Put me on the train!

On Saturday, October 22, almost 5,500 first-nighters and I were present for the Inaugural Season Home Opener of the Chicago Express Hockey Club at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates.

(For details about the team, please read my accompanying interview with Bob Mills, Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting.)

The atmosphere in the arena was one of a “we’re having a party” being thrown by the team management and the Village of Hoffman Estates, complete with tuxes worn by many staff members and even a pseudo-tux jersey worn by the home team during their pre-game warm-up. Later, the players came out in their striking sky blue, black, and white jerseys with a locomotive logo, hence their call, “Put me on the train!” The crowd, largely composed of kids of almost all ages, seemed to adopt this team immediately without having seen them play previously.

Chicago Express ECHL team in action on the ice. (Photo provided)

The opening ceremonies included the mayor of Hoffman Estates presenting the team owner with a key to the city, the singing of the National Anthem by the Elgin Children’s Choir, and the home team players entering the ice via an inflated tunnel painted to resemble a locomotive.

I was very impressed by the professionalism displayed by all involved in making the opener one that will go a long way toward bringing back fans for more hockey excitement. As for the crowd, you would have thought they had been cheering for this team for years the way they took to the team.

I could give you all kinds of information and stats related to the game (the Express beat the Kalamazoo Wings for their second straight win of the new season), but the real story here is family entertainment at ticket prices that don’t require cashing in an IRA. The entertainment of the night included being a part of breaking a Guinness record for the most train whistles being blown at the same time. Each ticket holder received a train whistle as he or she entered the arena. There were plenty of special appearances by “characters” between periods, including Trax, the team mascot, along with the likes of Dennis Frogman and the Hungry Mackerel, who “ate” one of the staff members to the delight of the audience.

Many of the kids in the audience wore recently purchased Express jerseys or their own hockey team’s jersey. Surprisingly, there was a great deal of Black Hawks paraphernalia in view. This brings up a significant point that the attendance was not only greater than the average for the ECHL, the league in which the Express plays, but the Black Hawks were also playing a home game that night.

So, how was the hockey, you ask? In a word, EXCITING! No, the players are not ready for prime time in the NHL, but you know every one of them is working his tail off to get to that level. They don’t skate as well or as fast, pass or shoot the puck as accurately, but they play and check just as hard.

Basically, they play the same rules as in the NHL with the exception of calls for icing the puck. In the ECHL, the referee stops play as soon as the puck crosses the end line, rather than allowing any races to touch the puck as they do in the NHL. Yes, players did get “chipy,” so to speak, just like the guys making way more money, but their enthusiasm captured the crowd and produced many instant fans.

The intent of the club is to provide an affordable entertainment option and a fun event for the entire family. All Friday night home games feature $1 hotdogs and $1 beers, and the Express also offers Family Four Packs for every game. The Family Four Pack includes: four hotdogs, four drinks, and four tickets to the game, all for $49.00. As a father and grandparent with families nearby, I look forward to “getting on the train” for an afternoon or evening of fast, exciting hockey this season.

For ticket information and senior prices, call 224-220-1333 or on the web at www.ChicagoExpressHockey.com.

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