Asheville Smoke


The Asheville Smoke were a professional ice hockey team in the United Hockey League.

Team History

The team played in Asheville, North Carolina from 1998 to 2002. The Smoke were coached by Keith Gretzky from 1998 to 2000. Prior to the 1998 relocation to Asheville, the team was known as the Brantford Smoke. The closest rival of Asheville were the Knoxville Speed. Original employees of the team included President Dan Wilhelm and Assistant General Manager Jeff Young. Home games played in the Asheville Civic Center.
For the years starting in 1998. 1999 and 2001, the team maintained an even record losing about the same number of games that they won. However, in the 2000 season, the team recorded 45 wins against 22 losses, and made it to the final round of the championship before losing. Overall, in four seasons, the team recorded a record of 151 wins and 129 losses.
The Civic Center facility was considered outdated which was a challenge for the team, and while other teams using the facility were allowed to keep the concession revenues, the Smoke had to turn these funds over to the city. A similar arrangement existed with the facility fee. Further, the 2002 bankruptcy of rival Knoxville left the team with no close competition. Sharing the facility also resulted in the Smoke's games being given less than optimal time slots. Attendance during the inaugural season averaged 3,362 but fell to just over 2,500 in the 2001-2002 season, ranking it 11th out of 14 UHL teams.
An attempt to hold a raffle to help the team finish the 2001-2002 season raised legal concerns.
Despite efforts to save the team, the franchise folded in 2002. However, the team was fondly remembered leading to the birth of the Asheville Aces in 2004

Popular Culture

Although the team was active in Asheville for less than five years, they inspired at least two popular local songs: "Asheville Smoke" by GFE and "Blood On The Ice" by The Monsters of Japan.