The North American Hockey League is coming to the Philadelphia suburbs.
The NAHL, one of the top two junior circuits in the United States, announced Tuesday that its Rio Grande Valley (Tx.) franchise is relocating to Aston, the bedroom community just outside of Philadelphia. The team, nicknamed the Rebels, will play its home games at the Aston IceWorks complex beginning with this fall’s 2015-16 season.
What’s the NAHL?
The NAHL is a Tier II junior A league with 22 teams in the United States. It’s considered to be one step below the United States Hockey League. Together, the leagues form the two biggest feeder leagues for NCAA Division 1 ice hockey.
The NAHL celebrates its 40th season of operation in 2015-16. The teams play annually for the Robertson Cup.
What type of players does it produce?
The USHL typically earns higher-end prospects, but the NAHL has a reputation for producing plenty of college prospects, with many teams sending around five players to NCAA Division 1 each year.
Their list of NHL products is pretty substantial as well — Justin Williams, James van Riemsdyk, R.J. Umberger, Cal Heeter, Adam Hall, Pat Maroon and Matt Carle are among those who have played for the Flyers after graduating from the NAHL.
Here’s the NAHL’s full list of NHL alumni.
Are there other local teams?
Both the NAHL and USHL have primarily been based in the midwest for the majority of their histories, but the NAHL has made strides to expand its East Coast reach in the last two years.
In addition to the Aston franchise, the league will add teams in Middletown, N.J. and Wilkes-Barre, Pa. for the 2015-16 season. There’s an already-established franchise in Johnstown, Pa. The Keystone Ice Miners played last season in the Pittsburgh suburb of Connellsville, Pa. but folded following the season and will not play next year.
Tell me more about the Rebels on the ice.
The Rebels were known as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for the last two seasons, a brand carried over from the old Central Hockey League club that also played its home games in Hidalgo, Tx. They finished with a 25-25-10 record in their 60 games in 2014-15 and were swept in a two-game play-in round during the 2015 playoffs by the Wichita Falls Wildcats.
Who are the people behind the team?
Via the press release:
The Rebels will be coached by Joe Coombs with Rocky Russo becoming the team’s Director of Player Development. [Texas Sports Partners, the team’s ownership group] principals Ken Dennis and Mike Woodley will continue in their current capacity, with John Giacobbo taking control of day to day operations in Philadelphia.
Coombs is a former professional player who skated in the ECHL, CHL and UHL in the late 90s. He’s was the assistant coach of the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints — where local kid and 2014 Hobey Baker Award winner Johnny Gaudreau played his junior hockey — for three seasons before taking the head coaching job with Rio Grande Valley prior to the 2014-15 season.
Russo is the head coach of the Philadelphia Little Flyers, a Tier III junior team that also plays its games in Aston.
Giacobbo runs the Little Flyers operation and was called a “local investor” by the Delco Times.
How do I get tickets to games?
Ticket information will come at a later date. For comparison, the Minnesota Wilderness — and I picked this franchise solely because they happened to win the Robertson Cup in 2015 — charged $10 per ticket with a military/senior discount rate at $7. Season tickets cost $199 for that franchise. Teams play roughly 30 home games.
Can I play?
If you’re good enough! The Rebels will have an open tryout camp July 24 through July 26 at the Tam-O-Shanter Arena in Sylvania, Ohio. The team’s main training camp will be August 5 through 9 in Aston.
