112210 KornKings
Promo: Ice Muskies become Wooster's Korn Kings
Korn Kings skate into Alice Noble Ice Arena
By Brian Questel
Just like that, Wayne County hockey fans have doubled their fun.
The junior hockey Wooster Oilers treated local fans to a title last year as the Oilers won the Northern Junior Hockey League crown at the Alice Noble Ice Arena. However, the Oilers are no longer the only team in town after the sudden arrival of the Wooster Korn Kings.
The Korn Kings, members of the All-American Hockey League, had planned on playing the 2010-11 season in Madison, Wis., but the Ice Muskies folded October 27 on the eve of their season opener.
The 6-team AAHL had their eye on Wooster next year when the league proposes to added anywhere from two to four new franchises, but the Ice Muskies demise opened the door to Wooster a year early.
This was the first year for this franchise, said coach and general manager Chuck Harrison, who had been with the Lapeer (Mich.) Loggers of the AAHL. His brother, George, who is now owner of the Wooster franchise, had owned that team.
(Madison) had issues and decided they could not continue, he added. We didnt take all of their players just their free agents and we added our own players.
Its a single-A league, which are players who feel they have an opportunity to better themselves and jump to next level, AA or AAA. Were one of the featured leagues by the NHL and hopefully we can produce players to go to the next level.
Even though the AAHL had made inquiries into Wooster, it was a cold call for the Harrisons.
I didnt know a lot about Wooster until we got here, said Harrison. My brother and I came here to look at the town and look at the arena, and the seating capacity (900) was something we felt could work with. It reminded us what we had done in Lapeer. The arena is about the same size, the people are about the same, both communities have colleges and businesses are much the same.
(Woosters) an attractive place. Weve done it in Lapeer and we want to photocopy it here. But, we have to do it quickly.
The Korn Kings are pulling all the stops for tonights 7:10 p.m. home game against the Indiana Blizzard with a Pack the House campaign.
Our first two games our paid attendance was poor, but that was because we gave tickets away, said Harrison, reflecting on the Korn Kings games Nov. 5-6 against the Queen City Storm. Were looking at this as our first (home) game. We want to fill the house. We want to prove this team can do well and can work, and that we can do well at the gate.
As Harrison noted, any pro team needs corporate sponsors just like the NFL, NHL or MLB.
Weve only been at it 4-5 days, but hopefully someone is going to jump on board, said Harrison. Having to do it so fast makes it harder.
There seems to be lot interest. The community has jumped on board through youth hockey. Weve got to get out to the rest of the community, what were trying to accomplish through the media and our own players going into town and introducing themselves. The support has been good. I found out today the Korn Kings have more hits on their website than any other in the league.
Harrison is hoping those hits will translate into interest and paid attendance, which will be one of the keys in the Korn Kings survival.
Our game at home Saturday against Indiana were viewing as our first home game, said Harrison. We played the first two, but we didnt have time to do the big splash were trying to do now. The campaign is to fill the house. The mayor is going to be there to drop the first puck. Were treating it as the first game in the arena even if by the stats it wasnt.
Tickets are $8.50 for adults and $6.50 for students and senior citizens.
