Junior hockey returning to Jamestown?
Multiple sources are saying that junior hockey is poised to return to Jamestown, N.Y. for the 2014-2015 season.
Jamestown — which is located about 75 miles from Buffalo — was home to the Ironmen of the North American Hockey League for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons.
Shortly after winning the NAHL North Division title in 2012-2013 and going to the league’s Robertson Cup tournament, the Ironmen went dormant and despite last-ditch attempts to purchase the franchise from mercurial owner Kenji Yamada, Jamestown was left without junior hockey for this 2013-2014 season.
One source, news hound Ryan Hedrick of radio station WLKW 95.3 The Lake, is on record as reporting that Jamestown could well be home to a team in the North American 3 Hockey League for the 2014-2015 season.
The hustling Hedrick told me that a group of Jamestown businessmen are in a “progressive stage” of putting together a bid for a franchise in what is currently a 21-team, four division NA3HL.
With a population of about 31,000, Jamestown is home to a $26 million, state-of-the-art facility — the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena.
The JSBA recently hired Brian Cersosimo as its new general manager.
Cersosimo, who has a strong hockey background, replaced the fired Kurt Silcott as GM of the JSBA.