NEW MEXICO ICE WOLVES CALL FOR HOST FAMILIES IN ALBUQUERQUE AHEAD OF 2019-2020 SEASON
Host Families House Players Creating One of a Kind Bond with Team and Community
(Albuquerque, New Mexico) Wednesday, July 17, 2019 – The New Mexico Ice Wolves™ today announced the team is seeking local families in Albuquerque with a bit of extra room in their hearts and homes. North American Hockey League (NAHL) Junior hockey cannot exist without the backbone of strong host families. Every season, young men between 16 and 20 years old will be moving to Albuquerque from all over the US, Canada and Europe to play for the NM Ice Wolves and continue building on their dream of playing NCAA Division I hockey and beyond. Host families provide a caring, supportive, family environment that becomes the “home away from home” for players. Hosting a player can be an exciting and rewarding experience that often leads to lifelong friendships between the player and his host family.
“In Junior hockey host families are perhaps the single most important factor in a team’s success both on and off the ice and this is an area where we really need the support of our hockey families,” said Phil Fox, NM Ice Wolves Head Coach and General Manager. “As a former player in the junior hockey leagues, I know how vital host families can be as a support system for players who away from their homes and families. To this day I remain in contact with all of my host families and know how important and rewarding it is for families to open up their homes and hearts to the hockey players that will be moving to Albuquerque this summer.”
Host families who have been a part of NAHL junior hockey played an essential role in the recent news that the for the third straight season the NAHL had more than 300 NCAA commitments in a single season. In 2019 the NAHL once again set a new single-season record as 335 players were committed to an NCAA school during the 2018-19 season with 224 of those commitments to NCAA Division I schools. With the age range of 16-20 years old some players are still in high school while others are encouraged by the team to take college prep courses and work part time jobs. To learn more about how to become a host family and frequently asked questions please visit: https://www.nmicewolves.com/you-can-make-a-difference-become-a-new-mexico-icewolves-host-family
Celebrating its 45th season in 2019-2020 the NAHL is the oldest and largest junior hockey league of its kind in the U.S. and one of only two USA Hockey-certified leagues that operate under the non pay-to-play model. The NAHL is also one of the best in the world at advancing players to the NCAA and professional hockey. The New Mexico Ice Wolves will play in the Southern Division of NAHL.
Since joining the NAHL this past February the New Mexico Ice Wolves have been full steam ahead in preparation for their inaugural season including assembling a strong coaching staff, renovating its home arena and making player selections through tenders and the NAHL draft. The NM Ice Wolves had the second overall pick in the team’s first ever NAHL entry draft. The NM Ice Wolves 32 protected players from its draft picks and tenders will report to the main camp on Wednesday, July 24-27 along with more than 100 more players. The team’s main camp will be held at Outpost Ice Arenas and is open to the public making for an exciting opportunity to see future NM Ice Wolves battle it out on the ice for a spot on the team. The NM Ice Wolves play their first home game on Friday, September 27, 2019 at 7:30pm MT with all 28 of the team’s home games at Outpost Ice Arenas. Season tickets will go on sale before the end of July. Interested fans can learn more and reserve their ticket selection priority at https://www.nmicewolves.com/season-tickets.
The Outpost Ice Arenas is currently undergoing major renovations prior to the start of the season including bleachers that will be upgraded to provide premium VIP stadium seating, new NHL style plexiglass for seamless viewing, an updated restaurant and snack bar menu, party rooms that will be upgraded for fans and sponsors and a very unique set of connecting ice tunnels that allow fans to watch from the ice while also skating in the auxiliary rink. The Outpost Ice Arenas is open to the public and all renovations are slated for completion before the NAHL season debut.
The New Mexico Ice Wolves NAHL team will announce additional staff, main camp events, season ticket information and a final roster in the upcoming weeks. You can learn more about the New Mexico Ice Wolves on their NAHL Team Page or on social media on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
For media inquiries, please contact Aaron Martinez at 505-212-8762 or amartinez@reelz.com