On April 19, it was announced that the Houston Aeros—a team based in Sugar Land since the early 1990s—would be starting its 2013–14 season as Des Moines, Iowa's new team. The city of Sugar Land spent the summer searching for another team to fill the vacancy, and it has been decided that the Sugar Land Imperials will fill that void.
The Imperials will be based out of the Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center—an 8,000-square-foot public facility equipped with a large locker room, on-site medical facilities and a gym—as Houston's first NA3HL South Division team.
Former Houston Aero forward and the Imperial's head coach Jarod Palmer will take the helm of the expansion franchise alongside general manager Jamie Feltus.
“The fan support that we have felt has been overwhelming to say the least,” Feltus said. “The demand for tickets has already reached a point that we are planning to expand our facility's seating capacity in the next year.”
The NA3HL South Division was approved for south and west expansions by USA Hockey in June, adding four new teams to the southern division roster. The Sugar Land Imperials, the Dallas Stars, the McKinney Warriors and the Topeka Capitals will compete in a 48-game schedule during the inaugural season. The winner of the South Division playoffs will advance to face off with the other NA3HL division winners for the 2014 Silver Cup Championship Tournament in late March.
Season tickets start at $176 and include one ticket for each game, including 22 home games. For more information on tickets, team updates or a full 2013–14 schedule, visit www.imperialshockey.com.
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