The Chicago Hounds were a professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League for the 2006-07 UHL season. They played their home games at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The Hounds franchise was officially a relocation of the Richmond RiverDogs franchise, which played in Richmond, Virginia for three seasons from 2003-2006. Their only coach was former Fort Wayne Komets coach, Greg Puhalski, who came in as the having the most wins as a head coach in UHL history.
The Hounds got off to an inauspicious start, as their first home game was canceled due to bad ice at the brand new Sears Centre. The game was supposed to start at 7:30pm Central Time, but the decision to cancel was not announced until 9pm. Several fans were alleged to have thrown rubber pucks for the Chuck-A-Puck promotion in the direction of UHL commissioner Richard Brosal, who was the one that made the official announcement to the fans.
On June 6, 2007, Hounds owner Craig Drecktrah ceased the team's operations, saying his inability to negotiate a reasonable lease with the Sears Centre brought him to this decision. Drecktrah said the Sears Centre wanted him to take mostly weekdays, leaving the more desirable weekend dates for the other tenants. He also said the building management wanted to triple the cost of his lease.
The team attempted to resume play in the IHL for the 2008-09 season, however Drecktrah was unable to secure a venue in the Chicago area.
In the summer of 2010, it was announced that Drecktrah would be bringing an ECHL team, the Chicago Express, to the Sears Centre, which competed in the 2011-12 season before ceasing operations.
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—David Mamet, U.S. screenwriter, and Brian DePalma. Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery)
“Runs falls rises stumbles on from darkness into darkness
and the darkness thicketed with shapes of terror
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and the night cold and the night long and the river
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and blackness ahead”
—Robert Earl Hayden (1913–1980)