St. Paul Vulcans
| St. Paul Vulcans | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | St. Paul, Minnesota, United States |
| League |
United States Hockey League Midwest Junior Hockey League Can-Am Junior Hockey League Thunder Bay-Minnesota Junior A Hockey League |
| Operated | 1971–2000 |
| Colours | Red, Yellow, Black, White |
| Franchise history | |
| 1971–1972 | Minnesota Jr. Stars |
| 1972–1973 | St. Paul Jr. Stars |
| 1973–1995 | St. Paul Vulcans |
| 1995–2000 | Twin Cities Vulcans |
| 2000–present | Tri-City Storm |
The St. Paul Vulcans are a defunct Junior A ice hockey franchise that was based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The franchise was a charter member of the United States Hockey League (USHL) that started play with the 1979-80 season. The franchise was renamed the Twin Cities Vulcans for the start of the 1995 season. In 2000, the team was renamed the Tri-City Storm and moved to Kearney, Nebraska and still play there currently as of 2015.
The Vulcans franchise began as the Minnesota Jr. Stars of the Thunder Bay-Minnesota Junior A Hockey League in 1971. A year later, the league changed its name to the Can-Am Junior Hockey League. The team also changed their name to the St. Paul Jr. Stars. Their rival, the Thunder Bay Vulcans, sponsored by an organization in St. Paul, dropped their sponsorship of the franchise when they announced they would be playing exclusively in Canada the next season. At the start of the 1973 playoffs, the Vulcan organization began funding the Jr. Stars and their name was changed to the St. Paul Vulcans. Despite the name change, the Vulcans were league champions in 1973 and for their only time in team history, entered into the Canadian Centennial Cup playdowns. In the Eastern Centennial Cup Quarter-final, the Vulcans squared off against the Central Junior A Hockey League's Pembroke Lumber Kings. The Lumber Kings downed the Vulcans 4-games-to-1 to end their playoff run.
Due to disagreements between the American and Canadian teams in the CAJHL, the league was divided into the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (again) and the Midwest Junior Hockey League. The Vulcans would be one of the stronger members of the MWJHL. In 1977, the MWJHL would merge into the United States Hockey League - introducing junior hockey to what would become America's top tier of junior hockey.
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