustable height, 4'-6' to as large as required; Open beam ceiling, 75 ' to floor; Truck dock at floor level, 3 at dock plus inside additional space to accommodate 4-5 more; Animal staging area; Bull switches, 3 Phase, 1, 600 Amp, l, 400 Amp, 2, 2 00 Amp.
Lighting:
10 Super Trouper Travel Carbon Arc Spots, 125' throw to stage, 78' to floor; Mercury Vapor Lights, Circuits Patchable, 5 presets; Incandescent, Circuits Patchable, 5 presets.
Sound:
Speaker Cluster Bi-Amp; Altec 815A Low Frequency Cabinets W/5158 Speakers; High Frequency Altec 1003 Horns W/291-16B Drivers; Amplifier, High and Low Frequency, Altec 9440; Crossover, Rane AC-22; Equalizer, Rane GE-30; Console, Yamaha PM700; Input Lines, on Floor, 12; Intercom, 2 Channel Clear-Com.
Communications:
Satellite up/down linking via fiber optic cable.
On August 16, 1998 Joseph Maguire wrote: This arena holds a spot in hockey history, amazingly. Gordie Howe scored his 1,000th career goal there when the New England Whalers played the Birmingham Bulls.
|
||||||||
 |
