New Hockey Team in Town

Latest NPHL team finds home at Frontier Ice Arena. By Colin Anderson. Photos courtesy of the Cheney Icehawks.

Becoming a professional hockey player is all about gaining exposure and moving up the ranks. That’s precisely what the Cheney Icehawks are offering players as the club looks to expand and improve its game. The Icehawks are comprised of 16 to 20 year olds looking to move up the junior hockey ranks or get an offer from a college or university team. The team of twenty-one draws heavily from Spokane and North Idaho but also has players from Canada, Colorado, Montana, and Alaska on the roster. Each player is making a more than six-month commitment to the team in the hope of keeping his NHL dreams alive.

“We have a lot of players who haven’t played at this level before,” explained team owner Luke Griffin. “The players and speed of the game are much faster. They’re also learning to play in a system instead of just using their raw talent.”

The Icehawks play a 38-game schedule, taking them around the west to Seattle, Eugene, Tri Cities, Bellingham, and Wenatchee. When back at home you can find the Icehawks battling it out at Frontier Ice Arena on Seltice Avenue in Coeur d’Alene. Adult tickets are $8, students, military, and seniors get in for $6, children 5-10 are $5 and kids under 5 are free. There are seats as well as an elevated viewing area, giving you a front row view of the action no matter where you are. “We want to give both our fans and players a really great environment here so we can bring in more fans and more players will want to come here as well,” said Griffin. There is beer available for purchase which is also allowed inside the game viewing area.

When you go, expect plenty of goal scoring and a lot of back and forth action on the ice. One of many season highlights so far this year was an October 3rd game when goalie Austin Borchert stopped 90 of 93 shot attempts, helping the Icehawks take down Bellingham 4-3.

Like other junior level programs, the team relies on the support of the community to flourish. Check with the Icehawks’ social media pages for upcoming promos like dollar hot dogs and half price admission. “It’s cheap entertainment for you and your family and I know our kids will definitely appreciate you coming out,” said Griffin.

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