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Tri-City Americans

The Tri-City Americans are an American major junior ice hockey team based in Kennewick, Washington.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

The Tri-City Americans are an American major junior ice hockey team based in Kennewick, Washington. The franchise originated in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes and relocated to Kennewick in 1988, adopting its current name. The team competes in the Western Hockey League (WHL), a member of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), and plays home games at the Toyota Center.

History

The franchise began in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes. Over the years, it moved through several markets before relocating to Kennewick, Washington, in 1988 and becoming the Tri-City Americans. The team has remained in the WHL during its modern era.

Home arena

The Americans play at the Toyota Center in Kennewick. The arena was purpose-built for the team and has been their home since the relocation to the Tri-Cities region.

League competition

The team plays in the Western Hockey League (WHL), a major junior league under the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) umbrella. The WHL includes teams from both Canada and the United States, making the Tri-City Americans part of a Canadian-run junior hockey structure despite being based in the U.S.

Achievements

The Americans have won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy once for finishing first in the WHL regular season. They have reached one league playoff final but have not captured a WHL championship.

Key facts

  • The franchise originated as the Calgary Buffaloes in 1966 and later went through several relocations before becoming the Tri-City Americans in 1988.
  • The team is based in Kennewick, Washington, part of the Tri-Cities region.
  • The Americans compete in the Western Hockey League, one of the three major junior leagues in the Canadian Hockey League.
  • Their home arena is the Toyota Center, which was purpose-built for the team.
  • The franchise has won one Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular-season champions, but has not won a WHL championship.
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Canadian context

The Tri-City Americans compete in the WHL, which is one of the major junior leagues that form part of the Canadian Hockey League, so the team is part of a Canadian-run junior hockey structure despite being based in the United States.

Frequently asked questions

What league do the Tri-City Americans play in?
They play in the Western Hockey League (WHL), a major junior league in the Canadian Hockey League.
Where are the Tri-City Americans based?
They are based in Kennewick, Washington, in the Tri-Cities region of the United States.
When were the Tri-City Americans founded?
The franchise dates to 1966, though it adopted the Tri-City Americans name after relocating in 1988.
What is the team’s home arena?
The team plays home games at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.
Have the Tri-City Americans won a WHL championship?
No. They have reached one league playoff final but have not won a WHL championship.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-City_Americans
    Supports: Founding date, relocations, WHL membership, Kennewick location, Toyota Center, and team achievements.
  2. Canadian Hockey League / WHL Americans — https://chl.ca/whl-americans/
    Supports: Current WHL team identity and official league affiliation.
  3. Elite Prospects — https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/846/tri-city-americans
    Supports: Team location, founding year, league, and colours.
  4. Visit Tri-Cities — https://www.visittri-cities.com/directory/tri-city-americans-hockey/
    Supports: Home arena location and local presence in Kennewick since 1988.