It looks as though Danville will soon have a new junior hockey team. The David S. Palmer Arena Board gave its approval this (Wednesday) evening for final negotiations to proceed with the team’s owner. Arena General Manager Teri Gaffney described the team…
{AUDIO: “It’s a Junior’s team with the U. S. P. H. L. Kind of a new thing for us. But these will be like high school (and) college kids that they bring in. And they provide at least sixteen home games on our ice.”}
Sean Rew is a spokesman for Bo Cheesman who is in the midst of getting the team organized….
{AUDIO: “Trying to bring Junior Hockey back here to Danville, Illinois – just kind of like the Wings were in the ‘90s on that level of hockey. And it’s really cool because it’s going to allow some local kids that play the game to be able to play at a higher level in a local ice rink. So, just a lot of excitement kind of around it.”}
Rew expects a contract for the new Danville Iron Hockey Team to be finalized in the very near future….
{AUDIO: “It looks like some ice time is going to be negotiated, and then from there on out we’ll try to, I think, just kind of build on getting the team here. Bo is in the midst of being in New Jersey right now, trying to get some players to play on the team. He’s kind of recruiting in a way. And so once they get the negotiations (done) they’ll start planning for the season and get some Junior Hockey back in Danville.”}
Rew is a Danville native serving as a liaison for the team. He expects some of the players for the team to be recruited from the Danville area.
Palmer Arena General Manager Teri Gaffney expects games to begin later this fall. Sunday was the last day for the Danville Flyers pickup team to hit the ice as the season ended. And Gaffney noted it has been nice the way those players have worked on the ice with kids.
