Article by: Sophie Rogers

For the first time in 22 years, professional hockey will be back in Mobile for fans to enjoy.

Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in North America, yet the southern United States is still heavily underrepresented in the National Hockey League. Only 5 NHL teams call the region home; the Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes. 

While there are other smaller professional leagues and college teams operating around the south, many hockey fans in Mobile are rather upset with the lack of options. In order to see in-person hockey, they could drive the hour to the west to see the Biloxi Breakers, an hour to the east to see the Pensacola Ice Flyers, or invest in a rather time-consuming and expensive trip to see one of the surrounding NHL teams. It seems that Mobile hockey fans have had their prayers answered by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment and The City of Mobile. This past September, it was announced that professional hockey would be returning to Mobile. 

“We are passionate about bringing family fun to each and every market we call home. We are so excited to bring that passion to Mobile,” said Kyle Moll, Chief Operating Officer at Zawyer Sports & Entertainment. “We look forward to working with everyone locally to bring them out to all our games at the new Mobile Arena.”

While Moll and others with Zawyer Sports are very excited about bringing hockey back, reactions among Mobile residents are mixed. While many are thrilled at the prospect of having a team close to home, others remain cautious about its long-term viability. 

Mobile’s last professional hockey team, the Mobile Mysticks, played at the Mobile Civic Center from 1995 to 2002. However, due to a mix of low attendance and failure to make it through the playoffs, the team ceased operations and relocated to Georgia, where it remains today. This tends to be a trend with professional sports in the city, as something similar happened to the Mobile BayBears, Mobile’s minor league baseball team.

Baldwin County native and lifelong hockey fan Bradley Kelso says that, while he is excited for there to be a local team, he is “more worried than excited, just knowing the lack of support for professional sports in Mobile.”  

Kelso is not alone in his reservations. Many Mobile residents took to the r/MobileAL subreddit when the news was announced. One user was concerned about the future of the sport in the city, knowing the struggles other cities are facing. “Hockey is ignored in Pensacola to the point that their youth cannot host tournaments. Instead they host in Birmingham.” Another user said in the comments on this post, they “don’t know if there is enough support down here to keep a hockey team going.” 

Others are far more optimistic. Gabrielle Bond, a Pascagoula native who is relatively new to hockey, is eager for the season to begin. “I’m really excited to be getting a team here because I can see Biloxi’s team when I’m visiting family back home, and watch Mobile’s team when I’m here at school,” said Bond.

The team is set to take the ice for the first puck drop in Fall 2027. Only time can tell what lies ahead for this new team in Mobile.