Richmond’s professional ice-hockey team went out of business in late March, but the Richmond Renegades are still supplying some excitement for local charities. Founder and owner Allan B. Harvie Jr. has donated exercise equipment used by the hockey players to Virginia State University and furniture from six team apartments to the CARITAS Furniture Bank.

After failing to find enough money to remain financially viable, the Richmond Renegades announced last night that they’re going out of business effective immediately. Allan B. Harvie Jr., president and general manager of the3-year-old Southern Professional Hockey League franchise, made it official in a press release. “I have delayed making this announcement for as long as possible while my investors and I looked at every possible alternative,“ Harvie said in a statement.

The Richmond Renegades’ season has been over since Saturday’s 4-3 overtime victory against Knoxville at the Coliseum and “nothing has changed” regarding their future in the Southern Professional Hockey League. That’s what Allan B. Harvie Jr., president and general manager, said yesterday about whether the team will be asking the league permission to suspend operations for the 2009-10 season.

The Richmond Renegades completed their season last night with a dramatic 4-3, overtime victory over first-place Knoxville. Despite a 30-27-3 record, the Renegades failed to make the playoffs because Fayetteville (30-25-5) lit up Twin City 9-0 to finish two points ahead of Richmond for the fourth and final postseason spot in the Southern Professional Hockey League.

Allan B. Harvie Jr., president and general manager of the Southern Professional Hockey League team, said at a news conference yesterday that he will request permission from the SPHL to suspend operations for one year—barring an infusion of money from a major investor or the sale of the team.

The Richmond Renegades have called a news conference for this morning at the Richmond Coliseum, and all signs point to a major announcement by the Southern Professional Hockey League team. Neither Allan B. Harvie Jr., president and general manager of the club, nor Dolly Vogt, general manager of the Coliseum, returned telephone calls yesterday.

The Richmond Renegades put season tickets for 2009-10 on sale over the weekend. Does that mean the Southern Professional Hockey League team will be back? “That’s the plan right now,“ Allan B. Harvie Jr., president and general manager of the club, said yesterday. “I wouldn’t have put season tickets on sale if that wasn’t the plan.“ Harvie had indicated a couple of weeks ago that he wasn’t sure if the 3-year-old franchise would return for a fourth season because of a decline in attendance and a lack of major sponsors because of the recession.

Next season would mark the 20th consecutive year that professional hockey has been entertaining and frustrating local fans. But will the Richmond Renegades be around to celebrate that milestone?

Richmond will be two players short tonight when Fayetteville comes to the Coliseum to renew their heated I-95 rivalry. Defenseman Arthur Kiyaga, who sat out both weekend games against Columbus, is not expected to play against the FireAntz because of a “team issue,“ according to Allan B. Harvie Jr., the club’s president and general manager.