 It had been 10 years since Nashville's last hockey team, the Nashville Dixie Flyers, played as part of the Eastern Hockey League.The South Stars were founded by Larry Schmittou, who was a principal owner of the Nashville Sounds minor-league baseball team.The team played at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, where the hockey seating configuration was such that spectators seated more than a row back in the seats that were above and behind the goal lines could not see the nets.