In a move that comes as little surprise to hardcore Austin Ice Bats fans, team owner and president Randy Sanders announced today that the Bats will no longer call the Chaparral Ice Arena their home rink. The venue was too small to be profitable and lacked the atmosphere conducive to draw in and sustain new fans. And with the Dallas Stars moving their American Hockey League franchise, the Texas Stars, to Cedar Park in a brand new $55 million, 6,800-seat multipurpose event center, it was looking even tougher for the Bats to break even locally in the near future. Not to say that the Bats have played their last game in the greater Austin area, but they did say that they “will investigate relocating the team outside of this area if needed.” The Bats have been a part of the Austin sports scene for 12 years and I have personally attended and enjoyed dozens of games, primarily at the Travis County Expo Center. Although this move seemed inevitable, it is still a sad day for Austin hockey fans, however few there may be.
This article appears in May 2 • 2008.