The thermometer outdoors might not feel like it, but it's officially ice time in Northeast Florida.
Now entering year 10, the Jacksonville Icemen begin hockey season against the South Carolina Stingrays at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on Thursday, Oct. 16. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
This year, the Icemen skate onto the rink with a new affiliation (the NHL's Minnesota Wild), a new logo, numerous new players and a source of motivation that they hope won't apply in the fall of 2027.
That's because last spring, for the first time in four years, the Icemen missed out on the ECHL's Kelly Cup playoffs, and changing that is priority number one for head coach Sean Teakle and his staff.
Here are three storylines to watch for the opener.
![Jacksonville Icemen forward Bennett MacArthur (11) with the puck defended by South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Romain Rodzinski (2), right, during an ECHL hockey game at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. [Gary Lloyd McCullough/Provided by the Jacksonville Icemen]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2025/12/14/NFTU/87761634007-jax-121325-icemen-02.jpg)
CALL OF THE WILD
Out: The Buffalo Sabres.
In: The Minnesota Wild, plus their American Hockey League affiliates, the Iowa Wild.
Minnesota becomes the fourth NFL affiliation agreement for the Icemen, following the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers and Buffalo.
When the Icemen announced the deal, chief executive officer Andy Kaufmann expressed confidence that Jacksonville would receive more players on NHL and AHL deals from Minnesota than they did last year from Buffalo. The Icemen had four in training camp with goaltender Chase Wutzke, defenseman Reilly Webb and forwards Blake Biondi and Drew Kuzma, although Biondi was recalled to Iowa on Oct. 14.
WEARING THE C
There's a new captain on the First Coast, and his name is Bennett MacArthur.
The 25-year-old forward, from Summerside, Prince Edward Island, is entering his third season in Jacksonville. He recorded seven goals and 16 assists in 2024-25 and followed with 13 goals and 23 assists in an injury-shortened 2025-26 season.
Alternate captains for the club are defensemen Jed Pietila and Jaden Condotta and forwards Colby Ambrosio and Jacques Bouquot.
ROAD-HEAVY SCHEDULE EARLY
While the Icemen regularly draw the largest crowds in the ECHL, officially listed at 9,198 per game in 2025-26, the team will have to wait a while before receiving home-crowd support after Friday's game.
The Icemen follow Friday's opener with four consecutive road games, two against the Savannah Ghost Pirates, before returning home for their sixth game on Oct. 31.
Once they do return home, the Icemen will stick around for a while, playing eight consecutive home games between Halloween and Nov. 20, including the popular 10:30 a.m. School Day Game on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Jacksonville Icemen Opening Day roster
Goaltenders: No. 30 Chase Wutzke, No. 31 Cameron Rowe, No. 50 Michael Bullion
Defensemen: No. 2 Trevor Griebel, No. 5 Will Ennis, No. 9 Reilly Webb, No. 10 Zane Demsey, No. 36 Jed Pietila, No. 63 Jaden Condotta, No. 72 Jack Babbage, No. 73 Cody Schiavon
Forwards: No. 11 Bennett MacArthur, No. 16 Casey Gerstein, No. 17 Jacques Bouquot, No. 18 Adam McMaster, No. 24 Sasha Teleguine, No. 26 Tanner Kelly, No. 28 Tyler Schleppe, No. 29 Drew Kuzma, No. 47 Kyle Bettens, No. 49 Will Hillman, No. 64 Ashton Stockie, No. 77 AJ Schlepp, No. 81 Colby Ambrosio, No. 91 Brandon Yeamans
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Icemen year 10 begins Friday. What's new for Jacksonville hockey?
