Baton Rouge Hockey ***Live Stream of Press Conference***

quote:

---

Baton Rouge will host three ice hockey games this fall and, if all goes well, the city could have its own franchise 20 years after the Kingfish left town.

The mayor-president's office and others said at a news conference Monday that the Raising Cane's River Center will host three exhibition games this fall and winter. If all goes well, a Federal Prospects Hockey League team could play a full season beginning in the fall of 2023.

"This is something the fans have to want," owner Barry Soskin said. "If the fans want to support this, we'll have a team."

The exhibition games are set for Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Jan. 2.

The website of the Port Huron Prowlers of the Federal Prospects Hockey League says Soskin is its owner, and that he also has owned various teams over the past 25 years, including the Toledo Storm of the East Coast Hockey League.

The new Baton Rouge team would be an expansion team.

---

quote:

---

The Baton Rouge Kingfish played in the ECHL when the team moved to Victoria, British Columbia, after the 2002-03 season to become the Salmon Kings. The Internet Hockey Database says the franchise folded in 2011.

Average attendance steadily declined during the team's seven years in Baton Rouge, with each year's smaller than the previous mark. It drew 6,003 in its first season, but only 1,723 in 2002-03.

Before playing at Baton Rouge, the Kingfish from 1988-1996 were the Erie Panthers in Pennsylvania.

The Kingfish made the ECHL playoffs three times, advancing to the quarterfinals in 1999.

In its first game in the city, the Kingfish beat Birmingham 4-2. Its final game was a 2-1 loss to the Arkansas RiverBlades on March 30, 2003.

The River Center on Saturday reopened the ice rink on the floor at the River Center and will leave it open for skating until July 31.

---