Preview: Oct. 16 and 17 at Trois-Rivières Lions and Adirondack Thunder

The wait is over.

After months of preparation, roster construction and anticipation, the Trenton Ironhawks will make history this weekend when they take the ice for the first official games in team history. The inaugural regular season begins Friday night in Trois-Rivières before the Ironhawks travel to Adirondack on Saturday.

The opening weekend marks the beginning of a new era of professional hockey in Trenton, with the Ironhawks officially beginning their first ECHL campaign.

WHERE: Colisée Vidéotron, Trois-Rivières, Quebec | Harding Mazzotti Arena, Glens Falls, New York
WHEN: Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. ET | Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. ET
WATCH: FloHockey
FOLLOW: @TrentonIronhawks

First Ironhawks Games in Team History

This weekend will be unlike any other in Ironhawks history. Friday’s game against the Trois-Rivières Lions will be the first time Trenton takes the ice for an official regular-season game, beginning a season that has been months in the making.

The Ironhawks will then head to Adirondack on Saturday to close out the opening weekend. The two-game road trip will give Trenton its first opportunity to establish its identity when the games officially count.

Preseason Tune-Ups

The Ironhawks enter the regular season following a pair of preseason games against the Reading Royals that gave the coaching staff an early look at the inaugural roster.

Trenton opened the preseason with a 5-1 victory before falling 4-3 in overtime in the rematch at Santander Arena. After playing from behind in the second game, the Ironhawks continued to battle and eventually forced overtime.

Ryan Bottrill led the way with four points in the opening game, while Chas Sharpe scored twice in Reading. Henrik Tikkanen, Ryan Fanti and Aaron Trotter also provided encouraging performances in goal as Trenton prepares for its first regular-season games.

Why Not Us?

Head coach Chuck Weber and assistant coach Brett Boeing believe they have assembled a roster capable of competing from the start.

The Ironhawks enter the ECHL with a mix of ECHL experience, youth, size and veteran leadership. Key pieces arriving from the Hamilton Hammers and New York Islanders have added depth and experience to a group that has spent the preseason learning to play together.

For a first-year team, there are plenty of unknowns entering opening weekend. But inside the Ironhawks’ locker room, the belief is clear: Why not us? 

Only Trip to Trois-Rivières Until March

Friday’s game will be one of the longest road trips of the season for the Ironhawks, who will travel north of the border to open their inaugural campaign in Trois-Rivières.

It will also be Trenton’s only trip to Trois-Rivières until March 20-21. The teams will not meet again in Trois-Rivières until one of the final weeks of the regular season, meaning Friday’s matchup will be the Ironhawks’ lone opportunity to play there for most of the season.

By the time Trenton returns in March, both rosters could look considerably different after a full ECHL season of trades, call-ups, injuries and other changes.

Adirondack Comes to Trenton The Following Week

Saturday’s game against Adirondack will be the first of two meetings between the Ironhawks and Thunder in a seven-day span. After opening the regular season in Glens Falls, Adirondack will make the trip to Trenton for the Ironhawks’ inaugural home opener on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The historic night will mark the first regular-season game at CURE Insurance Arena for the Ironhawks, with puck drop scheduled for 6 p.m.

Tickets for Opening Night are on sale now at trentonironhawks.com/tickets, with fans encouraged to be part of the first home game in Ironhawks history.

It’s About the Process

The Ironhawks know building chemistry, establishing good habits and finding success will be a process.

With a new group coming together for the first time, the focus will be on improving every day and making the players around them better. The inaugural season will provide plenty of opportunities to learn, adjust and grow as a team.

The goal is simple: get better each day, make the players around you better and continue building throughout the inaugural campaign.

This weekend, that process officially begins.

The Trenton Ironhawks are proud members of the ECHL and are preparing for their inaugural season, beginning this October. The Ironhawks serve as the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Hamilton Hammers of the American Hockey League (AHL). The ECHL has helped develop hundreds of players, coaches and officials who have advanced to the NHL. All Ironhawks games can be streamed on FloHockey. For more information, visit trentonironhawks.com.