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BIDDEFORD, Maine - The Hockey
Academy of Hudson, N.H. is proud to announce the debut of their new junior
hockey franchise, the Maine Wild. The team will call Biddeford Ice Arena their
home.
"We've been working on this
junior franchise for the past year and we wanted to make sure we had the
support of the rink and the community in place before we went ahead," said Dan
Fontas, the team's general manager.
The Maine Wild will play in
Northern States Junior Hockey League, a league sanctioned by the Amateur
Athletic Union. Their debut season will be 2013-2014.
"It's the perfect setting for
our junior team. We have first-class amenities in the Biddeford Ice Arena and
we feel that we'll get great support from the community," said Fontas. "It's a
new buzz in the area and we're looking forward to being the newest member of
the Northern States Junior Hockey League."
Team management will begin
the recruiting process shortly, scouting New England for the best hockey
players under 21.
"We are looking to put our
footprint in Biddeford and once we establish relationships and a foundation, we
hope local talent will be attracted to the team," said Fontas.
Fontas is looking to make the
franchise a developmental program for hockey players of all ages.
"Our goal is an organization
that will grow all the way into a youth program," he said. "We want to move
kids to the next level, whatever that may be: Division III college hockey,
Division I college hockey, or continuing in juniors in leagues like the USHL,
NAHL."
Fontas and his team were
drawn to Biddeford for its accessibility and its location to nearby colleges,
offering players potential exposure to those teams.
"The rink is first class and
the location allows us to recruit players from all over New England," he said.
"We're looking forward to bringing this franchise to the community."
For more information, visit www.mainewildhockey.com, "like" us on
Facebok atwww.facebook.com/MaineWildHockey, and follow
us on Twitter @MaineWildHockey.
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