{{Short description|American ice hockey businessman (1929–2020)}} {{Infobox person | name = Henry Brabham | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|04|29}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|3|30|1929|4|29}} | death_place = Vinton, Virginia, U.S. | occupation = Former mayor of Vinton,<ref name = "Godfather">{{cite news |last=Mcfarling |first=Aaron |title=Roanoke Valley pro hockey 'godfather' Brabham dies at age 90 |url=https://www.roanoke.com/sports/local_pro_sports/roanoke-valley-pro-hockey-godfather-brabham-dies-at-age-90/article_78d7bc1e-d934-5116-bb35-8520e54a6bfa.html |accessdate=April 2, 2020 |work=The Roanoke Times |date=March 30, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><br>Former minor league hockey franchise owner:<br>Roanoke Valley Rebels (1975–1976)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://funwhileitlasted.net/2019/12/01/1970-1976-roanoke-valley-rebels/ |title=1970-1976 Roanoke Valley Rebels |website=Fun While it Lasted |date=December 1, 2019}}</ref><br>Virginia Raiders (1982–1983)<br>Virginia Lancers (1983–1989)<br>Erie Panthers (1988–1991)<br>Johnstown Chiefs (1988–1993) | alma_mater = | title = ECHL co-founder | term = | predecessor = | relatives = | awards = ECHL Hall of Fame (2008) | successor = | spouse = | children = }} '''Henry Brabham IV''' (April 29, 1929 – March 30, 2020) was a founder of the ECHL, formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League.<ref>{{cite book|first=Jon C.|last=Scott|title=Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South|year=2006|publisher=Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd.|page=138|isbn=1-894974-21-2|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/hockeynightindix0000stot}}</ref> In 2008, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the ECHL Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.echl.com/echl-announces-2014-hall-of-fame-inductees-p189012|title=The ECHL|publisher=|access-date=2014-04-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402175723/http://echl.com/echl-announces-2014-hall-of-fame-inductees-p189012|archive-date=2014-04-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Brabham Cup, first awarded in 1989, is an ECHL award for the team that finishes with the best regular season record.

He bought the Salem Raiders of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League in 1982 and renamed them the Virginia Raiders.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/echl-has-helped-develop-more-than-600-nhl-players/c-284024024 |title=ECHL grows into starting point toward NHL |website=NHL |last=Gulitti |first=Tom |date=November 26, 2016}}</ref> He failed to get a long-term lease with the Salem Civic Center, so he disbanded the Raiders after the 1982–83 season.<ref name = "Godfather"/> The ACHL then convinced Brabham to take over the Nashville South Stars during the following season, which he relocated back to Salem in December 1983 as the Virginia Lancers, named after his chain of convenience stores.<ref name = RVHockey>{{Cite news |url=https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1996/rt9610/961013/10150008.htm |title=ROANOKE VALLEY HOCKEY TIMELINE |publisher=Roanoke Times |via=Virginia Tech library |date=October 13, 1996}}</ref> In 1984, he built the LancerLot Sports Complex in his hometown of Vinton, Virginia, to serve as home to the Lancers due to the cost of playing in the Salem Civic Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vintonmessenger.com/remembering-vinton-the-lancerlot-in-1984-the-beginnings/ |title=Remembering Vinton: The LancerLot in 1984 – The Beginnings |website=Vinton Messenger |date=March 2, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.roanoke.com/obituaries/brabham-iv-henry-j/article_738ed0db-7e61-556e-b5d8-e31016600b12.html |title=Brabham IV, Henry J. – Obituary |website=Roanoke.com |date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>

In 1988, Brabham and Bill Coffey founded the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) as a minor professional ice hockey league with five teams, three of which were owned by Brabham — the Erie Panthers, Johnstown Chiefs, and the Virginia Lancers<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sharonherald.com/sports/former-johnstown-chiefs-owner-echl-co-founder-brabham-dies-at/article_2fe45e26-72ea-11ea-866c-fb66c9b7e800.html |title=Former Johnstown Chiefs owner, ECHL co-founder Brabham dies at 90 |website=Sharon Herald |date=March 30, 2020}}</ref> — as well as being a co-founder of a fourth team, the Knoxville Cherokees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.echl.com/en/pages/echl-history |title=ECHL History |website=ECHL |access-date=March 31, 2020}}</ref> He sold the Lancers in 1989,<ref name = RVHockey/> the Panthers in 1991, and the Chiefs in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.echl.com/en/news/2020/4/remembering-henry-brabham |title=Remembering Henry Brabham |website=ECHL |date=April 14, 2020}}</ref> The ECHL has since become a development league for the National Hockey League.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.echlhalloffame.com/members.shtml |title=ECHL Hall of Fame |accessdate=2010-06-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806010529/http://www.echlhalloffame.com/members.shtml |archivedate=2010-08-06 }}</ref>

The LancerLot's roof caved in during the 1993 Storm of the Century and the ice rink was destroyed.<ref name="Revo">{{cite news |last=Murray |first=Ken |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/03/18/rampage-may-come-running-after-roof-cave-in-echl-move-possible/ |title=Rampage may come running after roof cave-in, ECHL move possible | newspaper =Baltimore Sun | date = March 18, 1993 | access-date = February 24, 2010}}</ref> Brabham sold the complex in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://theroanokestar.com/2018/01/02/dedicated-ice-rink-coming-back-to-the-valley/ |title=Dedicated Ice Rink Coming Back To The Valley |website=Roanoke Star |date=January 2, 2018}}</ref>

Brabham died on March 30, 2020, at the age of 90.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.echl.com/en/news/2020/3/echl-mourns-loss-of-league-co-founder-hall-of-fame-member-henry-brabham |title=ECHL mourns loss of League co-founder, Hall of Fame member Henry Brabham |website=ECHL |date=March 30, 2020}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brabham, Henry}} Category:1929 births Category:2020 deaths Category:ECHL Category:Ice hockey people from Virginia Category:People from Vinton, Virginia