HUNTSVILLE – This weekend’s Huntsville Havoc promotional schedule for two home hockey games indicates an all-for-one attitude of the three major local professional teams.
Tonight is Trash Pandas Night as Huntsville takes the Rotor Rooter Ice at Propst Arena to face Evansville. Saturday night has Huntsville City FC Night inside the Von Braun Center as the Havoc again takes on the Thunderbolt.
Havoc players will wear specialty jerseys for both games. Tickets can be purchased at www.huntsvillehavoc.com/tix.
“We’re all in the same business,” Havoc owner Keith Jeffries said. “We’re not really competitors, though I guess we do compete for sponsorship dollars. But, we have different fan bases.”
Jeffries, whose team is celebrating its 20th anniversary, points out that Huntsville’s sports history is littered with defunct clubs.
“There’s been too much turnover here,” he said. “It makes us all look good when we do well.”
Of the three existing clubs, the Havoc have been around longest. A member of the Southern Professional Hockey League, the team began playing in 2004-05. The Havoc followed the Huntsville Channel Cats, who folded.
The Rocket City Trash Pandas are entering their fourth season playing at Toyota Field in Madison. The Trash Pandas play in the Southern League, which was home to the Huntsville Stars who played at Joe Davis Stadium from 1985-2014 before relocating to Biloxi, Miss.
The Trash Pandas are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. Their first home game is April 9 vs. the Birmingham Barons. Tickets are available at www.milb.com/rocket-city/tickets.
Huntsville City Football Club is about to begin its second season. Huntsville City FC, which moved into the Stars former home now named Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium, plays in MLS NEXT Pro and is the city’s first entrant in pro soccer.
HCFC is affiliated with Nashville SC of Major League Soccer. Their home opener is March 22 against Orlando City B. For tickets, visit www.mlsnextpro.com/huntsvillecityfc/tickets.
“It’s fantastic to see all of our sports ecosystem supporting each other, whether it’s our pro teams and their promo nights for the other teams, or supporting our college teams, to integrating the music and entertainment scene, along with events that we bring to Huntsville,” said Joel Lamp, sports development manager of the Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Having that supportive system between the teams, both on the field and off, showcases what makes our city special.”
On Sept. 6, the Trash Pandas are hosting Huntsville Havoc Night.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our email newsletter to have all our smart stories delivered to your inbox.
