Ice Flyers Opening Win In Gates’ Coaching Debut Made Special By Parents’ Visit
By Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
His official debut as Ice Flyers head coach provided Jeremy Gates more than a season-opening, overtime win.
He got to share it with family. His parents Paula and Jeff Gates traveled from Michigan to spend the weekend at their son’s new home and new role. That element superseded any rush of emotions.
“Honestly the first thing that came to my head was that my parents were here,” said Gates, when reflecting on the Ice Flyers’ 2-1, overtime shootout win against the Macon Mayhem last Saturday at the Pensacola Bay Center. “(Parents) are retired now and so it was fun they were here.
“But at the end of the day, just happy we won and got it out of the way. And hopefully many more (victories). They were excited to be here. My dad always says, ‘Give me a cold beer and an ice hockey game — I’m there,’ so it was great.”
The Ice Flyers now turn to their first road trip on Friday to face the Huntsville Havoc, then back at the Bay Center on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. to play the Birmingham Bulls in a game that features the first of two $5 ticket nights this season — and this one sponsored by Kia Autosport-Pensacola.
Ticket sales are trending toward a sellout crowd. Gates’ first thoughts, however, are trying to get a road win Friday against one of the league’s perennial upper-tier teams. Huntsville won its opener 4-2 on the road last Friday against the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs.
“There’s no pressure going on the road. It doesn’t have to be pretty (when winning),” Gates said. “It’s (Havoc’s) home opener and I’m sure they will have a lot of fans there. They have some really good hockey players as well.
“Huntsville has had a standard where they have been good, year after year. With that we just want to match and exceed the intensity of it. We have to go there with the attitude that we’re going to play Ice Flyer hockey and dictate the play.”
As Ice Flyers ardent fans know, a year ago the team suffered by far the most overtime losses (13) in the SPHL — either in the 5-minute period or the shootout phase. It led to the fewest points in the 10-team league and first time missing the playoffs in franchise history.
A new season began differently. Rookie goaltender Rico DiMatteo, a former collegiate goalie for three different NCAA Division I teams, thwarted all six Macon shooters in the overtime win. It earned him the Warrior Hockey SPHL Player of the Week award.
“As unfamiliar as I am with last year’s overall team, knowing what we know, it certainly was a good feeling,” said Gates, who helped the Ice Flyers as a defenseman to three SPHL championships in his playing career. “Like I told the guys after the game, at the end of the day, we have a lot to clean up but every single day we will take two points.”
Following practice Wednesday, Gates spoke on four topics heading into the second weekend of the season.
1) Getting Rico DiMatteo to sign with the Ice Flyers was one of Gates’ recruiting priorities.
DiMatteo, 24, a New York native, played his final season at the University of New Hampshire. His first start in two years came on March 2, 2025 when he stopped 31 shots to thwart then-No. 1-ranked and perennial power Boston College amid a sellout crowd in a game that ended 1-1 after regulation play.
“I never saw him on the ice. I just recruited really hard this summer and spoke to a lot of coaches,” Gates said. “I created a recruiting form that asks very basic questions of a player. And looked to see their passion for hockey, their character and let them talk.
“He was someone who just wanted a chance to play. He said, ‘I’ll stop the puck and I’m happy to get an opportunity,’ and he has run with it so far.”
2) Intangible qualities sought in training camp showed up in opening game.
“Justin and I worked really hard in trying to bring good people here,” Gates said. “We didn’t play our best game, but the thing I thought was special was our guys continued to work even when they were tired in the third period. Their work ethic never changed. With that, their desperation to win the hockey game was there, the emotion on the bench was there.”
3) Top line was returning center Matt Wiesner, joined by newcomer wingers Ethan Price and Zack Bross.
“I think they were the most professional line with performance,” Gates said. “They stayed together because they had experience in pro hockey and just understood it. So that was nice as a coach to depend on.”
4) Five-dollar ticket night on Saturday will bring another special home-ice atmosphere.
“The players think it’s unbelievable,” said Gates, remembering his own experience as Ice Flyers player in the $5 ticket games. “All the credit goes to the front office for putting it on and this community for really buying into Ice Flyers hockey and the standard we are setting here.
“As a player, it’s unbelievable with the noise and the energy in the building. I know everyone wants to score that first goal just to hear the noise and that horn go and the goal dance start.”
$5 Night is nearly sold out and tickets are going fast! You can still purchase tickets here or at the Pensacola Bay Center Box Office. Box office purchases do not include fees, but online through Ticketmaster you’ll see “All-In Pricing,” which displays fees before checkout, so the listed price may appear higher than $5.
