Alabama Men's Hockey elevates to Division I by co-founding a new conference in 2025 - WVUA 23
Alabama Hockey celebrates a goal. Alabama Frozen Tide to join the new ACCHL Division I conference beginning in 2025. Alabama Men’s Hockey has been a staple of southern collegiate hockey since its inaugural season in 2005. In the last two decades, the Crimson Tide has continually elevated its...
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Alabama Men’s Hockey has been a staple of southern collegiate hockey since its inaugural season in 2005. In the last two decades, the Crimson Tide has continually elevated its status on and off the ice.
Now, the Frozen Tide will transition within the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) by co-founding a new, more competitive conference called the Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL). Alabama, alongside NC State, Louisville, and North Carolina, are the core members of the new conference and are seeking two more teams to join to compete in 2025.
The conference must have six members to begin competition so the four core members of the new ACCHL struck an agreement with the ACHA allowing continued participation until the final two teams join the ACCHL.
Alabama Hockey general manager and former player Will Zeek is ready to do whatever it takes to grow the Frozen Tide program and joining this conference proves that.
“The more details we got, the more excited we were,” Zeek said. “It was a yes like, come on, let’s make this happen and anything that they needed on our end, we were there to give them. Once we finally got the all good that it’s gonna happen 100%…I couldn’t contain my energy because it’s everything that we needed that we were lacking being an independent team before this.”
Alabama Hockey team president and current player Austin Fink is ecstatic and thankful to get the opportunity to play on a bigger stage while growing the game of hockey in the South.
“We had a few wins on the season, but we were in between are we gonna stay in the ACHA, are we gonna go down to the AAU,” Fink said. “It was almost a perfect timing kind of thing. (Will) Zeek got the call and told me about the situation…it was a saving grace, in a way.”
NC State, Louisville, and North Carolina join Alabama as core founders of this new conference.
Alabama struggled last season compiling an overall record of 5-20-1 but there’s a changing of the tide from last year to this year. Not only will the Frozen Tide welcome several new players, transfers and freshman, but Mike Fairbanks will make his debut as the new Alabama head coach.
The new leader of the Frozen Tide is not only excited to put his own stamp on the program, but also help Alabama navigate through unfamiliar territory.
“The formation of this new conference will lead to great opportunities for the ACHA teams in the Southeast,” Fairbanks said in a statement. “This new conference will spawn growth, needed exposure, better opportunities, and elevated competition to the teams that are participating in the new conference. Alabama Hockey is proud to be a founding member of the new Southeast conference and looks forward to a bright future that lies ahead.”
New players, coaches, and opportunities await the Crimson Tide in 2024 and years beyond. Joining the ACCHL is just another example the Crimson Tide continue to set for other southern collegiate hockey teams to raise their level of play and commitment to one of America’s cornerstone sports.
“We want everyone to look at us and see that they can follow suit too,” Zeek said. “We’re pioneers, kind of starting the SEC and we’ve seen phenomenal growth from our team and the community. We’ve seen an explosion of kids want to come in and play…then you look at the support we’re getting from from the Huntsville area, Birmingham, Atlanta, they’re all interested in what we’re doing now because we have a new conference and new title and everyone wants to know more. It puts the limelight on us and makes others wanna join us.”
