College Hockey: No Lockouts Allowed

      Many NHL fans were left disappointed when October came and went along with the start of the 2012-2013 NHL Hockey season. Here in Atlanta, fans are not exactly recognized as being the most dedicated. This is obvious with the departure of the Atlanta Thrashers to Canada making it the only city to lose a major sport team twice. Even with the relocation of the Thrashers and an extended lockout, one thing remained for these fans to hold on to: college hockey.

   
     This past weekend was the Savannah Tire Hockey Classic held in Savannah, GA. The tournament consisted of four ACHA Division III Hockey teams including University of Georgia, University of Florida, Georgia Tech, and Florida State University. Over 10,000 fans were in attendance for the two day event. ACHA hockey does not allow for scholarships or any additional funds to support the players. Each player must pay to be allowed to represent their team and wear their schools' jersey. 

    Although hockey is not a typical southern sport, there was a great turnout this weekend to watch these young kids play hockey. It is great to see such a large crowd gather to cheer on a sport that seems to be "dying" in this region of the country.