It has been a long 557 days since IceRays hockey, but the wait is finally over. The IceRays 2021-22 season starts today as they face off against the Maryland Black Bears. This will mark the first time that Corpus Christi has faced off against Maryland, who entered the league in 2018.
All but one player on the team has never put on a sweater for the IceRays, but there is a load of league veteran leadership. The team has brought in six different players who ended last season on a NAHL roster. Corpus Christi will have to look to those players to lead, especially early in the year, as players adjust to the style and pace of play in the South Division. The one returner for the IceRays from the 2019-20 season, Aaron Hamel, has shared his happiness to be back playing for the Gulf Coast’s only NAHL team multiple times throughout camp.
Behind the bench, Mike Lysyj and Darius Radziszewski will lead the team in hopes of returning to the Robertson Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
Although this will be the first game of the season for the IceRays, it will not be the first for Maryland. The Black Bears enter with a 1-0-1 record after playing the New Jersey Titans last weekend. Maryland won last Friday by a score of 5-0 behind a stand-out performance in net by returning goaltender Michael Morelli. On Saturday, Maryland fell to the Titans 4-3 after coming back to force overtime in the third.
Puck drop on Wednesday is scheduled for 2 pm against the Black Bears as the first game of the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, MN. You can catch this and every IceRays game streaming live on HockeyTV.