ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A new semi-professional hockey team is coming to Altoona. Galactic Ice will be home to the Altoona Inferno for its inaugural season.
“I think it’ll be really cool, since Altoona has never really had something like this,” Inferno captain Garrett Rupert said.
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The Inferno will play in the American Premier Hockey League, which features former high school and collegiate players. The league has also seen players advance to higher levels over the years, including the NHL.
The team is founded by a father and daughter duo, Kevin and Cadence Diehl. Kevin became familiar with the league through a close acquaintance and wanted to be able to bring it to Altoona.
“I live in the community and it was lacking it, and I just wanted to bring a higher level of hockey to the area,” Kevin said.
Altoona Inferno members (L-R) Kevin Diehl, Cadence Diehl, Cory Myers and Garrett Rupert
The Inferno’s season runs from September through April. They are hoping that the community will support the new team on the block.
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“Just give it a chance,” Inferno general manager and coach Cory Myers said. “Every fan that [I had when I played] in Pittsburgh, it was the first time they came and we always saw them again.”
Altoona is hoping to play a tough, physical brand of hockey that hopes to make the city proud.
“The team wants to win. We want Altoona to win,” Kevin said. “We’d like bragging rights in the league. So they’re going to fight for that.”
They will also allow local players, like Rupert, to lace up the skates once again. The Inferno will hold tryouts at Galactic Ice on June 6 and June 13.
“I think there’s an opportunity for guys that just graduate high school and college around here that can come, try out and definitely play and extend their career,” Myers said.
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To keep up with the team’s journey, you can follow the Altoona Inferno on Facebook and Instagram.
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