They don’t have a coach, players or even a name. But that didn’t stop Stockton hockey fans from lining up Wednesday at Adventist Health Arena to welcome the formal announcement of a new team.
A franchise of the new Federal Prospect Hockey League will begin playing at the arena in October, officials said. The deal is still being finalized, but Jason Perry, who manages the arena for Legends Global Regional, said the contract will last for at least five years.
There is still a very long do-to list before the team takes the ice, but Wednesday was about celebrating the return of a sport with a long history in the city.
Mayor Christina Fugazi was first to welcome hockey back to Stockton, with a rallying cry to fans.
“I’m proud to be able to welcome hockey back here in Stockton,” the mayor said while wearing an official “Stockton Pro Hockey” jersey. “You got to fill those seats, just like in the days of (the) Thunder. We are going to … let everybody know that Stockton is a city to be reckoned with, with athletes, with fans that are second to none.”
There was plenty of enthusiasm amid a crowd of about 100 people, many wearing old Stockton Thunder jerseys. The new franchise gave away T-shirts emblazoned with the “Stockton Pro Hockey” logo and sold jerseys for $100 apiece.
Dawn Silva of Stockton cheered the return of her favorite sport. A former season ticketholder for the Stockton Thunder of the ECHL, formerly the East Coast Hockey League, and later the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat, Silva snatched up T-shirts promoting the new team, grabbing one for herself and one for her daughter.
“It’s very, very wonderful. It just seemed empty here,” Silva said. “I had hope because I know we had the arena; we had the potential to make the ice again. So I was like, ‘Come on, bring it back.’ “
The team officially has only one employee — but he’s got a very important role. Scott Brand was named president and general manager of the yet-to-be-named team. Brand has performed similar tasks in other FPHL cities.
The Stockton franchise is owned by league Commissioner Don Kirnan, and the organization will be looking for local investors.
Brand said he is working “behind the eight ball,” but added that he’s put together other franchises in a shorter period.
“I’m impressed with what I saw today — the press who showed up, but mostly the fans,” Brand said. “I’ve had at least six people come up to me and say they want to work in the front office.”
Brand said a website has already been activated and includes a “name the team” contest. Season tickets, which are on sale now, range from $450 to $995, plus fees.
He said it’s important for the fans to get involved and to feel like they matter.
“We have to provide family-affordable entertainment,” Brand said. “It’s not just about hockey. It’s about the mascot. It’s about coming to the building. It’s about Mom and Dad being able to give the kids a place to go. And again, it has to be family-affordable. You have to have value.”
Founded in 2010, the FPHL — known as “The Fed” — plays a 56-game schedule, with 28 regular-season home games, plus possible playoffs. It is an independent league and is considered Single-A level.
The move into Stockton is part of the FPHL’s West Coast push. Fresno and Oceanside in San Diego County are also entering the league, and Kirnan said he is speaking with three other unnamed cities about possibly joining.
Brand had some fun with the fans when he brought up Fresno, Stockton’s longtime rival from its days in the ECHL. After the city’s name was greeted with boos, Brand smiled and shouted, “Fresno, you suck!” to a round of cheers.
Professional hockey in Stockton began in 2005 with the arrival of the ECHL’s Thunder. In 2014, the team was bought by the NHL’s Calgary Flames, which set up a move to Glen Falls, N.Y.
That transition made way for the AHL’s Stockton Heat. The Heat stayed in town until 2022, playing one season in Calgary during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team now resides permanently in Calgary.
Many fans at Wednesday’s event advocated for the return of the Thunder name. Some, including Silva, however, thought something new would be nice.
Regardless of the name, all agreed it was time to bring back hockey to Stockton.
“I prayed this would happen,” Silva said. “There were a lot of prayers.”