Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South

Ian A. Andrews is a high-school social sciences teacher and editor of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association’s Focus.

Books about minor-league hockey at the professional level that focus on
teams in the American south are seldom written, which is what makes
Hockey Night in Dixie so unique.

During the 1905–06 season, Stott visited four minor-league teams in
four different leagues: the Roanoke Valley Vipers of the United Hockey
League (Virginia), the Odessa Jackalopes of the Central Hockey League
(Texas), the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL (Charleston), and the
Fayetteville FireAntz of the Southern Professional Hockey League (North
Carolina). By interviewing players, coaches, and fans he was able to
form generalizations that provide insight into the plight of minor pro
hockey south of the Mason-Dixon line, in areas where “ice hockey” is
certainly not indigenous.

The core of supporters come from transplanted northerners, but serious
attempts have been made to sell the game to local people. Local
ownership and community involvement seem vital to a successful
franchise. Gimmicks, especially those that cater to youngsters, abound.
Every team has a mascot; some, like the Fayetteville FireAntz, have
three: PuckHead, SlapShot, and Anthony Ant. Each home game sees the
ritual extermination of Anthony Ant at centre ice.

The talent pool comes mostly from Canadian juniors that were never
drafted by the NHL, and college hockey graduates. The common ingredient
is a love of hockey, and a willingness to endure long bus rides with
sparse remuneration, to remain in “the game” as long as possible.
The educational level attained by the majority of players is
surprisingly high.

In minor professional hockey, change is constant. Within the 14
leagues, franchises come and go, achieving success and/or folding. Stott
chronicles the roller-coaster ride since 1988 in chapters titled,
“Beginnings,” “Expansion,” “Explosion,” “Meltdown,” and
“Consolidation.” An appendix includes the names of all teams that
played in 9 provinces and 42 states over these two decades. This
inclusion alone affords Hockey Night in Dixie a place in the hockey
fan’s library.