IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: hockey

  • The Phenomenon of Dub Hockey

    hockey team pictureUNC Wilmington, a university that many students have characterized as “chill”, gets surprisingly heated when comes to ice hockey. When one thinks of college and ice hockey, they typically imagine it being played competitively in northern states. The same states where devoted hockey fans can be seen sporting the logos of their favorite hockey team on their snow-covered winter jackets. At UNC Wilmington, however, students can spend a Friday afternoon relaxing on the beach, sporting their Dub Hockey t-shirts, then spend the night getting rowdy at the local ice rink.

    Since its creation in 2004, UNC Wilmington’s club ice hockey team has become something of a phenomenon. Not only would it surprise an outsider to find a successful ice hockey team within the warm climate of the Carolina shoreline, but they would be in for an even bigger surprise when they showed up to the Wilmington Ice House. They would find it packed with a sold out crowd, a crowd consisting of excited and enthusiastic supporters loudly cheering on the their beloved team. After reaching the ACHA Division III national tournament in 2014, the unlikely ice hockey team has shown they are a force to be taken seriously.IMG_1338So where does all the energy surrounding the hockey team come from? Largely, it is generated by the team itself. It is hard for UNCW students not to notice the team when they lace up their skates to roll up and down the ever crowded Chancellor’s Walk, in uniform, carrying sirens and horns, while shouting about the upcoming game. The players display an enthusiasm that is, simply put, infectious. They broadcast the same high energy level they hope to receive from the fans. They actively create the brand of Dub Hockey. With the team’s outgoing advertising, as well as their social media presence on Twitter and Facebook, not only do they regularly reach max capacity at games, but those fans who manage to get inside are always full of spirit as they cheer, chant, and pound away at the glass separating them from the ice, demonstrating the level of their support.

    “It’s incredible how rowdy our fans are. We don’t see anything like it at any of the other rinks we go to,” remarked Kevin Mullaney, the team president during the successful 2014 season, in an interview with WRAL.

    The first game of the 2015 season was played last Friday against Elon University. They put on a show as they fought for a 6-4 win against the Phoenixes in front of a max capacity crowd. It would seem that this unlikely group of hockey players will continue to cause UNC Wilmington to lose their chill at the Wilmington Ice house for another season of Dub Hockey.

    Sold out game

    – Austin Moody, Griffin Weidele, Allen Wooten, Scott Uraro, Luci Keefer

  • We’ve got Canes Fever!

    With October comes many things, the beginning of fall, Halloween, and one of my personal favorites, hockey season!  Granted, along with millions of other fans, I have been watching preseason games since September, but there is something indescribable about watching your favorite team play their first game of the season that I love.  This year was no different; I was so excited to watch my beloved Carolina Hurricanes play the Minnesota Wild that I had trouble sleeping the night before.

    Despite being a popular NHL franchise now, the ‘Canes haven’t always had the same following.  When the franchise first moved to North Carolina in 1996, their fan base was small.  Many people thought, “Hockey, in North Carolina?  Are you sure this is going to work?”  We aren’t exactly a state know for frigid temperatures and long winters typically associated with the ice sport.  This, coupled with the fact that the team played its first two seasons in Greensboro, a city somewhat out of the way for a sport that doesn’t have many followers and a team that doesn’t have many fans, proved to be a stumbling block.  Luckily, over the next few years the team’s success steadily increased, thanks in part to player improvement, relocating to Raleigh, and the efforts to spread the sport of hockey to North Carolina.

    Although winning the Stanley Cup for the 2005-2006 season helped to bolster the team’s fan base, the Hurricanes would not be where they are today without the efforts of the promotions and fan development department.  The department continually strives to promote and bring the sport of hockey to everybody.  They accomplish this through initiatives such as the organization, Canes Youth and Amateur Hockey (CYAH), an effort to get involved with youth hockey at all skill levels.  They also take advantage of in-game promotions including fun activities on and off the ice.  The team mascot, Stormy makes special visits to local schools and is available for parties and functions.  During games, the Storm Squad pumps up the crowd with cheers and entertainment.  The Storm Squad is also available for charity events and corporate outings.  Another unique promotional activity that the team uses is the Canes Cool Bar.  This is when the Carolina Ale House hosts a live broadcast during the game.  For fans who want to learn more about their favorite players, they can enroll in Hurricanes U, which provides students with a t-shirt, handbook, tickets to a Hurricanes game, and a graduation certificate.  Before every home game, one lucky fan gets to sound the Hurricanes Warning Siren, which signals the start of the game.  All of these promotional activities create a community for fans to come together and celebrate being Caniacs.

    Sarah McIntosh, Sean O’Connell, Eliza Wadson, Jocelyn Walson