37-Game Icemen Home Schedule Doesn’t Include Thanksgiving

June 8, 2000

Sean Mayer, Assistant Sports Editor

Press & Sun Bulletin

Pro hockey on Thanksgiving—as much a staple in Binghamton as turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing—won’t be on the BC Icemen’s plate for the 2000-01 season.

Still, Icemen general manager Patrick Snyder called it, “By far our best schedule” because 32 of 37 home games are on the weekend.

The United Hockey League’s 2000-01 schedule was released Wednesday, and for only the second time in 27 seasons of pro hockey in Binghamton, there will not be a Thanksgiving Day game at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

“It used to get a huge walk-up (day-of-game sale), but that hasn’t been the case the last several years,” said Snyder, who submitted the date—Nov. 23—for the schedule, but did not make it a priority. “It’s not a revenue-generating event for us.”

The Icemen, who averaged 2,962 last season at the Arena, drew 2,584 last Thanksgiving at the Arena, which seats 4,680 for hockey.

The Icemen continued the Thanksgiving tradition of the Rangers, Whalers and Dusters the last three seasons. There was no Thanksgiving game at the Arena during the Binghamton Rangers’ second AHL season, 1991-92.

The Icemen will open the season with six straight home games starting Friday, Oct. 13, against Knoxville. Their home schedule features 11 Friday games, 15 on Saturday and six on Sunday.

The Icemen, who play 74 games, will meet no opponent more than 10 times. Last season, they faced Adirondack 17 times and Mohawk Valley 12 times.

They’ll play 10 games against Elmira. They’ll face the Leigh Valley Xtreme (Allentown, PA.) and New Haven (Conn.) Knights—the UHL’s other two expansion teams—eight times each. The same holds for Adirondack, Knoxville and Mohawk Valley.

The Icemen will play the remaining eight teams twice apiece