Well here we are again, another summer of doubt for the future of professional hockey in Bloomington Illinois...or so we thought. Two new owners, a new contract with U.S. Cellular Coliseum and a certain coach we all were hoping would decide to again stand behind the bench with us all.
Coach Jason Christie again signed a one year contract earlier this summer to lead the newly named Bloomington Blaze in it's inaugural season. With the added bonus of becoming the Director of hockey operations, Coach Christie has a unique opportunity to mold his team the way he would like. Lets not for get that he has compiled quite a resume during his playing and coaching career. A Kelly Cup to his name during the 99-2000 season as captain of the Peoria Rivermen, and a 278-225-73 record (.592 winning percentage) as a head coach for 9 years. Only missing the playoffs twice. Now while they only have 6 players protected from free agency with qualifying offers, the closing of multiple franchises within the CHL (Central Hockey League) has afforded Christie the ability to choose from an extra 80 quality players that were not available last year when he built a winning team here in Bloomington (37-22-7 , .614%) with just 6 weeks before the start of the season. Now he has additional time and players with which to work.
THE FRANCHISE
With the start of yet another franchise in town (and not to mention the fifth ownership group in the 6 year history of professional hockey in bloomington) what can we expect? This fan hopes that we can expect to continue with what was a great building block in last years performance. Fans of hockey were finally proud to say they were hockey fans, not just supporting the "local team". This is beginning to be a hockey community, with the youth program growing each and every session, adult rec leagues growing, now more than ever the franchise of the Bloomington Blaze needs to be competitive from the start. The new ownership had a tough time selling the rights to name the team to foreign sponsors, and even to local sponsorship, hopefully doesn't mean a waining belief in the viability of the sport locally. With the naming of the team this week and logo design and colors soon to follow, the fans will have a "face" to root for. Players and Coach not included.
THE FANS
This is what will drive the club to what we hope will be another playoff run, the fans. Support for the Prairie Thunder last year was mild at best, with low attendance, hardly no exposure outside the rink in terms of good advertising and PR (this coming from someone who follows the sport wildly, just ask my wife) fans need to come out and support the team first not wait for the team to start winning. Support begets a winning attitude and can result in a better product on the ice. Have you ever done anything with people watching? Pressure builds because you want to do well for the people supporting you. Same for athletes, they want to play well for the people in the stands paying the money to support what they love to do. I think fans in this market can not only come out and support their team but help to build the marketability of the sport around central Illinois. First and foremost I feel some media exposure for the franchise is absolutely necessary. The local newspaper does a terrible job in representing the sport many of us love. getting in depth with the players, coaching staff and ownership group is most important in giving fans actual people to know. "What are the expectations of ownership?" What does the coaching staff look for in players? What will be available for fans to do to support the team. What will the players do to be noticed in the community? Why is a local pro team covered less than the high school teams? There can be so much more done than the simple "who won and who lost". Fans want to know what happens with the team in the off season. What do the players do, coaches and ownership? Providing an exciting and truthful continuation of the season during the off season is what NHL cities do. All summer long. Now i know we are not an NHL city, far from it, but why cant we do the same things, why not a dedicated hockey writer on staff to do follow up articles with what the team wants for the summer and the next season. New player profiles, stories of how the team will improve. Interviews with the GM and coach on off season ideas and possible moves. Papers do that ya know.
I also think getting the players more involved in the community would help put a face to the name on the back of the jersey. I know, I know.....players hate to do this stuff, takes away from couch sitting time, but realizing they GET to play a sport for a living is a great opportunity. I know that wondering if you are going to have a job from year to year has to be stressful, so why not get out and help make sure your team is important enough to fans for them to want you to be back the next year? Seems simple to me, do what you can to make sure you're around to play each and every year..
Don't get me wrong, I'm more than excited for the sport to be back for at least three more years, i just hope there are more people like me around. I love this sport with all that i have in me. Less than my wife and kids, but more than everything else. (Cubs too!) Lets make this off season the start to a raging fire for hockey in Bloomington-Normal, and make it a BLAZE when the season starts.
I hope to bring you a new story with player profiles and new and interesting ways for hockey to be relevant to this community. GO BLAZE!!!!
