The Jacksonville Icemen are back in action Friday night, marking 10 years as Jacksonville's minor-league hockey team and kicking off a season filled with promotions and themed nights.
Friday night's game is a "white-out," with fans asked to wear white to the game against the South Carolina Stingrays "to open a new era of Icemen hockey!" Puck drops at 7 p.m. at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena andtickets are $44-$77.
The Icemen, who are affiliated with the Minnesota Wild of the NHL, will hold a special celebration at their Nov. 7 game against the Florida Everblades to celebrate 10 years in Jacksonville.
![Jacksonville Icemen forward T.J. Friedmann (26) celebrates his goal against the Florida Everblades during an ECHL hockey game at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, March 15, 2026. [Gary Lloyd McCullough/For the Jacksonville Icemen]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2026/03/16/NFTU/89178752007-jax-031526-icemen-03.jpg)
Before the season wraps up with a Fan Appreciation game on April 11, the Icemen will have games where they celebrate dogs, women's hockey, the movies
"Cars" and "Star Wars," wizards, Scouts, teachers, ugly sweaters, book clubs, cancer awareness and the military. The annual Teddy Bear Toss, where fans throw stuffed animals onto the ice to be collected for children's charities, is scheduled for Dec. 12. On Jan. 16, they'll hold a Rex Night, celebrating the iconic Beach Boulevard orange dinosaur.
Maybe it's a fluke in scheduling, but the Icemen will also play home games on Halloween, New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day. They also play at home the night before Valentine's Day.
Beaches Oktoberfest
5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16; noon Saturday, Oct. 17; at Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. Free (VIP packages available)
All the schitzel, bratwurst and cold beer you can handle, plus live music on two stages, just steps from the beach. One stage will have polka and oompah bands, while the other features Sister Hazel on Friday night and the Hip Abduction on Saturday. Men's and women's stein-hoisting competitions are scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Info: beachesoktoberfest.com
NAS Jax Air Show
11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Free.
Expect huge crowds for the annual show, which features both the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Gates open at 9 a.m. and every adult will need a valid Real ID to get through the gate. Info: nasjaxairshow.com
Molly Hatchet
8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall. $54-$63.
Molly Hatchet was one of the great Southern rock bands to come out of Jacksonville in the wake of Lynyrd Skynyrd's success in the mid-'70s, alongside Blackfoot and .38 Special. All six musicians who played on the band's 1978 debut have passed away, but the band carries on the tradition. A new album, "Lost Horizon," is due next month. Info: pvconcerthall.com
Gators basketball
![South Florida Bulls guard Quincy Ademokoya (23) draws a foul as Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) scores a dunk during the first half of an NCAA men’s basketball matchup Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/11/05/NFTU/76055678007-jki-110424-ncaam-usf-uf-10.jpg)
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. $30-$124.
Good thing the Jaguars play at 9:30 a.m. this weekend; you'll have time to watch them play in London and still make it downtown to watch the University of Florida men's basketball team (picked as a preseason No. 1 in many polls) take on the Baylor Bears in an "exhibition" game. Info: jaxevents.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Gator country weekend in Jacksonville with UF hoops, Molly Hatchet
