The Chill was expected to form strong rivalries with other nearby CHL teams, in particular the Quad City Mallards, Bloomington Blaze, and in-state rivals the Missouri Mavericks.

[3][4][5] On September 17, 2012, the Chill announced that former St. Louis Blues player Jamie Rivers would serve as the team's first head coach.

[6] Patrick Armstrong served as the team's Executive VP, handling the day-to-day operations of the club.

[2] Tony Patricio of KPNT-FM 105.7's "The Point" served as host for the Chill's games; KFNS personality Jeff Burton as Public Address announcer; and WGNU-AM's Matt Grover as DJ.

The Chill finished last among CHL teams during its inaugural season, with only eleven wins, but managed to rank seventh in attendance with an average of 2,585 fans per game at the Family Arena.