During a well-attended news conference at the IU Health Pavilion inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Ice announced they will play the majority of the team's home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse through 2014.
"Our whole focus next year is, we're essentially moving our franchise downtown, both with our headquarters and our practice facility," said Ice CEO Paul Skjodt. "Our primary focus is to market this building and hope we get the fans in here (Bankers Life) next year."
Renovations of the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds have necessitated a change in venue. The move to a professional facility like Bankers Life Fieldhouse is one that should have a major impact around the USHL.
"In the last 48 hours, this got leaked out, we have several of the higher end prospects that have called in and asked if we are playing here next year. They already know about it and we're getting calls because of the building," added Skjodt.
The ability to play at Bankers Life, a facility not unlike the ones many of these youngsters hope to somebody call home in the NHL, is a great sign for the future of the franchise. However, the current players are focused on the present, which is the start of the 2012 Clark Cup Playoffs.
"We've got the Clark Cup Champions (Dubuque) at our barn (Pepsi Coliseum) which is huge. We split with them in the season series, we'll be alright, we're looking forward to it," said Ice Forward Sean Kuraly.
Many of the players showed their unity by attending Thursday's news conference and a few even displayed a playoff-mohawk, similar to the playoff-bears that NHL players sport. The Ice won the 2009 Clark Cup Championship and hope to add another title this season. The quest for the Cup starts with two home games this weekend at Pepsi Coliseum.
"Those are two big games, that we must win because we go out to Dubuque on Wednesday of next week. I just want to end their series right there on Wednesday after our two big wins here at home," added Ice defenseman RJ Boyd.
Bankers Life Fieldhouse has been home to several Ice games over the last eight years including the annual Pack the House for Charity night and holds the all-time Tier One North American single game attendance record of 14,892 played during the 2004-05 season.
