NEW MEXICO ICE WOLVES NA3HL TEAM DEDICATING WEEKEND TO TAOS YOUTH HOCKEY FOR ARENA FIRE RECOVERY
Team to Wear Special Taos Youth Hockey Jerseys During Home Games on Friday-Sunday, December 6-8, 2024 with Game Worn Jerseys Available on DASH Auctions and All Proceeds Going to Taos Youth Hockey
Entire Taos Youth Hockey Organization to be Honored During Sunday, December 8 Game at 2pm MT at Outpost Ice Arenas
(Albuquerque, NM) Monday, December 2, 2024 — The New Mexico Ice Wolves North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) team today announced the team is dedicating a three-game home weekend to Taos Youth Hockey starting Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 at Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque. Taos Youth Hockey suffered a severe setback this season when their arena caught fire last summer, yet continues their commitment to providing a hockey season for their kids and to Growing the Game in their community. Plans to get Taos Youth Hockey back on their own home ice are still not settled but many volunteers, families, arenas and other hockey organizations in the state are providing strong support.
The NM Ice Wolves NA3HL team will wear special jerseys honoring Taos Youth Hockey with images from games in the Taos arena and logos for the Taos Tigers. All game worn jerseys will be auctioned on Dash Auctions with all proceeds going to Taos Youth Hockey. The entire Taos Youth Hockey organization including players and their families have been invited to be special guests at the Sunday, December 8 game at 2pm MT when the team will recognize and honor Sandy Emory, President of Taos Youth Hockey, the Taos mayor and Town Council, as well as everyone in the organization in a special pregame ceremony at center ice.
“The August third rink fire has put the future of Taos Youth Hockey at stake and we are working tirelessly to get the Town of Taos to commit to having us back on local ice by next season,” said Sandy Emory, President of Taos Youth Hockey Association. “We are thankful for the outpouring of support from the New Mexico and Colorado hockey communities who are helping us get through the season. This special offer of support from the New Mexico Ice Wolves came at a time when our kids needed a glimmer of hope and something to look forward to. Watching the New Mexico Ice Wolves play in jerseys showcasing our home rink, teammates and Taos Mountain is very exciting for our whole community.”
“The Town of Taos and the community of Taos are thankful to the New Mexico Ice Wolves for their support of Taos Youth Hockey as we navigate through a difficult season without a rink,” said Pascualito Maestas, Mayor of Taos, NM. “The Town of Taos is actively exploring all options to be able to create ice in the 25/26 season, and the support of the New Mexico Ice Wolves is incredibly meaningful to all of us in Taos, especially to our youth with a passion for hockey.”
“The ice hockey community in New Mexico has really come together for Taos Youth Hockey with other youth hockey organizations and arenas around the state helping to provide ice time in order to keep their program alive and the kids in the game,” said Stan E. Hubbard, owner of the New Mexico Ice Wolves Organization and Outpost Ice Arenas. “We are proud to help any way we can and encourage the public to come out and support Taos Youth Hockey at the game, in the jersey auction and with their generous contributions.”
Throughout the weekend all proceeds of rubber NM Ice Wolves that fans toss on the ice after the home team scores will go to Taos Youth Hockey as will Chuck-a-Puck proceeds. In addition to supporting Taos Youth Hockey as fans this weekend and participating in the jersey auction, contributions can be made online at https://www.taoshockey.com/ or sent to Taos Coyote Youth Hockey Association, PO Box 415, Taos, NM 87571. The Dash Auction for Taos Youth Hockey jerseys opens Friday, December 6 at 4pm MT and will close Monday, December 9 at 5pm MT. Starting auction price is $125 with $25 increments and a buy now option at $500. To bid on an item you must create a Dash Auctions account by visiting https://web.dashapp.io/register, then download the app, sign in and you’re set to place a bid to help Taos Youth Hockey and get a very unique jersey.
Adding to the fun of the weekend, Saturday’s game will be the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss when fans bring teddy bears and other stuffed animals to toss onto the ice after the home team’s first goal. Major Hollie Anderson of the Bernalillo County Sheriff Office, and a hockey mom, will be on hand for a pregame faceoff and all teddy bears will collected and given to BCSO for deputies to provide to kids during difficult encounters during the holiday season.
For information about how someone can help to get the arena rebuilt in time for next season please visit Taos Youth Hockey Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TaosYouthHockey/ and to make donations directly to Taos Youth Hockey Association use this QR code:
The NM Ice Wolves NA3HL team continue their 2024-2025 season sitting at third place in the South Division with a record of 20-14-4-1. Following two sweeps in a row against the Texas Brahmas and Tulsa Jr. Oilers they took three of six points home from El Paso this past weekend as they host the Texas Road Runners the weekend of December 6-8 and go all out to help Taos Youth Hockey. Tickets for NM Ice Wolves NA3HL team home games are available at tickets.3hlnmicewolves.com. Partial season tickets (12 games) start at $180 for reserved stadium chair seats and $120 for bleacher seats. Partial season tickets are also available in a six-game flex pack, $90 for stadium chair seats and $60 for bleacher seats.
The team has two hospitality suites available on a single game basis. Suites come with light snacks and fountain drinks, and catering options are available for an additional charge. The Land of Enchantment Suite starts at $300 and seats 32, and the Sandia Suite starts at $350 and seats 42. Anyone interested in reserving a suite for a group or special event can contact tickets@nmicewolves.com for more information.
All NA3HL games are live on NATV through a monthly or annual subscription, there is also a pay-as-you-go option to pay per game. To learn more about the NM Ice Wolves NA3HL team please visit their NA3HL Team Page or on social media on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and the arena at www.outposticearena.com. For team media inquiries, please contact Aaron Martinez at 505-212-8762 or amartinez@reelz.com
The full NM Ice Wolves NA3HL schedule can be viewed here.
About Taos Youth Hockey
Taos Youth Hockey is a non-profit, 100% volunteer-run organization in Taos, New Mexico – built around the primary principle of hockey being fun. Our organization was established in 1990 and has only gotten better with age! Our youth players have earned over 15 State Championships during that time. We offer winter ice hockey to children ages 3-18 and want the entire community to know that every kid is welcome to come play the coolest game in Taos!
Because our program has grown from such grassroots as the outdoor rink in Kit Carson Park, we have been featured in the national magazine “USA Hockey Magazine”.
Our signature end-of-season tournament is the Coyote Classic, in years past we have been known to hold up to 4-5 tournaments in a season. In one of our tournaments in 2013 a team came as far as St. Thomas Aquinas, Ontario, Canada! These tournaments greatly boost our tourism and economic development within the town of Taos. We believe our success will directly influence the sport and event-related tourism contributing to the economic growth of Taos.
About DASH
DASH is a fan activation platform built specifically for sports teams and their fans. Teams and fans across college and professional sports, as well as throughout the US and Canada, have had tremendous success enhancing their game day, and non-game day fan experience on the platform. For more information about DASH, visit http://www.winwithdash.com.
DASH was founded in 2015 by Jonathan Hufnagel in Plano, Texas. While working for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer, Hufnagel recognized the opportunity to launch DASH. With the prevalence of smartphones in every fan’s hand, he recognized the potential in digitizing team auctions and additional Ecommerce offerings. Through the auctions, fans could connect with their favorite teams in an emotional and engaging way, and at the same time get their hands on the most authentic memorabilia and team experiences. For the teams, they could connect with their fans and drive revenues for other business units of the club, such as merchandise, concessions, sponsorships, and ticket sales.
About the NA3HL
In its 15th season in 2024-25, the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior league and serves as one of the top training grounds in the country by providing the best coaching, exposure and developmental vehicles available for student-athletes in its classification. The primary mission of the NA3HL, which is managed organizationally by the North American Hockey League (NAHL), is to provide a structured developmental environment for student-athletes who have aspirations of playing in Tier I or II junior hockey and eventually the NCAA or American College Hockey Association. For more information, visit www.na3hl.com
