BIDDEFORD — Piece by piece the Maine Wild junior hockey team is building toward the program’s inaugural season this September. The Wild is the newest tenant at the Biddeford Ice Arena, and since the formation of the team was announced in January, there have been signs of the Wild’s arrival popping up at the arena.
The team, which is run by The Hockey Academy out of Hudson, N. H., is the newest member of the Northern States Junior Hockey League, which has teams in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.
“They had the opportunity to host, and to bring in a junior franchise,” Dan Frontas, the Wild’s general manager, said of why The Hockey Academy chose BIA. “With UNE moving to the new rink, it opened up some valuable ice time, and it opened up some valuable office and locker room space that is attractive to a junior program.”
The Wild announced the formation of the team in late January, along with the logo and a home at BIA. The team has already set up a Facebook page and a Twitter account to help garner interest in the community.
“That’s today’s world,” Frontas said of getting into social media from the beginning. “I think it’s important that people do know that we are there, and we are going to be communicating.”
Two of the biggest steps for the franchise are taking place this month. On Wednesday the team announced the hiring of Mike Tenney as the coach of the Wild. Tenney comes to the Wild after coaching the Islanders of the Empire Junior Hockey League last year.
“His experience in the junior hockey world is really attractive to me. His ability to recruit is really attractive to me,” Frontas said of Tenney. “And his ability to relate to his players. He’s a players’ coach.
“He will work hard for his kids, and he’ll make sure that they have an opportunity to move on.”
Later this month the Wild will begin the process of finding the players who will make up the team. The team’s first tryout will take place at the University of New England’s Alfond Forum on March 29 and 30.
“I’m excited to see what the local talent has,” Tenney said of the tryout. “I’m really excited to get them all on the ice, and in the same place at the same time, and see what they have to offer.”
Tenney said that he won’t cut anybody at the tryout, because he wants all the kids to be able to play to their ability without being worried about making mistakes.
Both Frontas and Tenney said they were excited to call BIA home for the team. Tenney said he’s been to the rink in the past when UNE played there, and he thinks it’s perfect for the Wild.
“I love that kind of rink. I think the arena is awesome,” said Tenney. “I imagine that place being packed on a Friday night to come see the Wild play.”
“I think Biddeford Ice Arena has the ability to become a really neat environment, and I think the kids are going to love playing there,” said Frontas.
Tenney expressed a desire for the team to ingrain itself into the community, not only to bring in fans, but to become an important part of greater Biddeford.
“I’m really hoping that this can be a great venture, not only for us as the Maine Wild, but as Biddeford as a community, and it’s something that everybody can get behind,” said Tenney. “Most teams don’t care enough to get the community involved. We’re going to be different. We want to get the community involved, and we want to be involved in the community.”
Tenney said there’s a lot of work to be done between now and September before the actual games start, but he said he’s “pumped” for the season to begin.
Frontas also said he can’t wait for the games to begin.
“I can’t wait for the first puck drop on the first night,” he said.
— Contact Wil Kramlich at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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