DANVILLE — Professional hockey might be returning to Danville’s David S. Palmer Arena.
Barry Soskin, who fielded a hockey team in Danville for 10 years until 2020, met last month with arena officials in hopes of ironing out an agreement. Now, he said, he believes it’s in the hands of the lawyers to determine if the team, the Dashers, and the arena can come to an agreement to start playing in October.
“I came into town about three weeks ago and sat down and had a face to face with some of the powers that be,” Soskin said from his Lombard office. “We discussed some of the sticking points.”
Soskin said the first thing he noticed was that “we weren’t on the same page” in terms of what he would be responsible to pay for. Palmer Arena General Manger Teri Gaffney said she believes both sides are wanting the arrangement to work “and move this as quick as we can.”
“On the arena side, we’re very excited to see the Dashers returning to Danville,” Gaffney said.
The Dashers would play 28 home games.
Danville was formerly home of the highly unsuccessful Vermilion County Bobcats hockey team, which folded in February 2023 when the team failed to show up for a game.
Worse than mediocre
The Bobcats finished with a 9-70-7 record, the worst record in Southern Professional Hockey League history and one of the worst in the history of professional hockey.
“I’ll be happy if it’s profitable and it’s growing the sport,” Soskin said if a new arrangement is reached. “Only time will tell that. Maybe I’m nervous because I was there for 11 years (one of which he didn’t field a team but said he still paid on the lease) and don’t want to come up with too much higher ticket prices or too much higher prices for the entertainment so I can be successful.
“There are seats I’m selling for $32 (at other arenas). “I don’t think a $32 seat is going to work in Danville” — adding he will have to generate revenue a different way.
Soskin said he has a pair of teams in 9,000-seat arenas — in Baton Rouge, La., and Biloxi, Miss. The Palmer arena seats 2,200.
The group Soskin is a part of operates five hockey teams and is trying to form one in Texas, he said.
Despite Danville not fielding a professional team this season, hockey remains alive at the Palmer — Gaffney saying the community is passionate about the sport.
The Danville Flyers, a pickup team, plays there once a month.
“It’s been great entertainment, and they have raised some money for very worthy causes such as Vermilion County Restoration, the animal shelter, Toys for Tots, first responders and a military veterans group.”
Gaffney said the team had “phenomenal attendance” for a Flyers game to raise money for a local stroke victim. The proceeds went to his family.
The Flyers don’t charge for attendance but accept donations. Gaffney said the Flyers, who practice at nights on the arena ice, have kept hockey in the public’s consciousness. Attendance has averaged about 1,000 per game.
Didn’t want to leave
Soskin said the Dashers might never have left Danville, but the previous arena board terminated his lease in favor of the Bobcats in 2020.
“To show their love for me, they felt they had somebody better, so they kicked me to the side,” he said.
When Soskin brought his team to Danville, it had trouble making money its first few years. He said the league didn’t believe a team could make it in the Midwest.
“There were games where there were 300 people in the seats,” he said.
Slowly the team turned things around, and so did the finances.
If the Dashers face off in Danville this fall, they would play in the Federal Prospects Hockey League — an independent minor league with teams in the Midwest, South and Northeast United States.
