Richmond named as finalist for new hockey league
If a new hockey league has its wish, Richmond will have a Double ‘A’ hockey team later this year.
Richmond is one of several cites announced as finalists for minor league hockey. The Northern Professional Hockey League (NPHL) is set to start their inaugural season later this year. On Monday, the league’s commissioner, Chuck Harrison, released a list of prospective cities under consideration based upon a NPHL-commissioned study:
- Charleston, WV
- Flint, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Huntington, WV
- Johnstown, PA
- Pikeville, KY
- Richmond, VA
- Roanoke, VA
“These cities showed interest and our study determined that the NPHL’s vision and model would work in these areas,” wrote Commissioner Harrison in a message published on the NPHL website. Harrison stressed that these locations are not firm in their plans to host teams: “In some markets, the NPHL needs to find interested investors to become owners – ones who adhere to our vision and model,” wrote Harrison. “In other markets, we have to secure building leases.”
According to the NPHL website, “The purpose of the NPHL is to develop a league that will give opportunities for individuals to develop their skills and move to higher level of sports organizations. Players, but also coaches, trainers, equipment people, marketing people, etc. It is the goal of the NPHL to become a stable league, with stable teams that become an accepted and welcomed part of their communities.”
Richmond’s last minor league hockey team, the Renegades, were apart of the still-running Southern Professional Hockey League until 2009. The NPHL will operate as a self-contained Double ‘A’ free agent hockey league. Play is tentatively scheduled to begin in October 2012.
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Related
- Minor League Hockey could return to Roanoke in 2012
- Official Northern Professional Hockey League website
stock photo by Wiros
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Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
To whom it may concern:
MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!
PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!! We have been without professional hockey for too long!!
Cue Hallelujah Chorus
do you know how boring it is around here without ice hockey.
please help us
Would love to see hockey in Richmond!!!!
Why? If they can’t put a real “professional” team here in the order of the AHL or so , then don’t bother with the endless parade of minor-minor league teams. I believe there have been something like 5 of those teams here in the past 20 years.. Ridiculous. And to think – Richmond once had big time professional level Hockey with the AHL Richmond Robins as well as Triple A Baseball (Richmond Braves). But now, despite being a much larger metropolitan region (over 1.2 million residents), it can’t attract stable high level professional sports. Very disappointing.
Good luck getting a pro hockey team in our predominantly black city, Frojunk.
For Richmond to lost out to any of these cities should be ludicrous, but with a city center so lacking in charm and amenities as Richmond, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Delrose, black has nothing to do with it. Richmond metro has a million plus people in it with lots of middle class people and middle class money. The trick is getting them to come downtown.
I used to enjoy going to see Richmond Renegades games back in the early to mid ’90s. They even won a championship or two in the old ECHL (East Coast Hockey League). I would love to see Richmond get another stable team… in a league that will stand on its one as well.