Statement posted on Jamestown Rebels Hockey website

The Jamestown Rebels hockey franchise has been sold and will relocate to New Jersey.

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) announced that the Jamestown Rebels agreed to sell their NAHL membership to HSG Hockey LLC. The team will be relocated to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, for the 2022-23 season and remain in the NAHL’s East Division.

The team will be based and play their home games out of Hollydell Ice Arena, which is 15 miles South of downtown Philadelphia in Washington Township, New Jersey.

The team had relocated to Jamestown in 2018 from Aston, Pennsylvania.

Logo for the NA3HL that the new Jamestown hockey team will be affiliated with.

JAMESTOWN – A name has been announced for the new junior hockey team that will be skating on the ice at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena starting later this year.

The Jamestown Area Hockey Associates announce that Southern Tier Xpress will be the name of the new junior hockey team. According to a media release from the ice arena, the name was suggested by local resident Bud Tomassi.

In March, the owners of the new team announced a ‘Name Your Team Contest’ in an effort to find a name for the new team. Tomassi’s suggestion was reportedly one of over a thousand that was submitted. Tomassi says that he suggested the name because it identifies more with the geographical area rather than just Jamestown proper – adding that The Xpress links the region back to the days of the railroad, the Gateway Train Station on Second Street and the economic importance both once had to the area. He said it also associates itself with the Southern Tier Expressway that runs through the region.

The Southern Tier Xpress is part of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), a top level Tier 3 league in the North American Hockey League association. The Xpress will also encompass a pair of youth feeder teams including an under 14 and an under 16 team.

Tryouts for the feeder teams will be held on April 21, 23 and 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the JSBA.  Tryouts for the Xpress NA3HL team are set for May 16-18 and will also be held at JSBA.

According to a release from the arena, Ironmen Owner Kenji Yamada has decided to suspend operations for the season.  I a written statement, Yamada said he appreciates the support the team received form the community and is strongly looking forward to make the Jamestown Ironmen come back on the ice for the 2014-15 season. 

The Ironmen have played in Jamestown the past two seasons. In 2011, the ice arena announced it had signed an agreement to bring the Ironmen into the area and as a result, the NAHL – the second highest rated junior hockey leagues in North America. But with disappointing attendance and low community support, the team has struggled the past two years to remain afloat.

Jamestown Savings Bank Arena CEO Kurt Silcott said there was an effort by some local people and business owners to save the team and maintain operations for next season, but those efforts ultimately did not come to fruition.

The Ironmen had a 37-19-4 record in 2012-13 season and went on to win the North Division title in the playoffs and participate in the Robertson Cup where they ultimately finished 4th.

Silcott did not say in the media release if another hockey team or league would be brought into Jamestown for the 2013-14 season.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi said he would like to thank the Ironmen organization for extending the team’s lease and called it great news for the sport of hockey in the City of Jamestown. 

The Ironmen, who are part of the North American Hockey League, originally moved to Jamestown during the summer of 2011 from Detroit where they were known as the Motor City Metal Jackets. They originally inked a deal which would keep the newly formed Ironmen in Jamestown for an experimental two years.

The Ironmen will open their home schedule this weekend as they host defending North Division Champions, the Port Huron Fighting Falcons, Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at the Arena Box Office.

A lawsuit filed by the owner and coach of the Jamestown Jets junior hockey team has seen some movement in a state district court in Buffalo. A judge in the state’s Eight Judicial District Commercial Division court recently granted a motion by Jet’s owner Dennis Canfield to consolidate his lawsuit against the Jets’s former owner – Barry Soskin – with his lawsuit against the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena and other related parties.

Canfield is suing the Ice Arena, the North American Hockey League and the Motor City Metal Jackets – now the Jamestown Ironmen – for financial damages related to what he claims is a breach of contract. Following the Jets 2010-2011 season, the Jets team was evicted from the ice arena to make room for the new Jamestown Ironmen team. Canfield claims the eviction violated a contract that was put in place three years earlier when Soskin was still owner of the Jets.

A motion by the defendant to dismiss the case has also been scheduled for September 29 in Buffalo.

JAMESTOWN FINALIZES BABE RUTH WORLD SERIES PREPARATIONS

All the details are just about set for the start of the 13-15 Year Old Babe Ruth World Series, which begins this Saturday. Even though the official start of the event isn’t until Aug. 20, players from individual teams from across the country will be arriving in Jamestown starting tomorrow with an Ice Breaker Picnic at Bergman Park on Friday. This will be at Bergman Park and in addition to meeting the players, relaxing and “breaking the ice”, there will also be a Home Run Derby. A total of 9 teams will be coming in from out of town and, with the addition of the host team, a total of ten teams will compete in the tournament.

For complete details on the Babe Ruth World series, go online to www.jamestownworldseries.com or visit the world series headquarters at the Lillian Ney Renaissance Center on 3^rd Street. Hours are 9 to 4:30 p.m.

AUGUST IS CHILD SUPPORT AWARENESS MONTH IN NEW YORK STATE

MAYVILLE, N.Y. – Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued a Proclamation designating August as “Child Support Awareness Month,” in New York State. Throughout August, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will highlight the importance of participation of both parents in a child’s life.  OTDA oversees the State’s child support program and works closely with the local county departments of social services.

Locally, the Chautauqua County Child Support office serves over 12,500 families. During 2010, collections made by this office recovered over $2.8 million in Public Assistance and Medicaid benefits and passed on over $12 million to custodial parents.

The Chautauqua County Child Support Unit has also been actively participating, in partnership with other community service providers and the Family Court, in bringing the New York State Strengthening Families through Stronger Fathers Initiative; to local non-custodial parents.  The County is one of only a few counties in the state that provides this program.

Additional child support information is available at childsupport.ny.gov.

SENATOR YOUNG TO ATTEND DEDICATION CEREMONY IN KENNEDY

State Senator Cathy Young will be in Chautauqua County later today to take part in a dedication ceremony at a community park. Senator Young will take part in the ceremony dedicating the new memorial wall in Hallquist Park, located on Route 394 in Kennedy. The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Young and other officials in attendance. There will also be food and other activities taking place following the ceremony. The public is invited to attend.

DIRECTOR OF JRC WILL BE THIS WEEK’S GUEST ON WRFA’S ‘COMMUNITY MATTERS’ PROGRAM

There’s been a major effort over the past couple of years to renovate the façades of various historic building in Jamestown. The agency responsible for overseeing the restorations is the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, which administers federal grants set aside for restoration projects. Several buildings in Jamestown have received, or are currently getting, a facelift this summer. In addition, various other projects, including the development of the former Winter Garden space on Main Street, have taken place. WRFA will provide listeners with a complete update on the effort when we talk with JRC Director Jason Stronz during our Community Matters program at 6 p.m. tomorrow.