4 minute read
Time to Puck It Up
ICE FLYERS BEGIN SEASON
icture this, you're in an Ice Flyers jersey singing “Sweet Caroline” with the same level of enthusiasm you had the first three times.
Your favorite Ice Flyers player spreads some holiday cheer by decking the halls of an opponent’s face. Wonderful isn’t it? No one misses hockey season as much as Downtown Crowd. The wait is almost over. The Ice Flyers’ home opener is Dec. 30 at 7:05 pm.
by Gina Castro
Earlier this year, the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) was cut short due to COVID-19. After months of safety and health regulations, many states, including Florida, are opening back up to full capacity. SPHL announced on Oct. 6 that the 2020-2021 season will feature a 42game regular season and a total of five teams: Birmingham Bulls, Huntsville Havoc, Knoxville Ice Bears, Macon Mayhem and Pensacola Ice Flyers.
“Between the delayed start and the numerous cancelled events also booking replacement dates in 2021, there just was not enough time nor availability to have a full 56-game schedule without creating additional hardships for the five teams attempting to play this season,” Doug Price,
SPHL Commissioner, said in a Oct. 6 press release.
Because of state and local restrictions related to the continuing pandemic, the Evansville Thunderbolts, Fayetteville Marksmen, Peoria Rivermen, Quad City Storm and Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs will sit out the upcoming season and prepare to return for the 2021-2022 campaign. All players named to a protected list or signed to a training camp tryout will become free agents; however, the five teams not playing will be able to retain the rights to their protected list players for the 20212022 season.
This year’s hockey season will look quite different. Face masks will be required to enter the Pensacola Bay Center and social distancing will be enforced. Even though businesses in Florida are able to open to 100 percent capacity, Harris stated that the Bay Center will be between 40 to 50 percent capacity.
“Our priority is taking care of our fans. That's really what it comes down to,” Harris continued. “This is definitely not a decision we take lightly. It is very heavy on our minds and our hearts. We just want to make sure that everybody is taking the precautions that they need to so that way we can have live hockey.”
Guests will be socially distanced by pods of up to six people. Groups of guests who plan to attend the game collectively can sit together up to six people, and the groups of guests will be socially distanced from other groups. >>>
SPHL is also looking out for its players. Play- Hagaman is also excited to be playing alongers follow a protocol that includes testing re- side the Ice Flyers. quirements and self evaluations. Harris is the Former Peoria Rivermen captain and leading scorer, Alec Hagaman, will be joining the Ice Flyers for the 2020-2021 season. Peoria Rivermen, based out of Illinois, is known as the Ice Flyers’ best rival. Because of Illinois’ state restrictions, all of the Peoria players became free agents this season. “One of the players that we definitely targeted was Alec Hagaman,” Harris said. “We're definitely excited to have him on our team because he's one of those players that adds so much to your team, but you absolutely hate playing against them.”
The Ice Flyers are ready for the season. The first home game is Dec. 30 at 7:05 pm.
co-chairman of the board for the league and “I am very grateful for the Pensacola Ice Flyers serves on the Return to Play Committee. He ex- organization for giving me the opportunity to plained that the protocols for players and staff continue to play hockey this season in such a is extensive and growing to keep the whole op- weird time that we are in,” Hagaman stated in eration safe. a press release. “I’m excited to see what the season has in Safety regulations aren’t the only thing new this season. The home opener game will Our priority is taking care of our fans. store for us.” Harris said that a ton of other mark the first time the new Samsung video scoreboard This is definitely not free agents will be joining the team this season, too. and two Samsung video walls will be used for an Ice Flyers game. This season will be an a decision we take lightly. It is very Just like COVID-19, playoffs for this season are still up in entirely different game experi ence with six video screens. - heavy on our minds the air. SPHL will announce playoff formats, if playoffs are and our hearts.” even happening, later on in the The Ice Flyers team will be season. The success of this welcoming new faces this season, too. Since season depends on us. Be sure to follow the Bay players from the other five teams won’t have a Center’s COVID-19 regulations so we can get season until 2021, they are free agents, which back to scream singing “Bah Bah Bah” in unison. means they are eligible to join any team. To see the complete schedule or to purchase
Rival team
