Blaze heating up hockey league in the suburbs
If you didn't see the small yard sign off Hicks Road, with arrows pointed in the direction of the West Meadows Ice Arena in Rolling Meadows, you wouldn't know the Chicago Blaze was playing Sunday.
But that afternoon, Chicago's entry in the All American Hockey League faced off with the Battle Creek Revolution in front of a sparse crowd seated in the ice arena's bleachers.
Anyone who wanted could stand by the boards and watch the puck as it skidded down the ice and almost feel the thud of a hard check.
The Blaze entered Sunday's game 8-2, with a roster that included several local players, including Pat Lee, 25, of Schaumburg, Arik Lebda, 25, a native of Buffalo Grove, and brothers Chris Mattey, 23, and Aaron Matty, 32, of Palatine.
Aaron Mattey, who is also the team's general manager, said he owns the team with Chris and his other brother Mike. He said he has a hockey background but is also involved in the music industry, owning two record labels.
"I'm in it for the love of the game," he said. "I still train every day. I still have a lot of energy to play the game, but would like to continue coaching and have my hand in some ownership with professional hockey as well."
He said the team is a six-figure investment, with one out of five dollars being spent on players.
"You really focus on selling advertising and sponsorships to local businesses. You really try to involve the community and families around," he said.
Finding a venue was not difficult, since there is a heavy local connection between the Matteys and the Rolling Meadows rink. One of the men who runs the rink, Brent Dolan, coached Aaron Mattey as a youth.
The Blaze plays in what is known as a developmental league. Those who play, by and large, are there because they love to play. But there is always the potential for players to move up.
"The most challenge is dealing with the inconsistency," Coach Steve Pronger said. "At a Class A level professional team, you have guys that want to move up and develop a pro career. But if you compared it to, say, the American Hockey League or the NHL, they may be good skaters, they may be good shooters, they may have the individual skill sets that could allow them to have a good pro career. But it's the inconsistency of putting that together, game after game after game."
Pronger said his top players include Lee, who is leading the league in scoring, and Lebda, the younger brother of Brett Lebda of the Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings.
Lee said he grew up playing with some members of the team. In fact, he and Lebda were members of a state championship team, the Glenview Stars, when they were 10 years old. Lee made detours into roller hockey, at one time playing in Paris.
As a professional, the center has played for the Amarillo Guerillas in the Central Hockey League.
"I wasn't planning on playing this year," he said. "I was just going to play the men's league, or beer league, whatever you call it. It's just more for fun with my friends."
He moved back to the area two months before the season began, not even knowing of the Blaze's existence. But when he received a call from the team, he decided to suit up.
Attendance is still a challenge.
"We have been getting between 300 and 450 people," Aaron Mattey. "We have been doing a lot of promotions," including community outreach programs to draw local youth.
"We're new, and not a lot of people know about our team yet," Lee added.
Pronger said Chicago is a great hockey market, with an opportunity for growth for the Blaze, especially if the other franchises are blooming.
"The better the Hawks do, the better the Wolves do, the better we all do," he said. "If hockey is buzzing around this city, people in the suburbs might not be able to afford the ticket prices or the trip (downtown)."
The price of a Blaze ticket is $8 for adults, $5 for children. Parking is free.
"We want to provide a good professional hockey experience for people who can't make the trip downtown, can't afford the tickets. We're here for them," Pronger said.