As the postseason approaches for many of Wesminter’s fall sports, students, faculty, and fans alike turn their eyes toward winter sports. However, Westminster offers a somewhat limited selection with only five sports to choose from, some being gender specific. As Westminster looks to expand its portfolio, one sport stands out as a rapidly growing, fast-paced, adrenaline-filled game.
Ice hockey is immensely popular in regions such as the Northeast and Midwest as well as Canada. In recent years, however, the sport has also grown exponentially in the Southeast with a major increase in youth programs as well as the success of NHL teams such as the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The sport has seen particular growth in Georgia with two new minor league teams, the Savannah Ghost Pirates of the East Coast Hockey League, and a yet-to-be-named Federal Prospects Hockey League team in Athens. Additionally, Atlanta has risen to the forefront in talks about a potential NHL expansion team, although two precious franchises housed in Atlanta, the Flames and Thrashers, both failed. A new arena with a better location, more robust ownership, and a bigger financial commitment backed by billionaire Vernon Krause could allow a professional team to thrive. The proposal includes a state-of-the-art billion-dollar arena, complemented by an impressive two-billion-dollar investment in surrounding developments. Although hockey hasn’t always succeeded in Atlanta, with a new plan and learning from the past, long-term viability seems possible for the city. Bill Daly, deputy commissioner of the NHL agrees.
“Quite frankly, look, when we first expanded there, it was 1972, so the world has changed a lot since 1972,” said Daly when asked about a potential third franchise in the city at the annual Cup final presser. “Some might argue that the second time we expanded there with the Thrashers, the building was not built in the best part of Atlanta in terms of facilitating support for hockey. So are there better options going forward? We’ve been told there are.”
Westminster already has a dedicated fan and player base with a love for the sport. Junior Wiley Lum currently plays for North Atlanta’s team which won a state title last year.
“What I love most about hockey is the community that it brings,” said Lum. “Because it is a sport that is not as common in Atlanta, I feel much more connected with the people that do play hockey and can always relate to them in ways that I can’t with other sports.”
Although hockey is growing rapidly in popularity, logistical issues are the biggest roadblock to Westminster supporting a team.
“Westminster likely wouldn’t want to bear the costs of building a rink which could be upwards of ten million dollars, and then also maintaining it,” said freshman Hongrui Huang.
“Although there are other rinks in Georgia, they wouldn’t have the ice time to support a high school team,” said Lum.
With newfound popularity in the Southeast and an established player base at Westminster, hockey remains on the rise. Although logistical problems may have prevented a team at Westminster in the past, the continued growth of the sport will allow more opportunities for new players and a potential team at Westminster.
Edited by Neil Govin
