Sept. 30, 2003
The Army hockey team proudly welcomes the Philadelphia Flyers to West Point and historic Tate Rink Oct. 4-7 as the hockey club prepares for the upcoming NHL season. The Flyers' presence marks the fifth such trip to the Academy by an NHL club and the first since Philadelphia last visited in 1998.
"We toured the facilities in August and were very impressed," Flyers head coach Ken Hitchcock said. "(Army head coach) Rob Riley showed us around. (Tate Rink) is a perfect college or major junior facility, from the quality of the ice surface, to the close proximity to locker rooms and training areas, to the weight room across the street (in the Kimsey Athletic Center). It was a perfect situation for the team to enjoy ourselves and create a team-building atmosphere."
Philadelphia arrives at West Point on Saturday, Oct. 4. The club will practice at Tate Rink Oct. 5-7 before returning to the "City of Brotherly Love" to open the 2003-04 NHL season at home against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 9. Sunday's practice time is 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday 9:30-11:30 a.m. and Tuesday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. All three practice sessions are open to the public.
Entering his second season behind the Flyers' bench, Hitchcock planned a similar excursion before last season and felt the experience was beneficial. Philadelphia started the year 9-1-2 after spending a week out west prior to opening its 2002-03 slate.
"We had some success early on last year after getting away one week before the season started," Hitchcock said. "We went out west and that helped us focus. With our first two games at home this year, we wanted to find a location closer to Philadelphia."
Hitchcock guided his charges to a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division in 2002-03, one point behind Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils. After eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, 4 games to 3, Philadelphia fell to the Ottawa Senators, 4-2, in the conference semifinals.
"This is another opportunity to showcase our great facilities," Riley said. "We have been very fortunate to host a number of NHL franchises and that is a testament to the facilities here at the Academy."
The Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils have all worked out at West Point since the Holleder Center and Tate Rink was first opened in October 1985. In addition, the U.S. Junior National Team and the Polish National Team have also utilized Tate Rink during various nationwide tours.
Located next to picturesque Michie Stadium, the Holleder Center has been home to Tate Rink and the Army hockey squad since 1985. With a capacity of 2,648, Tate Rink's ice surface and fan seating areas are top-notch and widely considered one of the best on-campus college rinks on the East Coast.
The arena is named for brothers Joseph (USMA '41) and Frederic Tate (USMA '42), who both died in action in World War II. The Tate's were both three-sport athletes during their four years at the Academy, each earning letters in hockey. Frederic captained the 1942 Black Knights.
The Army hockey squad, which opened its training camp a week ago, drops the puck on the 2003-04 season Friday, Oct. 10 against Ryerson University at Tate Rink. The Black Knights embark on their 101st season of hockey at West Point as one of college hockey's all-time winningest programs.
