What's in a name? ECHL's Swamp Rabbits replace Road Warriors

A hockey team named after a railroad. Sure! Why not? Hence behold the glory of the newly minted ECHL's Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

They were the Greenville Road Warriors, but alas … this was way cooler, because really, what’s better than a team name called the Swamp Rabbits?

Takers anywhere?

Fortunately the Greenville franchise, which is based in South Carolina, tells us exactly what it all means here:

First known as the Carolina, Knoxville and Western line, and later becoming the Greenville and Northern railroad, the intent of the railroad was to connect Greenville with the rich coal fields of Tennessee, providing the Carolinas with a direct line over the mountains and access to cheaper coal. The railroad received its nickname, the "Swamp Rabbit" by locals who would use the freight train as a means of transportation to picnic in northern Greenville County. Completion of the rail line proved to be more of a financial commitment than expected, leaving the project at a halt near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today you can find this railroad marker located beside the “Swamp Rabbit” Pedestrian Bridge, which crosses over the Reedy River just off of South Main Street.

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Southern train trivia for $500 Alex!

"After much thought and consideration, we determined that we wanted our new identity to honor a piece of Greenville’s history while also being relevant within the community today," said Fred Festa, owner of the Swamp Rabbits. "Several factors were taken into account when deciding on what that representation would be. Ultimately, we selected the Swamp Rabbits because the name holds dear to a variety of residents, businesses, popular recreational areas and the historic landmark, the Swamp Rabbit railroad, dating back the 1920s in Greenville."

This team was the Johnstown Chiefs from 1987-2010 before moving to Greenville in 2010 and becoming the Road Warriors. But that name cleary wasn’t nearly as cool as the Swamp Rabbits, which is just … awesome.

Look at the above logo. A hockey stick mixed with a carrot that has train smoke blowing out the back?

If you search for Greenville Swamp Rabbits you find Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, Swamp Rabbit Inn and Swamp Rabbit CrossFit.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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