The new hockey team that will call the Glens Falls Civic Center home after the Adirondack Flames exit after only one season has a name.
The press conference for Glens Falls’ new East Coast Hockey League team was not held inside the Civic Center, where their arrival was announced in late January.
Instead, Brian Petrovek, president of the departing Adirondack Flames, stood behind the bar at the downtown Bullpen Tavern in front of a crowd of locals, some wearing their red and yellow Flames colors.
“It is my pleasure, on behalf of our team, and behalf of the Adirondack Flames to share with you jour new name of our franchise that will begin playing here next October. That is the Adirondack Thunder, and our new mark,” said Petrovek.
The Calgary Flames, the parent organization of the Adirondack Flames, purchased the ECHL Stockton Thunder, and is moving the California team into the Civic Center. The Adirondack Flames are moving west after their only season in New York to be a part of the new Pacific Division of the American Hockey League.
The moves are part of a league-wide realignment as NHL teams seek closer affiliates.
With the new team logo brought up on the sports bar’s TV screens, Petrovek pointed out the features that tie both teams together, including the red and yellow colors used by the Flames.
“An important decision was to keep the word Adirondack. We wanted to make sure we retain that identity in the form of a word mark. And we did look at some versions of this that did not have Adirondack in it, but at the end of the day that was important for our identity. And you can also see from this being our primary mark, we have a mascot already built into it.”
The yet-to-be-named “God of Thunder” mascot with a red beard holds a hockey stick in place of a hammer. Black and white will be included, the same as Calgary’s NHL colors. Grey will also be thrown into the mix.
Fans were able to ask questions about the new team, including when merchandise will be available. By now, longtime Glens Falls hockey fans have been through a closetful of jerseys and designs. Petrovek predicted a faster rollout this year, compared to when the Flames were moving last spring.
“So our plan is once this team makes its complete Calder Cup run in late June we’ll have our full line of merchandize for sale.”
The front office staff will remain for the new team’s arrival. Ticket prices, players, and coaching decisions have yet to be made. The Thunder will play 36 home games in the 2015-2016 season in the ECHL, a notch below the Flames’ AHL.
Scott Endievere, owner of the Bullpen Taven, thanked Petrovek and Calgary for helping to keep hockey downtown.
“It’s big for us to have 40 home events for the Glens Falls Civic Center to bring people downtown, and if you put 3 to 4 thousand people in the Civic Center itself, it’s going to mean a lot for the downtown area.”
Glens Falls has long been a hockey town, ever since the Adirondack Red Wings took to the Civic Center in 1979, staying for two decades. Since then, the Civic Center has seen shorter stays by the AHL Adirondack Phantoms, and UHL IceHawks and Frostbite.
With the Flames on their way out and the Thunder coming in, the question remains – what will fans do with their team jerseys and gear?
Fan Marilyn Tilton had an answer…
“Add it to the collection, like ya say.”
