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Henry Brabham

1929 – 2020

American ice hockey businessman

Businessperson Erie PanthersJohnstown Chiefs
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About Henry Brabham

Lived 1929 – 2020 (aged 90). Henry Brabham was an American businessperson, erie Panthers, johnstown Chiefs, roanoke Valley Rebels and virginia Lancers.

Henry Brabham IV (April 29, 1929 – March 30, 2020) was a founder of the ECHL, formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League. In 2008, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the ECHL Hall of Fame. 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. He failed to get a long-term lease with the Salem Civic Center, so he disbanded the Raiders after the 1982–83 season. 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.

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 — as well as being a co-founder of a fourth team, the Knoxville Cherokees. He sold the Lancers in 1989, The ECHL has since become a development league for the National Hockey League.

The LancerLot's roof caved in during the 1993 Storm of the Century and the ice rink was destroyed. Brabham sold the complex in 2018.

Brabham died on March 30, 2020, at the age of 90.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
ECHL Hall of Fame
Also known as
Henry Brabham IV

People in Henry Brabham's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Henry Brabham's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Henry Brabham?

American ice hockey businessman (1929-2020)

When was Henry Brabham born?

Henry Brabham was born on 29 April 1929 in Vinton.

When did Henry Brabham die?

Henry Brabham died on 30 March 2020.

What was Henry Brabham's occupation?

Henry Brabham was a businessperson, erie Panthers, johnstown Chiefs, roanoke Valley Rebels and virginia Lancers.

What nationality was Henry Brabham?

Henry Brabham was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Henry Brabham

· Wikidata: Q16240793

· DBpedia: Henry Brabham

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry Brabham. https://biography.guide/henry-brabham/

MLA: "Henry Brabham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-brabham/.

Chicago: "Henry Brabham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-brabham/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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