|
Chicago Bulldogs Hockey Club
Written History
 The
Chicago Bulldogs history is an odd one
as it originated from the Inline Hockey
circuit, a sport now hated by the entire
organization. In the 1998 Alex Martinez
(who played goalie for several teams
playing at the Odium and Orbit Skate
Center) had had enough of playing for
un-organized and poorly managed teams.
Although winning the League Championship
with the Ave’s in 1998, Martinez rolled
the dice and started looking for players
and build a roster.
As the new
season of the fall of 1998 came near
Martinez’s first player signed was Craig
Rehr who was an old friend and the main
person responsible for attracting
Martinez to the sport. Both of them
drove to several inline facilities from
North Ave Beach in Chicago to the Tennis
Courts of Villa Park and found enough
players. Proudly named “Capital
Punishment”, this motley crew began play
at the Orbit Skate Center in Palatine,
IL.
Surprisingly Capital Punishment had a
mediocre .500 record and missed the
playoffs in its first season of play.
After some internal player issues
Martinez decided to move the team to a
new league called the Dome Hockey League
in Elgin, IL.
Taking only
half the team with him, Martinez once
again hit the waiver wire and free
agents and was able to again establish a
roster.
No one
expected this new crew of players to win
many games, but to the amazement of
many, Capital Punishment lost only one
game in the regular season and won the
league Championship its first time out
in Elgin.
After now
tasting victory and living high on life,
Capital Punishment was now on everyone’s
radar. In 1999 the team who lost only
one game prior and won a Championship
was now struggling to make the playoffs.
To make matters worse Martinez was
suspended 6 games for an altercation
that happened in a game where both teams
cleared the benches thus having a player
being sent to the hospital (yup,
Martinez lost it).
In the
winter of 1999 Capital Punishment not
only did not make the playoffs, but also
disbanded.
Continue>>>> |
