The season begins Friday, October 16, in Birmingham before the Ice Flyers return to the Bay Center for Opening Night on Saturday, October 17, launching their pursuit of another Southern Professional Hockey League championship. Fans can view the complete schedule now and start planning for another season of unforgettable nights at the Bay Center.

“We are excited to share our schedule with Ice Flyers fans and begin the countdown to opening night,” said Head Coach Jeremy Gates. “Our players, staff, and organization can’t wait to get back on the ice and compete in front of the best fans in the SPHL.”

The 2026–27 schedule features matchups against familiar SPHL rivals, first-time meetings with the Athens Rock Lobsters and Pee Dee IceCats, holiday hockey, and plenty of opportunities for fans to pack the Hangar throughout the season.

While the full promotional calendar will be announced soon, fans can look forward to the return of fan-favorite theme nights, specialty jerseys, giveaways, community events, and family-friendly entertainment that have become a staple of the Ice Flyers experience.

“We’re incredibly excited to offer our fans 30 home games this season,” said team owner Greg Harris. “The energy and support our community brings to the arena makes every home game special, and this expanded schedule gives us even more opportunities to create memorable experiences together. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back, build on that excitement, and make this season one to remember.”

Season Tickets for the 2026–27 season are available now and remain the best way to experience every moment of Ice Flyers hockey. Members receive exclusive benefits, merchandise discounts, special event access, and guaranteed seats for all regular season home games. Make the Hangar yours this season.

View the Full Schedule

For the latest Ice Flyers news, player signings, and offseason updates, download the Ice Flyers mobile app and follow the team on social media.

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Mouland returns to Pensacola after appearing in 35 regular-season games during the 2025–26 campaign, recording one assist while bringing a physical presence to the Ice Flyers’ blue line. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound defenseman also accumulated 44 penalty minutes, establishing himself as a reliable, hard-nosed defender. 

“Samson is a player who competes hard and brings the type of intensity that fits our identity. He is willing to do what ever it takes for the team to win” said Head Coach Jeremy Gates. “We’re looking forward to seeing him take another step forward in his game. He is a great person in our room and in this community. He is easy going and is adaptable to change. He has Ice Flyer qualities that are hard to find.”

A right-shot defenseman from Hay River, Northwest Territories, Mouland joined the Ice Flyers during the 2025–26 season and quickly earned the trust of the coaching staff with his defensive reliability and willingness to play in difficult situations. His size, reach, and physical style made him a dependable presence in the defensive zone throughout the year. 

Known for his toughness and team-first mentality, Mouland will look to build on his first season in Pensacola while continuing to provide leadership and stability on the blue line.

“I’m excited to be back in Pensacola, we have the best fans in the league” said Mouland. “I want to use my compete level, intensity, and speed to help bring a championship back to Pensacola.”

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German returns to Pensacola after recording 28 points on 16 goals and 12 assists in 58 regular-season games during his first season with the Ice Flyers. The Canton, Michigan, native added 2 assists in three postseason appearances.

“We’re excited to welcome Tyler German back to Pensacola,” said Head Coach Jeremy Gates. “Tyler is a dependable player who competes every shift, plays the game the right way, and brings a strong work ethic that fits exactly what we’re building. His familiarity with our organization and commitment to our standards make him an important piece as we continue to build a team that our fans are proud of.”

A right-shot winger, German joined the Ice Flyers late in the 2024-25 season following the conclusion of his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Where he produced 39 points (14g, 25a) across 89 games. German reunites with former University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point teammate Andrew Poulias as part of the Ice Flyers’ 2026–27 roster.

Known for his speed, physicality, scoring ability, German established himself as an important piece to the Pensacola lineup last season. He returns focused on contributing in every situation and helping the Ice Flyers compete for a championship.

“The Ice Flyers are a successful franchise with many championships,” German said. “I want to do my best to help bring a championship back to the beach”

German began playing hockey at the age of five in Canton, Michigan, after his father introduced him and his older brother to the game. The two spent countless hours playing together on the same teams, competing in basement mini-stick battles and roller hockey games in their backyard, helping foster the passion and competitive spirit that shaped German’s career.

The 2026-27 campaign will mark German’s third season with the Ice Flyers.

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Poulias returns to Pensacola after recording 27 points on 10 goals and 17 assists in 57 regular-season games during his first season with the Ice Flyers. The Whitby, Ontario, native added an assist in three postseason appearances. 

“Andrew is a proven offensive player who has been consistent and plays with great hockey IQ,” Head Coach Jeremy Gates said. “He brings leadership, skill and creativity to our lineup. What really stands out to us is his competitiveness and desire to win. We’re excited to have Andrew back, and we know our fans enjoy watching him play.” 

A right-shot center, Poulias joined the Ice Flyers ahead of the 2025-26 season following the conclusion of his collegiate career and an 11-game stint with the Peoria Rivermen. He produced 90 points (44g, 46a) across 117 games at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 

Known for his speed, intelligence and competitive edge, Poulias established himself as a versatile presence in the Pensacola lineup last season. He returns focused on contributing in every situation and helping the Ice Flyers compete for a championship. 

“I want to be a difference-maker night in and night out,” Poulias said. “Whether it’s through physicality, production or leadership, I want to help bring a championship back to Pensacola.” 

Poulias grew up playing for the Whitby Wildcats and was introduced to hockey by his father and older brother at an early age. His older brother played goaltender, giving the two plenty of opportunities to compete against one another while growing up. 

The 2026-27 campaign will mark Poulias’ second season with the Ice Flyers. 

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Stevens joined the Ice Flyers ahead of the 2025-26 season and quickly became an integral part of the team’s success. Working alongside Head Coach Jeremy Gates, Stevens helped guide Pensacola to a 28-21-9 regular-season record, finishing with 65 points and earning a spot in the President’s Cup Playoffs.

“Justin made a wonderful impact on our organization from the day he arrived,” said Head Coach Jeremy Gates. “His work ethic, hockey insight, and ability to connect with our players helped our culture shift and made us competitive every night. While we’re certainly going to miss having him in our organization and on the bench, this is a tremendous opportunity, and wish him and his family nothing but success and the very best.”

Before arriving in Pensacola, Stevens built a reputation as a dedicated coach with a strong understanding of player development. His attention to detail, preparation, and passion for teaching made him a valuable asset throughout the season.

“On behalf of the entire Ice Flyers organization, we’d like to thank Justin for everything he brought to our team this season,” said Ice Flyers Owner Greg Harris. “His commitment to our players and our organization helped lay the foundation for a successful year. We wish him nothing but the best with the Reading Royals and know he’ll continue to make an impact.”

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He leaves on the highest note of his career. This spring the SPHL named Chesnut its 2025-26 Equipment Manager of the Year, making him the first three-time winner of the award, an honor voted on by the league’s own equipment managers and athletic trainers.

Chesnut’s road started in 1998-99 with the Topeka Scarecrows of the Central Hockey League and his career ran nearly three decades. Across that span, he worked for 12 different teams in five professional leagues. He reached the American Hockey League, one rung below the NHL, with the Lowell Lock Monsters, spent two seasons in his hometown with the Oklahoma City Blazers, and carried the head equipment manager title at stops in Mississippi, Norfolk, and Jacksonville before settling in with the Ice Flyers.

Ask him which stop shaped him most, and he goes straight to Lowell. It was there he found a mentor in Wally, a longtime AHL and NHL equipment man who passed away a few years ago. “He taught me a lot,” Chesnut said. “I learned so much more about skate steel and balancing skates from Wally. I already knew how to balance skates, but the method he taught me was tremendous. It took my skate work to another level.” His first mentor, years earlier, was Stevie, the equipment man in Tulsa, who taught him the trade from the ground up. “I’m forever grateful to Stevie and Wally for their guidance and friendship for so many years.”

That obsession with skates became the standard Chesnut would never let slide. “I had to be very meticulous with sharpening the players’ skates,” he said. “You can have the best hands in the world on the ice, but if you can’t get up and down the ice, it doesn’t matter.”

Players knew him for more than his edges. Chesnut is a practical joker, a guy who keeps the room loose when it needs it. Down a goal between periods with a quiet locker room, he was the one who would walk in and crack something just to get the boys’ heads back up.

He has the stories to match. His favorite is the morning Oklahoma City head coach Doug Sauder, a cowboy from Saskatchewan, walked a horse into the locker room during a commercial shoot. Sauder, twisting his handlebar mustache, told the room he was just showing the boys his horse. Chesnut looked at him and made the terms clear. “She’s a beauty, but if she makes a mess, you’re the one cleaning it up.” That, he says, is hockey life. There is always something.

The coaches and teammates who stuck with him share a thread. Tom Rowe, his Coach and General Manager in Lowell, showed him how the game was run at the highest levels and helped him earn three NHL exhibition games. Sauder was a character he will never forget. And in Pensacola, head coach Jeremy Gates is the kind of old school hockey man Chesnut connects with, someone who has seen the game change the same way he has.

What he will not miss is easy. “I am definitely not going to miss three or four hours of laundry.” What he will miss is harder to say out loud. “I will miss the camaraderie with the boys,” he said. “It is coming into the office every morning and saying, hey, how you are doing. When you have been doing this as long as I have, that stands out. That I will miss.”

He is not disappearing entirely, and there is unfinished business. Chesnut sits two games short of 1,600 for his professional career, so the Ice Flyers are bringing him back for two games next season to reach the milestone in a Pensacola unifrom. He also plans to be around for training camp to help the next Equipment Manager get to know the ropes in Pensacola. In between, retirement means time with his wife Cindy, trips to see their grandson in Ireland, and a little travel through Europe. After six-to-nine-month seasons for most of his life, he is ready for the quieter stretch.

Asked what he would say to Ice Flyers fans, Chesnut didn’t need long. “If I could only have two words, it would be thank you. They have shown me respect for what I do and the hours I put in. I was not an afterthought here. None of us would be here without the fans.”

He wanted to thank a few people by name: owner Greg Harris, his wife Cindy, the entire front office, the players, and the two mentors who made him, Stevie and Wally.

Ice Flyers owner, Greg Harris, stated, “Jim is a pro among pros. With him, I always knew our players were always taken care of extremely well. I never had to worry about anything with Jim as I always knew he had our players’ backs and the organization’s back. He exemplified what it meant and what it took to be a professional and a class act every day, and for that and many more reasons, I will be forever grateful to have Jim as an Ice Flyer. From the Ice Flyers organization, all the staff, players, fans and supporters who have ever been a part of this organization, we want to wish Jim an extremely relaxing, fulfilling and blessed retirement. Thank you, Jim.”

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Forwards protected by Pensacola include Tyler Burnie, Matt Allen, Tyler German, Andrew Poulias, Andrew Kurapov, Jack Suchy, and Sam Rhodes.

On the blue line, the Ice Flyers protected Jonathan Ziskie, Cooper Jones, Laudon Poellinger, Max Ruoho, Amedeo Mastrangeli, and Nicholas Aromatario.

Protection lists allow teams to retain SPHL rights to selected players heading into the offseason while roster construction continues for the 2026-27 campaign.

Additional player announcements, signings, and roster updates will be released throughout the offseason on IceFlyers.com, in the Ice Flyers app and the team’s social media channels.

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Rhodes led all rookies in points (38) and power play goals (six – tied), while ranking second in goals (24) and third in power play points (10). A native of Powhatan, VA, Rhodes recorded six multi-goal outings, including his first professional hat trick on March 5 against Peoria.

Henry, who spent time with Macon and Peoria this season, ranked fifth among all SPHL players with 26 goals, including eight multi-goal games, despite playing only 35 games. Among rookies, the Markham, ON native tied for the league lead with five game-winning goals, was second in points (36) and power play goals (five – tied), and ranked third with a +13 rating.

Previous SPHL Rookie of the Year Award Winners

2024-25 – Carson Gallagher, Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs

2023-24 – Simon Boyko, Fayetteville Marksmen

2022-23 – Austin Alger, Fayetteville Marksmen

2021-22 – Marcel Godbout, Peoria Rivermen

2020-21 – Jake Wahlin, Pensacola Ice Flyers

2019-20 – Austin Plevy, Evansville Thunderbolts

2018-19 – Ben Blasko, Peoria Rivermen

2017-18 – Jacob Barber, Birmingham Bulls

2016-17 – Mike Moran, Mississippi RiverKings

2015-16 – John Lidgett, Huntsville Havoc

2014-15 – Bryce Williamson, Columbus Cottonmouths

2013-14 – Joe Caveney, Pensacola Ice Flyers

2012-13 – Matt Gingera, Columbus Cottonmouths

2011-12 – Kiefer Smiley, Mississippi Surge, and Jordan Chong, Pensacola Ice Flyers

2010-11 – Chris Wilson, Pensacola Ice Flyers

2009-10 – Jesse Biduke, Fayetteville FireAntz

2008-09 – Michael Richard, Twin City Cyclones

2007-08 – Taylor Hustead, Twin City Cyclones

2006-07 – Tim Velemirovich, Fayetteville FireAntz

2005-06 – Rob Sich, Florida Seals

2004-05 – Chad Collins, Fayetteville FireAntz

The post Sam Rhodes Named SPHL Co-Rookie Of The Year first appeared on Pensacola Ice Flyers.

Jones appeared in 48 games for Pensacola, recording 9 goals and 21 assists for 30 points. He ranked 3rd among all SPHL defensemen in scoring and was a key contributor on both ends of the ice throughout the year.

The veteran blueliner averaged 0.63 points per game while logging significant minutes in all situations, including special teams.

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Rhodes skated in all 58 games for Pensacola, recording 24 goals and 14 assists for 38 points. He led Ice Flyers rookies in scoring and made an immediate impact offensively, adding 6 power-play goals and 2 game-winning goals.

The rookie winger averaged 0.66 points per game and was a consistent contributor throughout the season.

Rhodes’ performance did not go unnoticed, earning him league recognition as one of the top rookies in the SPHL.

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