Grand Rapids Is Getting A Professional Roller Hockey Team
A new decade is bringing a brand new professional team to West Michigan, the Grand Rapids Warthogs.
The Grand Rapids Warthogs are a professional roller hockey team that will be playing out of the Deltaplex Arena starting later this year.
Grand Rapids is the fourth city to have a team join the National Roller Hockey League, a small professional roller hockey league that was originally created in 2014. The league played 2 seasons and then went on hiatus until 2020 when it was restructured. The NRHL currently has 4 teams, Grand Rapids Warthogs, Detroit Dragons, Port Huron Yeti, and the St. Louis Vipers, but is hoping to expand in the coming years.
Right now, the NRHL teams are drafting players and getting ready for the upcoming season which will begin in August. The Warthogs have already drafted a very familiar face with their first draft pick of the season, goalie Tom McCollum. McCollum has a long history with the Grand Rapids Griffins as well as some games in a Detroit Red Wings jersey. He will play goalie for the Warthogs.
If you are interested in seeing what an NRHL game looks like, you can check out the video below of a game in 2016.
According to MLive.com, drafts and free-agent signing will finish up in March and training camps will open in May in preparation for the August 2020 season. As soon as tickets are available for sale you can purchase them at GrandRapidsWarthogs.com.