As of today the San Francisco Bulls are no more. Currently in their second season, the nascent ECHL (East Coast Hockey League) team played only one full season on the ice.

"We had a great opportunity come to us that would’ve kept the Bulls in San Francisco at least through the end of the 2014 season, with potential for future seasons, but we ran out of time to complete all ends of the deal," says a Bulls spokesperson. "At this point, the best thing to do financially is to reluctantly end the season. We will miss playing here, miss our fans, and miss this city."

The following letter was sent to ticket holders on Monday:

"We regret to inform you that the SF Bulls are ceasing operations, effective immediately. The team was hoping to secure new ownership, however the terms of an updated deal were unable to be finalized, cancelling the remainder of the season.

"We want to thank all of our loyal season ticket and mini plan holders over the last two seasons. It’s been such a memorable time here with you in San Francisco, and we’ve especially appreciated all of your positive feedback over the past week. Thank you to those who went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed in the Bay Area, especially the members of the Matadors and Stampede. The entire organization is grateful.

"We had a great opportunity come to us that would’ve kept the Bulls in San Francisco at least through the end of the 2014 season, with potential for future seasons, but we ran out of time to complete all ends of the deal. At this point, the best thing to do financially is to reluctantly end the season. We will miss playing here, miss our fans, and miss this city.

"Bringing hockey to San Francisco was a dream; we have great talent on our team, and had a great vision for what the team could be. Things didn’t pan out the way we had hoped. It’s sad, and disconcerting, but we’re unfortunately left with no other choice at this point.

"For fans that have already purchased tickets to upcoming games, the Bulls Office will take requests for refunds up until February 28. Season ticket holders and single game ticket holders can contact their ticket reps for more information at [email protected]."

The hope was to transfer ownership. On January 23, SF Bulls CEO Angela Batinovich posted this message to the official SF Bulls site:

"Thank you for your support during this time, we appreciate all of the encouragement from our fans.

"During the ECHL Mid-Season Meeting, the Commissioner and Board of Governors granted our request for additional time to complete negotiations that would allow for the transfer of the San Francisco Bulls to a new ownership group.

"We are hopeful that these negotiations will be completed within the allotted time, and we currently have no intention to cancel any games."

UPDATE: The SF Bulls finally sent out the official press release. "We want to thank all of our fans for your support and loyalty over the last two seasons," said President and Head Coach of the Bulls, Pat Curcio. "It’s been such a memorable time here with you in San Francisco, and we’ve especially appreciated all of your positive feedback over the past week ... At this point, the best thing to do financially is to reluctantly end the season. We will miss playing here, miss our fans, and miss this city."

[h/t: David Elrod]