HYANNIS, MA – The Cape Cod area of Massachusetts has not seen professional hockey since 1982, meaning that fans who want more than high school or youth contests have to drive to Providence or Boston to see teams that play for pay. That will change over the next ten weeks as the Cape gets to take a pro team for a test drive.
With the turn of the calendar to 2011, the Federal Hockey League found a resolution to its most pressing problem when Michael “Mully” Mullaney of Cape Cod Maritime Guide Media Group agreed to take over ownership of the Broome County Barons from former Barons’ owner and current FHL commissioner Don Kirnan. As part of the deal, Mullaney is bringing the franchise from Binghamton, NY to Cape Cod as the Cape Cod Barons for a six game home “audition” in addition to fulfilling road game obligations.
“We’re essentially over the next ten weeks showcasing the Federal Hockey League to Cape Cod. That is the reason we’re doing this,” Mullaney said. “We’re just going to showcase the product, pull the Barons together as a group and then look for 2011.”
The FHL was committed to keeping its inaugural season stable with six teams but low attendance and revenue numbers in Binghamton – much of it attributed to
Dan Lind was one of 13 Barons who made the move from New York to Cape Cod (PHN photo by Wendy Hull)
That was where Mullaney came in. Already a known commodity from a FHL publishing project that ended up not working out, Mullaney is an avid hockey fan. His passion comes from having played NCAA Division II hockey at New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University), including a trip to the Div. II Frozen Four.
He will need all of that experience, along with his business acumen, as he is sole owner, general manager and interim head coach. Steve Estey will join the Barons on the Cape as assistant coach, giving Mullaney someone to lean on for the time being when business issues drag him away from the rink.
One of those issues is figuring out where the Barons will call home for the rest of 2001 and hopefully beyond. At the point that Mullaney took control of the franchise, many of Cape Cod’s local arenas were already jam-packed on their calendars due to ice time demands from youth and high school hockey. Such a place is the Hyannis Youth and Community Center, a recently renovated facility managed by the town of Barnstable. The HYCC complex boasts two rinks, the larger of which seats 1,500.
With the help of the league and the operators of various facilities, Mullaney was able to line up an initial schedule of six “home” games across three rinks. The first game is slated for Monday, January 17th at the Tony Kent Arena in South Dennis against the Danbury Whalers. Puck drop is set for 6:35 p.m. It will also play host to a game on February 5th when the New York Aviators visit. The HYCC will host games on February 12th (vs. Akwesasne), March 2nd (vs. 1,000 Islands) and March 11th (vs. Rome). The other game, scheduled for February 26th against Rome, is set to be played at the Gallo Arena in Bourne.
As for practice time, Mullaney said that the Tony Kent Arena will be the primary location but that due to scheduling problems, some may have to be held at other locations. All of the practices will be open to the public.
Road games will make up the bulk of the team’s games. The Barons and the FHL have made it known that every effort will be made to honor previously scheduled games in the other league cities. Since home games generate most of the revenue, the other teams will assist in subsidizing Cape Cod’s trips for the remainder of the season. The league has reworked the master schedule a bit, putting more emphasis on contests between teams close to each other.
“They’re giving us a stipend so that we can keep our expenses in line,” Mullaney said. “It’s to their (other teams) advantage because they want to keep as many games at their home arenas as possible. They want to keep the integrity of the league.”
Mullaney’s next task was to set the team roster. All of the players who were with the Barons in Binghamton were invited to continue with the franchise in its new location. More than half of the Broome County players made the trek to the central Cape town of Yarmouth where Mullaney arranged for housing. A few, such as Jim Gehring and Aaron Boyer, were snapped up by teams in other leagues (both players are currently with Augusta of the SPHL). Goalie Peter Skoggard signed with the Danbury Whalers. One of the players who did stay, Brewster, MA native Andrew Hutton, has been given the honor of being team captain.
Several players have been brought in through trades or signings to bolster the roster. Alex Hagar came over in a trade with Danbury.
Brian Kolb (dark jersey) joined the Barons after the move (PHN photo by Wendy Hull)
Once the players and staff arrived on the Cape on January 4th, Mullaney set forth integrating the team into the community. He said then when the team was not on the ice, fans would see them out and about in local establishments and on the streets and near the marina while on three-mile training runs.
“These guys, they’re going to have a lot of fun,” Mullaney said. “They’re really going to like the Cape.”
In a nod to keeping the fans informed and involved, Mullaney and Director of Hockey Operations Matt DeFranco have made a big commitment to using every method available to get the word out. The pair pledged to use the team’s website, www.bcbarons.com , to continually update the community on everything the team does. Facebook and other social networking outlets will be used as well to give fans instant updates and notate changes to scheduled events.
Mullaney will also use his expertise as a publisher to produce a newspaper dedicated to the Barons. The first edition will be available at the home opener on the 17th. He is also offering a unique opportunity to fans in the form of the availability to purchase shares of team stock to help meet costs.
An added bonus for the fans could very well be post-season action. As they restart their season, the Barons sit in third place in the standings. Because Cape Cod will end up playing fewer games than the rest of the teams, the FHL will base playoff entrance on winning percentage instead of points, making the Barons an immediate contender.
For now, however, let us just hope that the Barons and the FHL have found themselves a new place to call home.
Contact the author at wendy.hull@prohockeynews.com
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