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- Dec 9, 2017
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It was revealed last month during groundbreaking of the new Classic Center Arena that it will house an East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team, the National Hockey League's equivalent of an 'AA' affiliation.
Expected to be completed in the fall of 2023, the arena will seat 5,500 fans for hockey, which will include the UGA Ice Dawg club hockey team.
The ECHL team will begin play in the arena shortly after its completion.
"I think Athens in general are rabid sports fans," said Danny Bryant, Classic Center Arena manager. "Hockey fans are some of the most passionate fans I've ever been around. Having it be a fun, family-friendly environment, being a cost effective way to bring your family out and have a good time, I think we're really excited for Athens to really adopt this new team."
The ECHL team does not have a name nor an NHL affiliate, only an agreement between the Classic Center and an ownership group launching the Athens team.
Coming to Athens:The Classic Center Arena — to host hockey, concerts and more — is set to open late 2023
What it looks like:New Classic Center Arena renderings, designs await approval from commissioners
Bryant expects the community to become involved with contests to determine the team's name and colors.
The ECHL currently has 27 teams and will add another next season when the Savannah Ghost Pirates enter the league.
Athens' team is expected to join the south division in 2023 with the Ghost Pirates, Atlanta Gladiators and teams in Greenville, South Carolina, North Charleston, South Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, Estero, Florida, and Orlando.
The Atlanta Gladiators, which play at Gas South Arena in Duluth, are an affiliate of the NHL's Ottawa Senators. The Belleville Senators, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of Ottawa, is the 'AAA' team for the NHL franchise.
The arena has already booked more than 60 events including concerts, hockey, trade shows and banquets. And it will be a larger space for the Ice Dawgs, which has used the Classic Center's Akins Ford Arena as a home for several years.
The team's success was one of the inspirational factors in bringing an ECHL club to Athens.
"That's gonna be really exciting, having them move into the larger arena, being able to host more home games throughout the duration of the season of the college hockey season," said Bryant, who added that the club hockey season runs from September through March. "The reason we're excited about bringing ECHL hockey is everything we've been able to do with the Ice Dawgs in that partnership. I think just bringing more hockey fans in is just going to help the awareness of both teams."
Source: Athens is getting a minor league hockey team at Classic Center Arena. Here's what we know