The Central Hockey League—known across decades as one of North America’s most important professional and minor-pro circuits—exists today as a complex, multi-era legacy of franchises, identities, and hockey markets that helped shape the sport across the central and southern United States. This mega-collection from Royal Retros unifies the entire history of the CHL, including the original professional CHL from 1963–1984 and the modern CHL from 1992–2014, giving fans a one-of-a-kind hub for defunct hockey teams, iconic logos, and the forgotten stories that helped build hockey culture throughout the Midwest, Southwest, Mountain West, and Southern U.S.

THE ORIGINAL CHL (1963–1984): A MAJOR FORCE IN PRO HOCKEY HISTORY

The first Central Hockey League, founded in 1963, became a major developmental league for professional hockey in North America. Long before national broadcasts and massive arenas, the CHL brought high-level play to cities that were hungry for hockey but were far from traditional northern markets. It became a pipeline for countless players who would go on to join the top professional leagues of the era.

The original CHL featured some of the most memorable franchises of the mid-20th century. The Dallas Black Hawks, affiliated with Chicago, became one of the league’s most storied teams with their striking black-and-red branding and fierce rivalries—especially with the Fort Worth Texans, creating one of the great Texas hockey rivalries of all time. The Tulsa Oilers, winners of multiple Adams Cups, built an enormous fan base in Oklahoma with classic uniforms and a high-tempo playing style that became a league trademark.

The Kansas City Blues helped bridge the early NHL St. Louis hockey pipeline, while the Oklahoma City Blazers emerged as a powerhouse club with iconic green-and-gold color schemes. The Salt Lake Golden Eagles, one of the most recognizable franchises of the period, used bold gold-and-white designs that carried their identity into later leagues. The Omaha Knights, Amarillo Wranglers, Memphis South Stars, and Indianapolis Checkers each brought distinct regional flavor and visual identity to the CHL, contributing to a diverse and vibrant league culture.

Other rare and short-term clubs—including the Albuquerque Six-Guns, Birmingham South Stars, Cincinnati Wings, Colorado Flames, Tucson Rustlers, Fort Worth Wings, Wichita Wind, and others—added unique visual styles and small-market passion that have become treasured among collectors today. These teams represent a bygone era of regional hockey where creativity, community support, and distinctive uniforms defined the sport.

THE MODERN CHL (1992–2014): BOLD BRANDING & SOUTHERN HOCKEY CULTURE

After the original CHL folded, the name returned in 1992 for a brand-new league that brought hockey to expanding southern and central markets during the boom of the 1990s and 2000s. Known for its bold colors, cartoon mascots, aggressive logos, and explosive expansion energy, the modern CHL helped grow the sport in non-traditional markets and left behind a visual identity that has become beloved among fans of vintage hockey aesthetics.

This era featured teams that embraced big personalities and unforgettable branding. The Topeka ScareCrows, Topeka Tarantulas, and Topeka RoadRunners created one of the most memorable team lineages in Kansas with unique colors and bold anthropomorphic designs. The Colorado Eagles, who would go on to become a premier franchise in later leagues, built one of the strongest followings in minor-league hockey. Texas became a CHL hotspot with the Laredo Bucks, Amarillo Gorillas, Corpus Christi IceRays, and Austin Ice Bats, each offering a high-energy, regionally inspired identity.

The Memphis RiverKings, Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees, and Mississippi Surge helped expand the league deep into the South, where hard-checking hockey and wild logos became the standard. Meanwhile, midwestern teams such as the Quad City Mallards, Bloomington PrairieThunder, and Missouri Mavericks delivered passionate markets with rich local ties.

Late-era teams like the Arizona Sundogs, Allen Americans, Rapid City Rush, and Wichita Thunder bridged the CHL into the modern ECHL era, continuing the league's legacy even after it ceased operations in 2014.

A UNIFIED COLLECTION FOR ALL CHL ERA FANS

The CHL’s identity spans over 50 years of hockey history across multiple eras, cities, and stylistic evolutions. By combining both versions of the league into a single mega-collection, Royal Retros creates the most comprehensive CHL hub available anywhere—showcasing everything from mid-century classic simplicity to ’90s-era bold graphics and modern reinterpretations of forgotten franchises.

Every CHL jersey in this collection is crafted using modern performance fabrics, lightweight materials, and fully sublimated details that capture the authentic visual spirit of each team while offering superior comfort and durability. From the original pro teams of the 1960s and ’70s to the explosive visual styles of the 1990s and 2000s, this collection celebrates the full timeline of CHL hockey.

Whether you’re searching for the vintage black-and-red look of the Dallas Black Hawks, the bold colors of the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, the classic Tulsa Oilers crest, the high-energy designs of the Topeka ScareCrows, or the unforgettable identities of the Colorado Eagles, Laredo Bucks, and Quad City Mallards, this mega-collection keeps the CHL alive through historically inspired streetwear and modern craftsmanship.

The Central Hockey League helped grow the sport into new regions, transformed small-market hockey culture, and produced some of the most unique branding and uniforms in the history of the game. Royal Retros honors every chapter of that story—bringing back the legends, the logos, and the teams that defined generations of fans.