There's a new kid in Hockeytown.
A region sweet on the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings has another professional hockey team vying for a piece of its affection, as the Detroit Dragons of the fledgling All American Hockey Association embark on their inaugural season in Fraser's Great Lakes Sports City.
It is a daring venture, given Michigan's reeling economy and the fact that pro hockey has been attempted at the Macomb County venue before, with limited success. But team officials are confident that the Dragons will catch on in this hockey haven, in spite of — and to an extent because of — those apparent obstacles.
"I'm very confident," said owner and general manager Matt Mitchell. "I have people writing in saying they're happy there's going to be a professional hockey team in Fraser.
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Originally slated to play this season in the now-defunct Mid-Atlantic Hockey League, the startup Dragons pulled out earlier this year to form the AAHA along with three other Midwest franchises.
The AAHA — which also consists of the Battle Creek Revolution and two Illinois franchises, the Evansville Ice Men and the Chi-Town Shooters — plans to expand to five teams next season with the addition of the Michigan Thunder, in a city yet to be announced.
The Dragons will play a 42-game regular season schedule starting Nov. 14 with a home game versus Battle Creek. Detroit will host the Revolution in an exhibition game Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
Not affiliated with any other leagues, the AAHA is a single-A developmental league designed to give former college and junior players the pro experience they need to advance to higher-level leagues. Mitchell is loath to describe the AAHA as "low-level" hockey, however.
"There's an extreme amount of talent in this league," he said. "It's going to be fast-paced. We could compete at a double-A level. The speed is going to be there; the talent is going to be there.
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As of earlier this week, the Dragons had signed most of the 17 salaried players who will occupy the team's 20-player roster. Most are from the Metro Detroit area, which team officials hope endear the Dragons to local fans.
"I'm pleasantly surprised and pleased at this point at the type of team we're putting together," said Dragons coach Steve Shannon, a familiar figure in the local hockey scene. He previously coached the Motor City Mechanics, who played at the Fraser arena from 2004-06 as a member of the United Hockey League before suspending operations for the 2006-07 season.
"We're going to play an aggressive style with an aggressive forecheck, and very much like I've coached in years past, it will be an entertaining style," said Shannon, 58, a Sterling Heights resident. "What fans in general look for (from their team) is effort, and that's what I look for as a head coach. I look for guys who work hard, are committed to team play and sacrifice.
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Asked if the job description also includes fighting, the notoriously fiery Shannon hardly demurred.
"I'm looking for a tough, physical team and we'll let the other extra-curricular activities take place as the other team wishes it to," he said. "We're not going to go out and start anything, but my personality being as it is, we're not going to take a back seat to anybody in that area. If you want to bite the dog, be prepared for the dog to bite back.
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Despite the unspectacular history of pro hockey in Fraser — before the Mechanics, the Detroit Falcons of the Colonial Hockey League played there for five seasons until moving to Port Huron — Dragons officials said the team's prospects for success are good.
"From the statistics we've seen, the Falcons and Mechanics averaged 1,500 fans a game and that's more than enough for us to survive revenue-wise in this league," said Mitchell, noting that the Dragons' $250,000 budget is about six times smaller than those of the Mechanics and Falcons.
"We'd be very successful if we had 1,500 fans a game" in the 3,400-seat Great Lakes Sports City arena, said Mitchell, a 21-year-old Battle Creek native who flirted with a career as a pro hockey player before starting up the Dragons.
"I feel lucky to be in this arena at that location because of the established fan base. Because of the fallout of the UHL with the Mechanics, I think people (in Macomb County) are missing hockey," he said.
Shannon agreed that the Dragons can succeed where their predecessors have not.
"I know it's the third time (hockey) has been there, but given some time, (fans in Macomb County) have always been supportive," he said. "When we were picking venues, I thought this would be a very good location based on those previous experiences. They've been very supportive in the past and we're hoping that will happen again.
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The popularity of the Red Wings doesn't diminish the Dragons' chances of taking flight, either, according to Mitchell.
"I think that having the Red Wings here isn't going to hurt us. If anything, it's going to help us because no one can afford to go to their games. Their ticket prices are outrageous," said Mitchell.
The Dragons have set low ticket prices (starting at $9 for general admission seats) to make going to games affordable for fans, even in the midst of the Michigan recession, Mitchell said.
The team is also planning player autograph sessions, appearances by local celebrities and occasional after-game concerts to boost attendance, as well as community outreach efforts aimed at introducing players to the public.
