Houston Aeros (1994–2013)

===AHL years===
By 2001, the IHL were struggling financially. The league had rapidly expanded in the 1980s and 1990s, included moving into already established NHL markets. As a result, the NHL actively encouraged its owners to reassign their development operations to clubs in the [[American Hockey League]] (AHL), the chief rival of the IHL. Without any support from the NHL and league costs increasing, the IHL declared bankruptcy and disbanded during the summer of 2001. With the AHL looking to increase its prestige as the top development league for the NHL, the AHL began discussions to absorb some of the IHL's clubs. The AHL and IHL eventually agreed for the AHL to absorb six franchises for the 2001–02 season: the Aeros, [[Chicago Wolves]], [[Grand Rapids Griffins]], [[Milwaukee Admirals]], [[Manitoba Moose]], and [[Utah Grizzlies]].

The Aeros joined the AHL one year after the NHL expanded with the [[Minnesota Wild]] and did not have a primary development affiliate. Due to Houston's [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]] making travel for prospects easier, the Wild entered an agreement with the Aeros as their top development affiliate. [[Todd McLellan]] was installed as head coach by the Wild and the Aeros made the Western Conference Finals in their first AHL season before falling to their old IHL rivals, the Chicago Wolves.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Houston Aeros hockey team [AHL] statistics and history at hockeydb.com|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/stte/houston-aeros-6119.html|website=HockeyDB}}</ref>

For the 2002–03 season, the Aeros were led by 31 goals from [[Jean-Guy Trudel]] and goaltending from [[Johan Holmqvist]] and [[Derek Gustafson]]. Houston swept the [[Milwaukee Admirals]] in the first round, defeated the [[Norfolk Admirals (AHL)|Norfolk Admirals]] in six games, and  then advanced through the Western Conference Finals with a game seven win over the [[Grand Rapids Griffins]]. Houston faced the [[Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)|Hamilton Bulldogs]] in the 2003 Calder Cup Finals, again going for the full seven games before the Aeros won the [[Calder Cup]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/laqbZXavpN0 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20131205014154/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laqbZXavpN0 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|date=May 26, 2013|title=Houston Aeros Win Calder Cup - 2003|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laqbZXavpN0|website=[[YouTube]]|via=}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Before the 2003–04 season, the team moved to the newly opened [[Toyota Center]]. As part of the transition, the majority ownership of the Aeros was sold to the [[Minnesota Wild]]<ref name = "HC01182013"/> who then replaced the original bomber logo to a new logo featuring a forward-facing modern fighter jet below a bold "AEROS", and switched to the WHA Aeros colors of light and dark blue for two seasons. As NHL teams began to build stronger ties with their farm clubs, the Aeros colors were changed to match the Wild's forest green and iron range red with wheat accents. Prior to the 2006–07 season, the Aeros brought back the original bomber logo associated with their championship seasons with only minor color alterations; the navy blue elements of the original logo were replaced with forest green.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Houston Aeros Logos – American Hockey League (AHL) – Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page – SportsLogos.Net|url=https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/list_by_team/503/Houston_Aeros/|website=[[SportsLogos.net]]}}</ref>

On the ice, the Aeros remained competitive, qualifying for the playoffs eight times in the last ten seasons. They made it to the 2009 Western Conference Finals before being eliminated by the [[Manitoba Moose]] and made it back to the Calder Cup Finals in 2011, but lost in six games to the [[Binghamton Senators]].

The Aeros played its final game on May 4, 2013, in a 7–0 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins in a game in the opening round of the [[2013 Calder Cup playoffs]].