Andrew Telfer has done a lot of things for the sport of hockey in his time. Nasher’s list of accolades spans everything from being a leading NHL gamer and streamer to a social media influencer to being an NHL esports broadcaster. He’s even signed an apparel and equipment deal with Bauer.
But on Saturday, Nasher may have accomplished one of his biggest things yet. In the Columbus suburb of Plain City, he and his team held the grand opening of Heatwave Arena.
Over 1,000 fans came out for the grand opening. The initial line to get in spanned into the parking lot of some of the other businesses around the new rink. The Columbus Blue Jackets‘ mobile tour paid a visit. There were opportunities to show off different hockey skills as well as play the latest hockey video games against friendly competition.
Then when inside Heatwave Arena, one thing was obvious. The day itself was not only to celebrate the opening of this new roller-hockey rink, it was to celebrate everyone who now had a new place to go to immerse themselves in the sport of hockey. The number of kids who came out for the grand opening was exactly what Nasher dreamt about and was hoping to see.
Telfer was kind enough to spend a couple minutes with the Hockey Writers on Saturday to talk about the opening of Heatwave Arena and what he hopes it becomes in the future.
Nasher Saw Opportunity
Before Nasher became a sensation, he was playing roller hockey in the Columbus suburb of Grandview just like many others were. That was his go-to spot. Columbus was a big roller hockey town thanks in large part to the efforts of the Blue Jackets in helping to grow the game.
While all of the hockey activity was great to see, Nasher saw an opportunity especially for the kids of the neighborhood. Let him explain.
“With the outdoor rinks, there’s obviously leagues and programs they do there, but the thing is that it’s getting rained out and things are rescheduled each week,” Telfer said. “We really wanted a place that kids can come and it’s just a consistent place that hockey’s always going on. They can learn to play the game and just grow up in the next generation of hockey players.”
As Nasher continued to rise up in the hockey world, his desire to open an indoor hockey rink locally grew with that. Thanks to the work he and his team put in which took about a year all told thanks in large part to securing the warehouse, Heatwave Arena became a reality.
What Heatwave Arena Offers
Heatwave Arena will offer both programs and leagues for kids and adults alike. Whether it’s just learning how to play the game or getting involved in some competition, there is something for everyone.
“We’ll have both youth and adult leagues going on here,” Nasher said. “We want this to be a place no matter where you’re from, who you are, this is the place that you can come and enjoy hockey. We’ll have learn to play programs. We’ll have Saturday youth leagues, and then we have adult leagues going on pretty much every single day of the week.”
While the adult leagues have already started, Nasher said it’s not too late to sign up to join the league if there’s a full team that wants to get in. In addition, signups are currently ongoing for the youth leagues that are coming up. He said that should get started within a couple weeks time.
Nasher’s Message
Nasher’s dream was to build Heatwave Arena so that the next generation of kids locally in Columbus had their opportunity to start pursuing their dreams in a fun and safe environment. At the heart of the matter here was making it inclusive for anyone who wanted to come out.
If anyone has thought about or is thinking about coming out and trying Heatwave Arena but maybe still isn’t quite sure about it, here is Nasher’s message to you. Everyone is welcome.
“We want this to just be a place that you can come and have fun,” Nasher said. “And it doesn’t matter if you’ve never touched the ice before or never touched roller blades before. This is a place where you can learn to love hockey for the first time. We want to grow up the next generation of players. You don’t have to be the best player to get out here. You just show up as yourself and have a blast.”
Nasher has already influenced a generation of hockey fans. Now he’s hoping to influence the next generation and beyond in the Columbus community. Saturday marked in an important day in that regard. Thanks to Heatwave Arena, the dreams of several kids may now have a path to be fully realized in due time.
