St. Louis Bandits
The St. Louis Bandits were a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The team played their home games at the 2,200-seat Hardee's Iceplex (previously Summit Center) in Chesterfield, Missouri. Owners of the St. Louis Bandits include former St. Louis Blues Kelly Chase as well as Scott McCuaig, Ben Bishop, Jr., Jeff Cooper, Michael J. Brooks, and Jon Cooper. In the Spring of 2013, their franchise rights were sold to the ownership group of the Minnesota Wilderness. History The franchise joined the North American Hockey League for the 2003–04 season as the Texarkana Bandits. The team played in Texarkana from 2003 until the summer of 2006 when the team moved to the Greater St. Louis Metro Area. The team moved to the Hardees Ice Complex in Chesterfield, Missouri, filling the void left when the St. Louis Heartland Eagles of the USHL ceased operations at the end of the 2005 season. In 2007 & 2008, head coach and general manager Jon Cooper coached the team to back-to-back Robertson Cup National Championships. The team has made appearances in the NAHL playoff rounds each of their five years in the NAHL. In 2007 they claimed the