Hockey growth in Louisville Kentucky

LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS

Washed up College Hockey Player OSU18 Uofl 2021
May 7, 2013
631
110
Louisville Kentucky
Well I’ve been a proud citizen of the Louisville area for all 23 years of my life. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve always been drawn by the great sport of hockey,mainly thanks to my Dad who grew up in an area where hockey was the sport. Early on in my life, the city had its first taste of Pro hockey when the Louisville Icehawk (later Louisville Riverfrog) of the ECHL. The team gained a lot of support over the 8 years being here. Thanks to that support they then got the Louisville Panthers of the American Hockey League. We all got to witness the first taste of players like Roberto Luongo and Dan Boyle. Playing in a bigger arena and a lot of support around the city. Even with the support after 2 seasons they ultimately decided to move the team.
They felt that there was bigger markets out there that they should explore. And that’s the last we’ve had of Pro hockey.

17 years have now gone by and the growth of hockey has taken a great turn again. We now have multiple high schools with Hockey teams, we have adult leagues, club teams playing in big national tournaments all over the country and we even now have youth Clients put on by the Nashville Predators. The University of Louisville’s ACHA DII has also gained a lot of popularity through out the city by filling up there stands and having people piled around the glass and even having to turn fans away every night because of how crammed it gets. It’s amazing to see how much it’s grown.

Now on to the possibility of Louisville getting Pro hockey back. Or bring a D1 hockey team to Louisville

Population wise:
Louisville is ranked 27th in US in population with about 767,355 people in the city, with about 1,284,848 in the metro area. Add roughly another million with the southern Indiana area, and another 500,000 to 1 million by the surrounding Kentucky counties. There is defiantly the population to support it.

Arena wise:
In Louisville with have the KFC Yum! Center which they built in 2010.
This arena is listed at a max capacity of 22006 and roughly 21000 for ice hockey so it’s bigger than some NHL teams now arena’s.

Economically wise:

Louisville is currently a city on the rise. More and more business move to Louisville every year. Only issue is the current arena not being book more than on average 3 night out of the week. The city desperately needs something new to occupy the arena other than just the University of Louisville basketball teams.

Fan base wise:

With more and more business moving to the area that bring in multiple other fan bases. This city is filled with current NHL fans of teams like the Blues, Blackhawks, Predators, Blue Jackets, and Penguins. I feel with the right marketing of the team you could see more hockey fans arise. I feel with the right marketing like the current Soccer team has received, a hockey team could have the same success.

All in all I hope one day we will get to see a hockey team in this great city. But until then I’ll be routing on my Predators. Let me know what you all think. Thanks

UPDATE:
Ice hockey on campus? University of Louisville has 'preliminary' chat
Sounds like first real push toward D1 hockey at UofL
 
Last edited:

AmericanDream

Thank you Elon!
Oct 24, 2005
36,959
26,273
Chicago Manitoba
hell of a post, I am freaking sold!!

NHL team #33, Louisville Riverfrogs!!!

Not sure there is a buyer there or who owns the building to pony up $600 plus mil for a hockey team, but I think hockey would do fantastic there and like Vegas being the first big sport to go there would guarantee success right away...

get er' done Uncle Gary!!
 

LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS

Washed up College Hockey Player OSU18 Uofl 2021
May 7, 2013
631
110
Louisville Kentucky
hell of a post, I am freaking sold!!

NHL team #33, Louisville Riverfrogs!!!

Not sure there is a buyer there or who owns the building to pony up $600 plus mil for a hockey team, but I think hockey would do fantastic there and like Vegas being the first big sport to go there would guarantee success right away...

get er' done Uncle Gary!!

Even if it’s a relocation destination that would work too. Humana could defiantly fork over that money. Thanks for the positive feed back
 

AmericanDream

Thank you Elon!
Oct 24, 2005
36,959
26,273
Chicago Manitoba
Even if it’s a relocation destination that would work too. Humana could defiantly fork over that money. Thanks for the positive feed back
no prob -

Louisville Senators perhaps?? lol

Louisville Coyotes??? lol

Good luck either way, getting an AHL team would be a great thing for you guys and a solid building block to go from IMO.
 

LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS

Washed up College Hockey Player OSU18 Uofl 2021
May 7, 2013
631
110
Louisville Kentucky
no prob -

Louisville Senators perhaps?? lol

Louisville Coyotes??? lol

Good luck either way, getting an AHL team would be a great thing for you guys and a solid building block to go from IMO.

It’ll be something centered around the Derby like Louisville Stallions or Kentucky Thoroughbreds.
Any pro hockey would work for me. It blows my mind it’s been 17 years and we had good attendance back then too
 

AmericanDream

Thank you Elon!
Oct 24, 2005
36,959
26,273
Chicago Manitoba
I say this - my top 2 wish list cities for the NHL have been:
Milwaukee
Cincinnati

these are for personal reasons as I love those cities, have enjoyed myself there and really think they are hard working cities/blue collar that would do well with NHL teams..

but now, I will most certainly add Louisville there, loved all my visits there, clean and pretty town - growth is happening there, they make my top 3 over Houston (of course it is all about market size so Houston and Atlanta will be everyones top 2), but just for cool cities where people are fun as hell to be around....my top 3

Milwaukee
Cincinnati
Louisville

make them all happen!!!! 36 teams in the NHL with Houston and call it a day!
 

LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS

Washed up College Hockey Player OSU18 Uofl 2021
May 7, 2013
631
110
Louisville Kentucky
According to USA hockey membership report the state of Kentucky grew in membership by 17.2% for the 2017-18 season which is very impressive. I would imagine this is due to people moving into the state especially from places like Michigan and other Midwest states. USA Hockey Membership Report 2017-18

Exactly. The city of Louisville has company’s like Humana, Papa Johns, Yum!, Ford, Tyson and distilleries like Jim Bean, Evan Williams and Old Forester, so the need for workers and corporate positions are needed so it’s becoming a place for people to move for business
 

LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS

Washed up College Hockey Player OSU18 Uofl 2021
May 7, 2013
631
110
Louisville Kentucky
I say this - my top 2 wish list cities for the NHL have been:
Milwaukee
Cincinnati

these are for personal reasons as I love those cities, have enjoyed myself there and really think they are hard working cities/blue collar that would do well with NHL teams..

but now, I will most certainly add Louisville there, loved all my visits there, clean and pretty town - growth is happening there, they make my top 3 over Houston (of course it is all about market size so Houston and Atlanta will be everyones top 2), but just for cool cities where people are fun as hell to be around....my top 3

Milwaukee
Cincinnati
Louisville

make them all happen!!!! 36 teams in the NHL with Houston and call it a day!

Agreed. Cincinnati would be a hard one to get because of the Blue Jackets but I could see Milwaukee getting a team. The Ads have a good fan base in AHL
 

razor ray

Registered User
May 8, 2011
1,510
1,586
I've always have been impressed with Louisville and their fan support for all sports. The local businesses also support U of L incredibly well. Lots of $$$ behind U of L.

I think what would make sense is U of L adding D1 hockey. They could share the facility (like Wisconsin) and would have great crowds and turnout. I would even imagine Big 10 hockey might consider adding them to make the conference 8 teams and geographically they are a great fit.

Just look at Penn State....they add hockey and it turns out to be a big profit maker for the Ath Dept:

State College, PA - How Hockey Became One Of Penn State's Biggest Money Makers -
 

AmericanDream

Thank you Elon!
Oct 24, 2005
36,959
26,273
Chicago Manitoba
Agreed. Cincinnati would be a hard one to get because of the Blue Jackets but I could see Milwaukee getting a team. The Ads have a good fan base in AHL
I think Cincinnati actually benefits because of Columbus now as the rivalries for all teams close by especially Blue Jackets would be great..NHL in Cincinnati would be awesome, great city.

And do not get me started on Milwaukee, I have bitched on here for years how that is the biggest disgrace for the state of Wisconsin to not have a NHL team...such a great rivalry with the Hawks, and a great working class town with northern Illinois to help back them up...I really wish they didn't pull out of the expansion process in 91, they were all in until the NHL doubled the expansion fee which led to Milwaukee backing out - that Bradley center was built for an expected NHL expansion as well as the Bucks...crazy shit.
 

JMCx4

Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Sep 3, 2017
13,467
8,326
St. Louis, MO
  • Like
Reactions: Mightygoose

LOUISVILLE ICE CARDS

Washed up College Hockey Player OSU18 Uofl 2021
May 7, 2013
631
110
Louisville Kentucky
How about teaming up with this group in Lexington, resurrecting the Kentucky Thoroughblades, and splitting game dates between the two cities? :popcorn:

I still think they’d do it in Louisville. Bigger city with big population. They’d make the most there. I could see them reserecting the Kentucky Thoroughblades but in Louisville and not Lexington
 

CHRDANHUTCH

Registered User
Mar 4, 2002
35,232
4,218
Auburn, Maine
neither city will do it, but thanks to the Louisville transplant for posting the update since both Florida and San Jose(with an assist to USA Hockey) left.... that is why hockey worked in Lexington as long as it did with the Sharks backing....

when the Thoroughblades were first awarded in 1996, there has been a rivalry between the two cities, and always will, if I remember these two fan bases correctly, and some of those fans there....

the accuracy of this Louisville poster needs to be clarified..... there won't be an AHL franchise in Kentucky because the market was tried and it's just not enough of a fanbase to survive and who's going to be an NHL affiliation, because you ALL know the requisites for being in the AHL..... AN NHL team has to be involved at that level....

Louisville's Panthers were not relocated, Florida wasn't paid the 2 seasons they were there due to the crooked ownership, which is why pro hockey will NEVER return to Louisville, even if Freedom Hall was resurrected, KFC YUM ! Center, do you really want to split dates with U-Louisville, AND YES, the Sharks owned Thoroughblades played in the Famed Rupp Arena, again, Kentucky simply isn't hockey centric the way UK AND Louisville are, with both cities an hour from each other..... the closest example is Michigan and Michigan State, and we know how that in state battle is drawn.... another is Cincinnati and Xavier battle royales in the NCAA, how those work out, when you see multiple videos of brawls, just like you saw with Colorado and Fort Wayne pregame in the last round of the Kelly Cup playoffs, that's how intense that gets.....

pro hockey in Louisville had the Afr Family running that ship, and all you newcomers here need to do is look that up and you'll see and/or understand why hockey is persona non grata, in Louisville, Port Huron, and the most evident, the history of the Elmira Jackals, and why no league will ever touch either of these markets..... it's great that the local High Schools have adopted the sport, but it's been tried, and failed..... I Just don't see any market like the three I JUST MENTIONED ever wanting to reintroduce the sport on a professional level, because of what's been a 'poisoned' history.... someone mentioned Elmira in the ECHL forum recently, and the response was since the County dealt with First Arena, and the issues surrounding why the Jackals survived as long as they did, the ECHL concluded there was no need or interest, it was that bad, publically, just as Roanoke had the Express for years, once the realization hit that it just wasn't a viable market, even that market rebuffed attempts to place a franchise back in the Civic Center until the SPHL returned there, that city wanted nothing to do with hockey, same in Elmira, because that's the perception or reality...

simply put, Elmira wants nothing to do with hockey, and no other franchise will ever erase what a previous franchise did, even the way it ended, publically .
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->