KENT , OH – In its inaugural season (2007-2008), the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League had a total of five teams playing in Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio.
The teams in Pennsylvania were the Indiana Ice Miners, the Valley Forge Freedom, and the Mon Valley (Belle Vernon) Thunder. Jamestown, NY was home to the Vikings and Wooster, OH hosted the Warriors. The league was meant to develop US players hoping to get a shot at the ECHL, the CHL, or a similar league, and to provide affordable community entertainment.
The league had trouble getting through its first season, largely due to poor spectator attendance and lack of private (non-league) team ownership. An early end to competition was enacted in mid-February. The Ice Miners were declared league champions with a record of 31-1-0 and all players became free agents.
In a league press release, MAHL president Andrew Haines said “As the majority owner of the MAHL, after consulting with the other team owners, coaches, and general managers, a difficult decision was made that it was necessary to re-organize the league and start working towards next season.”
The administration of the league has done just that. League team expansion, administrative signings, sponsorship announcements, and player try-outs have been taking place throughout the summer. The administration of the MAHL is working to get clearance for Canadian players.
The upcoming season will begin in November with seven teams on board at this point. Only one team will be returning from last year’s line-up – the Indiana Ice Miners. The Vikings and Warriors franchises relocated to new homes and four expansion franchises have been announced. The Mon Valley Thunder is not participating in the 2008-2009 season and the Valley Forge Freedom ceased to exist.
The South Shore Shooters were announced in March and will play at the Midwest Training and Ice Center in Dyer, IN, which is 32 miles south of Chicago. The team’s name was chosen due to the team’s proximity to casinos. Darren Seid will be Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations. Seid was a player/assistant coach with the Mon Valley Thunder last season and was named to the All-Star team.
The Battle Creek Revolution, announced in April, will make their home in “The Rink” on Houston St. in Battle Creek, Michigan, 120 miles west of Detroit. Matthew Wiedenhoeft will serve as the Revolution’s Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations. Wiedenhoeft played professional hockey in several leagues and was an assistant coach at Muskegon Community College for two seasons.
The Jamestown, NY Vikings relocated to Northeast Ohio. The Lake Erie Vikings will be at home at “The Pond” in Chagrin Falls, a southeastern suburb of Cleveland, OH. Don Lewis was named GM of the Vikings in June. He previously worked in the SPHL as an equipment manager and then as Director of Ticketing and Account Executive. Brad Zangs will be Head Coach. Zangs was a high school coach in Minnesota last season and prior to that served as coach and GM for the Northwest Knights of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
The Warriors relocated to Trenton, Michigan during the off-season from the small Alice Noble Arena in Wooster, OH. Trenton is 23 miles south of Detroit. The Warriors will be playing in the Kennedy Recreation Center, which seats 1,000 and has luxury suites. The Warriors have not named front office or coaching staff yet.
The newest expansion teams, both in Michigan, are the Detroit Dragons and Chelsea Tornadoes. The Dragons will play in the Great Lakes Sports City Arena in Fraser, 24 miles northeast of Detroit. The arena can seat 3500 and has luxury boxes. The Dragons are currently seeking to fill the GM and Head Coach positions.
The Tornadoes will play in the Arctic Coliseum in Chelsea, which is an hour west of Detroit. The Arctic Coliseum also has luxury boxes in addition to its general seating.
On June 18th, Chad Dameworth was named Head Coach of the Tornadoes. Dameworth had an 11-year playing career in pro hockey, most recently with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL. He is a native of Marquette, MI and played 4 years with Northern Michigan University.
The Ice Miners will be playing in the S&T Bank Arena in Indiana, 58 miles east of Pittsburgh. The Ice Miners are owned by Fidel Jenkins, a real estate developer and entrepreneur. The Ice Miners’ GM is Bob Yusko. Last season Yusko was director of game day operations for the Mon Valley Thunder. Christian Panaia, who played for Thunder last season, will coach the Ice Miners. Panaia was an instructor and advisor at the International Hockey College, headquartered in Pittsburgh, from 2000 to 2006.
Note: The Trenton Warriors’ website lists a team by the name of the Pittsburgh Iron, but the MAHL has not officially announced such a situation.
The league website is www.mahlhockey.com .
Contact the author at timothy.kane@prohockeynews.com.
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