Pensacola Ice Flyers Kick Off 16th Season

by Katie Turman

The Pensacola Ice Flyers will return to the hangar for their 16th season, offering a packed schedule of intense competition and exciting fan activities.

The first home game of the 2024-2025 season will kick off October 19 at 7:05 pm at the Pensacola Bay Center in downtown Pensacola. The team will play a 56-game regular season schedule with 28 home games at the Pensacola Bay Center.

The team is also thrilled to continue the wildly popular theme nights, providing fans with the opportunity to dress up, win prizes and support their community.

“We’re going all out for this year’s theme nights and focusing on creating immersive experiences that go beyond just hockey. Fans can look forward to more interactive elements, more accessibility to our players and themed merchandise that will make each visit to the Hangar a new adventure,” Ice Flyers Marketing and Operations Director Brenden Arney said.

Dog lovers will enjoy the return of the popular Small Dog Race Nights on both October 26 and March 21, 2025. Avid Star Wars fans will also have a chance to get their geek on by dressing up as their favorite Star Wars hero or villain for the November 16 theme night.

Two new festive theme nights have been added to this year’s lineup. On December 21, fans are invited to sport their ugliest, most outlandish Christmas sweaters for the new Ugly Sweater Night. Other new theme night additions include Wrestling Night on January 3 and Race Night on January 31.

In addition to an exciting lineup of new and returning theme nights, the team will also be giving back to the local community through the continuation of its Charity of the Month Program. Since its inception, the program has allowed the team to support selected nonprofit organizations throughout the season and has provided the opportunity for fans to get involved in the community. Each month, the team chooses a different charity to support both financially and socially during their home games.

According to team owner Greg Harris, the Ice Flyers will be adding to the list of charities with Fiesta Pensacola’s Seafood Festival and Crawfish Festival. “Fiesta’s two festivals bring together 80,000 to 100,000 people downtown for each event, both locals and out-of-town visitors, and they do an amazing job showcasing Pensacola and its history throughout the calendar year. It’s great to be partnered with Fiesta,” Harris said.

Taking place over several days in downtown Pensacola, these two festivals bring the community together for delicious food and fun activities. The Crawfish Festival is next in the lineup, set to take place April 25 to 27, 2025. With the addition of a major local event to their Charity of the Month, the team hopes to increase support for the Pensacola community.

“The excitement and anticipation around our community for our upcoming season is nothing like I have seen. It has become a full circle situation where we have really connected with our community and our community has really connected with us. Every off-season, we are focused on and motivated by how we can do things better and bigger for our fans and community,” Harris said.

Last season, the team introduced a new team puppy, Buccella, who captured the hearts of fans at the home games. Unfortunately, Buccella’s time with the Ice Flyers is coming to an end. “His last game will be Opening Night on October 19. It’ll be a bittersweet experience, but we’re excited to cheer him on and see his progression as he enters professional training,” Arney said. Fans who want to see Buccella on the ice one last time should ensure that they have tickets for opening night.

As for the team itself, fans can expect to see returning players and several new faces competing on the ice this season.

“We have kept a few of our core players and are bringing in some veteran players that have stood out to us from other teams who were free agents. These guys, combined with a good mix of talented and hard-working rookies, will be an extremely fun team to watch,” Harris said.

For more information on theme nights, community involvement, game schedules and tickets, visit iceflyers.com or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @PcolaIceFlyers.