It was announced on September 17 that professional ice hockey would return to Mobile, Alabama. The SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League) Board of Governors voted to grant an expansion team beginning in the 2027-28 season.
Pro hockey will return to Mobile for the first time in twenty years. The Mobile Mysticks of the East Coast Hockey League (now the ECHL) played from 1995 to 2002. Here’s what we know bout the new version.
The Puck Will Drop Mobile in 2027: While the announcement is exciting, hockey fans in the Port City will have to wait another two years for the puck to drop for the first time. Part of this is due to the apparent challenges of getting a new franchise off the ground. It’s also because the team’s home arena is under construction. The former Mobile Mysticks played in the Mobile Civic Center, but that building was demolished earlier this year. The new team will play in the latest Mobile Arena, which just broke ground earlier this year. While waiting is hard, the reward should be well worth it.
Ownership and Leadership: The new team will be operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, based in Jacksonville, Florida, a company that owns and operates several sports and entertainment ventures nationwide, including the Jacksonville Icemen, Savanah Ghost Pirates, Greensboro Gargoyles, the Tahoe Knight Monsters, and Augusta Pro Hockey of the ECHL, as well as the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Andy Kaufmann will be leading the charge as CEO.
No Official Team Name Yet, but You Can Make a Suggestion: While many are hoping the new team will revive the old Mobile Mysticks brand, no team name has been announced. However, they are open to suggestions. Like many new sports teams, they are having a “Name The Team” contest that is currently going on over on the team’s website.
The Battle of the Bay Will Return! During the days of the Mobile Mysticks, Pensacola, Florida (my hometown), also had an ECHL team, the Pensacola Ice Pilots. It was only fitting that Pilots vs Mysticks would become a rivalry! And it was dubbed “The Battle of the Bay!” The name comes from the fact that both cities sit on their own large bays. However, this rivalry ended with the Mobile Mysticks in 2002. A few years later, in 2008, the Ice Pilots would fold as well, but hockey never really left Pensacola. The following year, in 2009, the SPHL launched the Pensacola Ice Flyers, and in the years since, the Flyers have become one of the premier franchises in the league, having won the President’s Cup four times. When the announcement was made that Mobile would be joining the SPHL, the Ice Flyers took to social media to welcome the new team to the league with the headline “Battle of the Bay is Back!” The return of this rivalry is an exciting prospect for both casual and diehard fans in the area alike! It seems as if the Ice Flyers have sent the challenge, but will the new team in Mobile rise to meet it? Only time will tell.
