Topeka Pilots

Lone Star Cavalry

The Lone Star Cavalry were granted an expansion franchise in the America West Hockey League in March 2003. They stayed in the league when it merged with the North American Hockey League for the 2003–04 season. The Cavalry played out of the Blue Line Ice Complex in North Richland Hills, Texas and served the immediate "Mid-Cities" area of Metro Dallas-Fort Worth. The Cavalry were part of the NAHL’s new South Division along with the Central Texas Blackhawks, Fairbanks Ice Dogs, Springfield (MO) Spirit, Texas Tornado, Texarkana Bandits, and Wichita Falls Rustlers.

Santa Fe RoadRunners

After financial difficulties caused the Cavalry’s home rink, the Blue Line Ice Complex, to close, the Cavalry were left without a home. Due to this and other factors, the Cavalry ended up being sold and relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The team was granted membership on September 20, 2004, and began play on September 25, 2004, under their new identity as the Santa Fe RoadRunners. The Santa Fe RoadRunners played out of the Genoveva Chavez Community Center in Santa Fe. In their inaugural season in New Mexico, the RoadRunners played in the South Division, against the Central Texas Marshals, Springfield (IL) Jr. Blues, Springfield Spirit, Texarkana Bandits, Texas Tornado, and the Wichita Falls Wildcats, finishing with a 33-15-8 record, good for 3rd place in the division. The following season they finished dead last in the South Division behind the Tornado, Bandits, Jr. Blues, and the Wildcats. The third and final season in Santa Fe saw the RoadRunners finishing with a 41-17-4 record for 2nd place in a South Division which consisted of the St. Louis Bandits, Texas Tornado, Fairbanks Ice Dogs, Wichita Falls Wildcats, and the Alaska Avalanche.

Topeka RoadRunners

Topeka RoadRunners logo

On February 26, 2007, the team announced their move to Topeka, Kansas, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, due to claims of poor attendance. Santa Fe ranked 17th out of 18 teams in attendance.^[1]

The move to Topeka was initiated by a grass roots effort, led by hockey fans from Topeka. In their first season in Topeka, 2007–08, they were third in league attendance. That season the team won the NAHL South Division and South Division Playoffs. They finished in third place at the Robertson Cup competition. The 2008–09 season saw the RoadRunners finishing fourth in league attendance and 2nd in the South Division. The team lost in the second round of the South Division playoffs. In 2009–10 The RoadRunners finished first in the South Division, and they were second in attendance. The 2010–11 season saw the RoadRunners claim the NAHL President's Cup as the league's regular season champions.

On January 7, 2016, the RoadRunners fired long-tenured head coach and general manager Scott Langer, who had been with the team since their days as the Cavalry and the head coach since their first season in Santa Fe. He was hired immediately after the season ended by the Aberdeen Wings. Former RoadRunner player and assistant coach Josh Kamrass was hired as his replacement.^[2] On November 24, 2017, assistant coach Justin DeMartino took over as an interim head coach, so that Kamrass could spend more time at home and took a front office job with the organization overseeing all the ownership's teams including their Tier III teams.^[3][4][5]

Topeka Pilots

On April 18, 2018, owners of the franchise since 2009, Barbara & Donald Stone, sold the franchise to Loretto Sports Ventures, a company owned by Lamar Hunt Jr., that also operates the Kansas City Mavericks in the ECHL.^[6] In the same press conference, Hunt announced the new head coach and general manager as Simon Watson for the 2018–19 season. The new ownership also announced the team would be rebranded^[7] and was renamed the Topeka Pilots on June 5, 2018.^[8]

Playoffs

• 2005

First Round – Texarkana Bandits defeated Santa Fe Roadrunners, 3-games-to-1

• 2007

First Round – Texas Tornado defeated Santa Fe Roadrunners, 3-games-to-2

• 2008

Division Semifinals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Texas Tornado, 3-games-to-0

Division Final – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Fairbanks Ice Dogs, 3-games-to-2

Robertson Cup Round Robin – Topeka RoadRunners (2-1) - Advance to Semifinal, (W, 3-2 vs. Phantoms; W, 4-2 vs. Blizzard; L, 2-5 vs. Bandits)

Robertson Cup Semifinal Game – Mahoning Valley Phantoms defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 5-2

• 2009

Division Semifinals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Wichita Falls Wildcats, 3-games-to-2

Division Finals – St. Louis Bandits defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 3-games-to-1

• 2010

Division Semifinals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Springfield Jr. Blues, 3-games-to-1

Division Finals – St. Louis Bandits defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 3-games-to-2

• 2011

Division Semifinals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Wichita Falls Wildcats, 3-games-to-2

Division Finals – Amarillo Bulls defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 3-games-to-2

• 2012

Division Semifinals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Texas Tornado, 3-games-to-0

Division Finals – Amarillo Bulls defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 3-games-to-1

• 2013

Division Semifinals – Texas Tornado defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 3-games-to-0

• 2014

Division Semifinals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, 3-games-to-0

Division Finals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Amarillo Bulls, 3-games-to-2

Robertson Cup Semifinals – Austin Bruins defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 2-games-to-1

• 2015

First Round – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Wichita Falls Wildcats, 3-games-to-1

Robertson Cup Quarterfinals – Lone Star Brahmas defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 3-games-to-1

• 2016

Division Semifinals – Topeka RoadRunners defeated Lone Star Brahmas, 3-games-to-1

Division Finals – Wichita Falls Wildcats defeated Topeka RoadRunners, 3-games-to-0

Team captains

• Eric Trax: 2003-2004 Lone Star Cavalry
• Andrew Johnson: 2004-2005 Santa Fe RoadRunners
• Brandon Vossberg: 2005-2006 Santa Fe RoadRunners
• John Stoddard: 2006-2007 Santa Fe RoadRunners, 2007–2008 Topeka RoadRunners
• Matt Hartmann: 2008-2009 Topeka RoadRunners
• Kurtis Anton: 2009-2010 Topeka RoadRunners
• Michael Hill / Jordan Davis: 2010-2011 Topeka RoadRunners
• Chris Bond: 2011-2012 Topeka RoadRunners
• Drew Kariofiles: 2012-2013 Topeka RoadRunners
• Jared Tafoya: 2013-2014 Topeka RoadRunners
• Mike Gornall: 2014-2015 Topeka RoadRunners
• Cam Strong / Dominic Lutz: 2015-16 Topeka RoadRunners
• Marshall Bowery: 2016-17 Topeka RoadRunners
• Nick Granowicz / Jake Rosenbaum / Nigel Nelson: 2017-18 Topeka RoadRunners

Honored members

Retired numbers: The Topeka RoadRunners have officially retired two numbers in their franchise history, the 11 of forward and team captain John Stoddard, and the 21 of Peter Halash.

On January 6, 2014, Topeka Roadrunner Peter Halash died in a car wreck. The Roadrunners team had a jersey retirement ceremony before a game against the Springfield Jr. Blues on March 23, 2014 where all of his family and friends came to remember the life of Peter Halash.

Alumni

The RoadRunners have had a number of alumni move on to NCAA Division I, NCAA Division III, ACHA Division I and II, higher levels of junior ice hockey, and professional ice hockey, including:

• Cody Chupp (2003–04, Lone Star Cavalry) – Played for the Texas Stars and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL and the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.
• Eriah Hayes (2007–08, Topeka RoadRunners) – Played 19 games for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL
• Cole Schneider (2009–10, Topeka RoadRunners) – Played for the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL and for the Binghamton Senators, Rochester Americans, and Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL.