Orlando Solar Bears Unveil New Logos

The Orlando Solar Bears who join the ECHL next season, unveiled their new team colors and logos. I'm thrilled that yet another old IHL team is going to be hitting the ice next season, but those logos are not nearly as cool as their original logo. I loved the background with the palm trees and sun set in the old logo, and I hate the sun around the new one. It looks like they got it from a clip art disc.
At least they kept that great Solar Bears name!

Wranglers to Black Out Midnight Game

The Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL will host their eighth annual Midnight Holiday Roundup on Monday, December 27th when they face-off against the Utah Grizzlies.
The Wranglers holiday tradition began in the team’s inaugural season and has remained a fan favorite.  This year, the Wranglers have planned two special additions: a performance by Mini Kiss and an Orleans Arena Black Out.
“We are thrilled to bring back Mini Kiss,” said Wranglers President Billy Johnson. “They were a big hit when we had them here a few years ago and we can’t wait to have them back in the building this year.”
The Wranglers are also looking to make an impact with their Black Out of the Orleans Arena and $5 t-shirt promotion.
“We’re asking fans to help us by wearing black for the Midnight Game,” said Wranglers Vice President Matt Smith. “Be on the lookout for the $5 promotional t-shirts; they’re going to be a big hit!”
The Midnight Holiday Roundup on Monday, December 27th will begin at 11:59 pm and is sure to be the can’t-miss game of the season!  For information on discounted group tickets, contact the Wranglers front office at (702) 471-7825.

I have listened on line to the past 7 midnight madness games and can't wait for the game next week! Nothing like listening to a hockey game at 2 in the morning to make your family and friends think you're nuts!

Check out this great sound clip from the 3rd Annual Midnight Madness game for a chuckle.

Louisiana IceGators join the SPHL for 2009/10

The Pensacola Ice Flyers have been getting lots of coverage on two of my favorite web sites; Icethetics and PuckDrawn for their new logo - which is getting lots of jeers from those two sites. But is seems there is even more exciting news coming from the SPHL, at least more exciting for me... The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) announced that it will drop the puck on its sixth season on Thursday, October 22. The 2009-2010 season features three new expansion teams, one of which is a old favorite of mine, the Louisiana IceGators. The Ice Gators originally played 10 years (1995-2005) in the ECHL until they had problems renewing their conract with the arena they were playing in.
I was lucky enough to have a friend named Todd in Louisiana who used to send me all kinds of cool IceGators stuff including their weekly TV show Chomp Time.
It's great to see the IceGators will be back in action next season!

Toledo Walleye 2009-2010 Inaugural schedule

TOLEDO WALLEYE 2009-2010 INAUGURAL SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED!

OK, I would not usually bother to post a teams upcoming schedule, or care about a that fact that a team had announced their upcoming schedule, but I have to say I got a little excited when I saw the graphic that they used along with the press release on their web site. I realize that it is just something that somebody whipped up in Photoshop, but they have made it look like the teams inaugural pocket schedule, and for me its fun to see a pocket schedule for the upcoming hockey season already in June - even it if is only a photoshopped version of a pocket sked! And it doesn't hurt that I like their logo - too bad I didn't like the new Abbotsford Heat logo as much as this one.

Here is their press release:

6/20/2009 - TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo Walleye today released their 72-game schedule for the 2009-2010 inaugural season. The Walleye will open the season on Friday, October 16 vs. the Florida Everblades at the brand new Lucas County Arena.

The complete schedule and schedule breakdown is at the bottom of this release. Game times will be determined at a later date. Click to view the 2009 Walleye Schedule!

The Walleye will open the year with 15 of their first 21 games at home in October, November and early December with 33 of the team’s 36 total home games coming on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Toledo will play 13 games against the Kalamazoo Wings (their closest rival at 150 miles), 11 games against the Cincinnati Cyclones, and 8 games against the Johnstown Chiefs.

Toledo Walleye Head Coach, Nick Vitucci said, “We are looking forward to hitting the ice in October. The anticipation has been growing for two years in the community and we are thrilled to be part of the new chapter of professional hockey here in Toledo. We would also like to welcome the Kalamazoo Wings to the ECHL and look forward to continuing a rivalry dating back to the old IHL.”

Toledo Walleye General Manager, Joe Napoli said, “The Inaugural Walleye Season will be quickly upon us and we are absolutely thrilled to have such a strong schedule with so many weekend dates… the memories will last a lifetime.”

The Walleye will also play games against Charlotte (5), Elmira (5), Florida (8), Gwinnett (3), Reading (3), South Carolina (4), Trenton (6), and Wheeling (6).

Walleye season tickets, mini-plans and group outings are on sale now. Fans can order their tickets by phone at (419) 725-WALL.

San Diego Gulls Soar again... sort of

Tonight while checking one of my lesser checked email addresses, I was excited to be greeted by the subject line "SAN DIEGO GULLS ARE BACK ice hockey PRE BUY TICKETS NOW". I quickly opened the email wondering what league they had joined; returning to the ECHL, maybe into the SPHL or MAHL, or perhaps some brand new league I had not yet heard of!?!
Turns out, San Diego's Pro Hockey team is reuniting for a unique one-time Military Tribute Exhibition game against the Finest the US Military has to offer; Marines from Camp Pendleton, MCAS, Navy, Nave Seals... The Gulls vs The US Military! August 16th @ 7:00 PM at the San Diego Ice Arena.
As I huge fan of the Gulls, I sure wish I was able to attend the game. It would sure be fun to see the a team skating around in those great Gulls jerseys once again!