In the southern United States, hockey is thought of as an unconventional sport due to the region’s typically hot climate. Despite the NHL’s efforts over the past 55 years to expand further south, some hockey purists still view it as a poor market for the sport.
Unlike other southern markets like Arizona and Atlanta, Texas has had a successful history with hockey. In the 1970s, the Houston Aeros from the WHL became one of the league’s most successful franchises — even having Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe, a part of the club’s two championships in 1974 and 1975.
In 1993, the Minnesota North Stars moved to Texas to become the Dallas Stars. A couple of years later, the Stars would appear in the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons with them winning the1999 season.
San Antonio was home to a handful of minor league hockey teams dating back to the 90s; most notably with the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL. The Rampage called the Alamo City home for 18 seasons and had a great fanbase despite the club’s underwhelming performance.
The Rampage left San Antonio for Henderson, Nevada, in the 2020-21 season after the Spurs Sports & Entertainment Group sold them to the NHL’s Las Vegas Golden Knights. The City of San Antonio has been left without any hockey presence, until now.
UTSA once fielded a club hockey team that played in the ACHA Division II from 2007 until 2013. The club suffered a multitude of setbacks, folding a handful of times due to monetary issues. Due to these complications, the club was left dormant after the 2012-13 season.
The Paisano sat down with the Roadrunner ice hockey club president, Noah Dow. Dow, a sophomore environmental science major, is no stranger to the Alamo City hockey scene. His father played for the San Antonio Iguanas, and he himself played for the Jr. Rampage.
Dow hopes the Roadrunner ice hockey club can help fill the void that the Rampage left when they departed for Nevada in 2020, but unlike the Rampage, he hopes to spread the game of hockey further in the Alamo City by being more involved in the community and making it known, similar to what the Stars are doing in Dallas.
“I want kids to know that hockey is a sport you can play and that it can be accessible to people of all incomes,” Dow said.
UTSA prides itself on providing students affordable tuition compared to other Texas universities. Dow wants to follow the same spirit and provide the lowest club dues for ice hockey in the state of Texas.
Finding funding and support is a massive hurdle for any traveling club team. That is one of the main reasons the initial program went under. Fortunately, the Roadrunner ice hockey club is set to practice and play their games at the Ice and Golf Center at Northwoods, the former practice facility of the aforementioned San Antonio Rampage.
Former San Antonio Iguana and NHL athlete Dale Henry is an assistant coach for the Club, giving them the team quality experience and stability behind the bench.
Roadrunner ice hockey is set to begin play next fall. The club is currently looking for players and volunteers. If you are interested in the Roadrunner ice hockey club you can follow them on social media or contact them directly at [email protected].
