Opening day for the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) came and went last month with little media attention. For diehard fans of the FPHL and its 11 teams, Oct. 10 was a much-anticipated day.
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The professional independent minor league, founded in 2009 as the Federal Hockey League (FHL), has teams located in the Midwestern, Southern, and Northeastern United States that play in small to medium-sized arenas. The league’s body of players largely consists of former NCAA Division II and III varsity hockey players. Last season’s league crown was captured by the Danbury Hat Tricks, a team that hails from a city with its own brand of minor league hockey folklore thanks in large part to the former United Hockey League (UHL) team, the Danbury Trashers.
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Despite a commitment by league officials to expand the number of teams in coming years, fans in one semi-rural Delaware community are mourning the absence of their team.
The Delaware Thunder, founded in 2019, played three seasons at the Centre Ice Arena in Harrington. The Centre, as it is often referred to, is a 700-seat facility located on the Delaware State Fairgrounds. Throughout the franchise’s history, the Centre was often filled to capacity for home games. Loyal fans from the surrounding rural communities flocked to games to enjoy the physical style of play the league offers in an intimate setting. Everything from the canned beer to plastic souvenir Viking helmets dotting the crowd set the stage for a fun-filled night.
When I attended a game in March 2023, the seats were packed, and the standing-room areas along the glass were at least two people deep. The presence of this many fans alone is a statement of the club’s ability to draw a crowd, a code that numerous minor league hockey teams have yet to decipher. Fans overwhelmingly clad in Carhartt brand work clothes exchanged friendly jabs with the small group of Port Huron Prowlers’ fans who roamed the rink. Despite the Thunder’s dismal record and last-place standing, boisterous fans, both young and old, cheered on every shot, save, breakaway, and check. When two opposing players engaged in a scuffle that was quickly broken up by officials, the crowd’s cheering was deafening. As I left the Centre that evening, I remember thinking to myself, “This is what minor league hockey is all about.”
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Unfortunately, the ice hockey magic I experienced that evening in the heart of Delaware did not return for the 2023-24 season. Soon after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, team officials announced that they were uncertain about the team’s future at the Delaware State Fairgrounds as an agreement between the Thunder and Delaware State Fairgrounds could not be reached. In an April 8, 2023 article for Delaware’s CBS affiliate, a State Fairgrounds spokesman stated that the decision to not renew the Thunder’s lease for this season was influenced by the desire to use the venue to serve the community and work with non-profit organizations.
Thunder officials seeking to keep the team in Delaware, and ultimately save the 2023-24 season, requested a one-year extension of their lease at the State Fairgrounds. According to team officials, this request was also declined. As a result, the team was forced to scramble to not only move operations out of the venue, but also seek out a new home. The Thunder were then left with two options; go dormant until a new home could be secured in the area or move out of state.
A New Home in Dover
A June 19th announcement on Facebook reaffirmed the team’s commitment to the fans and their community. Unfortunately, this commitment also meant at least one dormant season for the Thunder. In this announcement, Delaware Thunder CEO and President Charles F. Pens Sr. revealed plans for a new home for his team in the coming seasons. He was quoted as saying, “We had looked at a possible temporary move, but decided to remain focused on the plans for a new facility in the great state of Delaware, and in particular, the City of Dover.”
The new facility referenced in this statement is the recently proposed Dover Civic Center. Located 18 miles north of the Delaware State Fairgrounds, Dover is the capital city of the state. With a population of approximately 40,000 people, the city is also home to Dover Air Force Base. All these factors considered, bringing a minor league hockey team to Dover seems like a “no-brainer” for city officials and investors. Furthermore, the proximity of Dover to Harrington’s strong hockey fan base would also serve the franchise well in settling into a new home.
Plans for the Dover Civic Center include an ice hockey rink for the Thunder that will be surrounded by space for other businesses such as restaurants, an exercise facility, medical facilities, and meeting spaces. The project is estimated to cost between $10 and $15 million to complete.
Regarding a potential partnership between the Thunder and the City of Dover, Pens stated, “We are excited to build on the amazing fan base, corporate support, and energy we have here in Delaware. The City of Dover and the Mayor have been so welcoming, and so out of respect for this, we want to put all our efforts into this project.”
At the time of this story, plans to construct the Dover Civic Center are still in the works. The Dover Civic Arena Group is in the process of finalizing designs and getting bids from construction firms to break ground. Team officials remain committed to bringing the Thunder to Dover and ending the team’s dormancy from FPHL play as soon as possible.
This writer can only hope that the next installment of the Thunder will capture the same ice hockey magic that swirled through the Delaware State Fairgrounds that March evening in 2023.