South Tahoe rink to be home to junior hockey
Junior hockey is coming to South Lake Tahoe.
Tahoe Hockey Partners LLC gave a presentation to the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday about its plans. The city owns the ice rink, though it is operated by a private company.
Lake Tahoe Blue will play their inaugural Junior A hockey season at the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena as part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the Western States Hockey League. The first preseason game is Sept. 20, with the league staring Oct. 4.
Tahoe Hockey Partners was formed by Greg Jamison and Van Oleson. The Lake Tahoe Blue team general manager is Chris Collins. Jamison is the former president and CEO of the San Jose Sharks.
“Hockey is our passion and we look forward to building a strong team and a strong fan base,” Jamison said in a statement. “We believe South Lake Tahoe will be a great hockey town for Lake Tahoe Blue and we are committed to making our team an important and fun part of this community.”
Oleson is one of the founders of Tahoe Sports Entertainment, the private corporation that operates the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena. Oleson also has a background in business development for Fortune 100 companies.
Collins is a recognized international leader in the broadcast, digital streaming, content rights and sports business industries and has been very involved in youth, junior and professional hockey organizations.
Absolutely fantastic!!! This level of hockey is so much fun to watch. Hockey fans and the community will benefit greatly! The Huards are very excited!
Some years ago we were in a small town in Canada one night with nothing to do. Turned out there was a B League hockey game that evening so we went. What a HOOT! That is some fun stuff to watch! I agree with Lisa. Hope they publicize the games because they will be well worth attending!
You’ll enjoy the level of play. This team was previously the Bay Area Seals who in their first year (2012-2013) won the Pacific Division, placed 2nd in the Western States Hockey League Championship – but also finished runners up in the National Championship. A majority of these young men are looking to improve their opportunities to play college hockey or to go play pro. My son, a leader on his previous team, was traded to Lake Tahoe – although concerned about a brand new franchise I’m please to see positive response from the community. I’ve known the ownership group for some time and the Reno/Lake Tahoe community will enjoy the level and commitment the team will bring both on and off the ice.
Their opening night is Oct 4th at 7:00 PM – I’ll be down the following weekend – I wish I could be there for the home opener !
It’s similar to AAA baseball as far as levels go. Scouts come to watch these leagues play as they look for that next key player in the pros. The players are young and hungry. Most exciting play. I hope ticket info comes out soon.
But addition thanks to the rink management for not forgetting the figure skaters either. It has been fun to watch both these programs grow.