Huntsville Havoc team is set to meet a stadium full of fans for first home game

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The Huntsville Havoc is hosting its first home game for the season tonight.

The Von Braun Center is set to be electric because the home opener usually sells out. The 2023-2024 season seems like it will be the same. Voice of the Havoc Clay Sanders Coleman says there are only a couple hundred more tickets left to sell.

Even at the league level, the Havoc attendance is impressive. For several years, the team held the title for the highest attendance in the Southern Professional Hockey League. They usually break their record from the previous year.

All those fans are expecting a good game against the Pensacola Ice Flyers. The team just scored seven points in its previous game against the Birmingham Bulls. The Havoc is up for the challenge, the team already won its first two away games.

The home opener is ushering in some big changes from the arena to the team itself. The Huntsville Havoc has a brand new team store to buy gear and a new sound system for the game. Plus, the team is being led by a new head coach. Stuart Stefan is taking the place of Glen Detulleo. He played for the Huntsville Havoc for seven years and served as an assistant coach for five years after that. He’s excited to work with all of the new players on the team.

“You know we had a lot of player turnover so we got a younger team, but at the same time I think it’s a good thing too,” explains head Coach Stefan. “We also got a lot more youth, a little bit more speed, I think a little more grittiness too which is nice. Again, a little bit different style on the ice.”

Many new players are making their VBC debut at tonight’s game. The Havoc will play the Ice Flyers at 7 p.m. Tickets are available here or at the box office starting at 10 a.m.

Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!

Copyright 2023 WAFF. All rights reserved.