West Point to Host NHL Exhibition Contest

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point Athletics is welcoming the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils for a pre-season contest on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Tate Rink at 7:30 p.m.

Complimentary tickets for the event are limited and reserved for Cadets, Hockey season ticket holders, the West Point community and invited guests of the National Hockey League teams. Tickets for the game will not be made available to the public.

For those interested in visiting West Point for this unique opportunity, the Panthers will have an open pregame practice on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Tate Rink beginning at 10:30 a.m. The team will skate for approximately 60 minutes and will be open to the public with no tickets necessary to attend.

There is a connection between the U.S. Military Academy and the Panthers front office, as the team's Chairman and Owner Vincent Viola is a 1977 graduate of the Academy. He purchased the Panthers in the fall of 2013. It will be the fourth time the Panthers will train at the U.S. Military Academy.

This is not an unusual thing for West Point as multiple NHL franchises have trained at USMA. In addition to the three visits by the Panthers, previous NHL teams to train at West Point including the Philadelphia Flyers (2008, 2005, 2003, 1998), Pittsburgh Penguins (2007, 2013) New York Rangers (2007, 2005), Buffalo Sabres (1985) and New Jersey Devils (1985).

During the Panther's recent rebranding, the Panthers announced their visit to the banks of the Hudson. They also revealed new uniforms which will don a military-style badge, a nod in honor toward the 101st Airborne Division.

In 2014, the Panthers trained at Tate Rink, toured the campus, went through team building exercises at Camp Buckner and visited with the Army West Point hockey team. The Panthers worked on pilot rescue, minefield escapes and movement under fire with paintballs. The minefield escape was to work on critical thinking and leadership reaction.

View highlights from their last visit here: http://www.goarmywestpoint.com/news/2014/10/7/Panthers_Wrap_Up_Preseason_at_West_Point.aspx?path=mhockey

For up-to-date information about Army hockey, please follow @ArmyWP_Hockey on Twitter and Instagram.

Army West Point Athletics

West Point to Host NHL Exhibition Contest

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