Auburn Ice Hockey Club will hold outdoor competitions in Athens

The Auburn Ice Hockey Club is preparing to face Georgia in an outdoor contest in late February, the club announced Saturday.

The series will take place somewhere in Athens, but the exact location of the game has not been revealed. A source associated with the team told The Plainsman that it has also indicated to make it an annual event.

The Tigers will wear jerseys specially designed for the event. These jerseys, along with a range of related products, will be available for a limited sale.

The series is inspired by the NHL’s Winter Classic series, which began in 2008, as a way to show the game to large outdoor audiences. Although Alabama is not a traditional hockey hub, the sport has grown in popularity in recent years, in part due to the success of the Nashville Predators and nearby Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL.

Auburn Hockey is currently 6-2-2 this season, including a 3-2 overtime loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. The club has changed coaches. Former head coach Marcel Richard, who was with the team for eight years, was replaced by former assistant Ryan Rutz.

More details on the away series, as well as the special alternate jerseys, should be coming soon. Until then, Auburn Hockey has several weekend series against Alabama and Florida Atlantic, including a home series against the Crimson Tide on Jan. 22-23 at the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia.