A new team, a new league, new owners, and new players, but there will be hockey in the Quad Cities this year. Six months after the Mallards ceased operations, the Quad City Storm are ready to take their place.
Wednesday, the Storm held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the beginning of their first season. And President Gwen Tombergs says the team is going to have to be different, to succeed.
"We have to be more than just a team on the ice. These guys are going to go out there and do a fabulous job and they're going to make sure that we win, and that the community loves us because they're going to be out in the community."Tombergs says games will feature a kids fun zone, mascots, "ice princesses," and fund-raising opportunities for local non-profits.
Ryan Mosley is the owner of Harris Pizza, and co-owner of the team. He says the hardest part of preparing for the first season has been no sleep.
"Four hours a night if I'm lucky - with my staff and I to get this thing rolling and ready to go. No sleep is probably the biggest thing but hopefully Sunday morning I can take a nap."
The Quad City Storm play their first regular season game in the Southern Professional Hockey League on Saturday night at the TaxSlayer Center, against the Peoria Rivermen.
Mosley is co-owner with John Dawson.
