Texarkana…HockeyTown of the South

April 30th, 2006

When I first heard about the Central Hockey League’s Border City Bandits, I wondered why the CHL had put a team in Brownsville. It was almost a month later when I realized the team was based in Texarkana. Texarkana gets its name from the geographical location, the Texas-Arkansas border runs through the middle of town, and Louisiana is just about 40 minutes south. (Oklahoma got shut out of the name, it is NW about 20-30 minutes). I had been “through” Texarkana before, but never really got more then a glimpse of the water tower.

The CHL blew into town like a Hurricane, making promises, getting everyone excited about the game, putting the “Border City” on the map with the likes of Indianapolis, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Ft. Worth. I had seen this type of situation before. Other towns that wanted to be included in the next big thing. Minor Professional Hockey had grown to never seen before levels and moved into new markets with amazing swiftness. The Pro game brought likable players that you could find down at the local watering hole after (and sometimes before) the game. These guys fit right into the big little small town culture. To their credit, many of these players have continued to call the small towns home.

The Minor Pro game is rough… very rough. Penalties and fighting are more the rule then the exception. Especially the fighting. The fans might not have at first really understood all the aspects of the game, but they understood fighting. In the CHL, I sometimes think that fighting is as important to the bottom line as beer sales. Like most storms, this hurricane (and its owner) blew through town leaving a lot of damage and costing Texarkana a serious amount of money.

My experience had been with USA Hockey. Both at that Senior and Junior Levels. Senior hockey is for players 18 and over that are not currently under professional contracts. The junior level is entirely different. These players are typically 18-20 yrs old and are preparing for the collegiate level. A few exceptional 16-18 yrs olds bypass the midget level of youth hockey and/or high school teams for the chance to play at the higher level. These players generally live with host families in the communities of the teams. The junior level is my favorite because the players are emerging into their skills and game. The minor professionals are generally in a state of decline, especially at the CHL level. A fan has a much better chance of getting a glimpse of a future NHL player at a junior game then they would at the CHL.

I arrived in Texarkana in the spring of 2001. The CHL had just vacated the town and I was trying to get a feel for what was left. I met Fay J and Norma Durrant. They came to town from Memphis and established a industrial packaging business in town. They are very successful, in business, in the community, and in life. Before my arrival the American West Hockey League (now the North American Hockey League) had made a proposal to the Durrants and others about joining their league. The numbers they were using were extreme. When I first met with Fay J at his packaging plant he asked me to get a good look at the situation in town and make an alternate proposal. My idea was similar to the AWHL’s but at a fraction of the cost. I suggested buying a Minnesota Junior Hockey League team that was based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota that first year. Then bringing 6-8 home games to Texarkana. The following season I wanted to obtain a NAHL franchise (then the St Louis Sting…now the Wasilla Spirit of Alaska) and move it to Texarkana. I wanted to keep the Grand Rapids team as a feeder and good base of operations for training camp and recruiting. The overall two season cost of this was less then one season of what the AWHL had proposed.

There was a meeting Fay J and I had with a group of doctors who had a negative reaction to the junior level. Maybe it was me, maybe it was because of the age of the players. For whatever reason, I was back to the drawing board. A few weeks later Fay J got a call from Canada. This fellow, Jim Cashman had inquired about having a team in Texarkana that would play at the Semi-Professional level. Folks were excited again. After a few months of intense work, we prepared for Cashman’s league. We hired a coach, rounded up a team of ex- college and minor pro players and were ready to go. I had helped Cashman put together the shell of a league, which ended up going from low level minor pro to USA Hockey Senior Elite. I also helped put together two other teams, one in Houston and the other in Dallas. Cashman was going to operate 2 teams, one in Monroe, Louisiana and his own team in Little Rock. About a month before the opening games, Cashman decided to pull out of Monroe and focus on his Little Rock team. At that point I thought we were in a decent situation. A little four team league with our opponents based in the 3 big markets around us. We moved forward. A funny thing happened the night after our home opener. Cashman never had any cash. It was all baloney. Our four team league quickly became a 3 team league. Combine that with my naturally abrasive personality and the disaster of 9/11, I had a lot of holes to fill in our schedule as I continued to manage the club for a few more months before going separate ways.

Since that time I have followed the team closely. I had made a investment of time and heart into the community and had hoped in some small way that my efforts would not go down in history as a mistake. I had hoped that Texarkana would ALWAYS be a hockey town.

A few years have passed. The Bandits were highly competitive at the National Level of Senior Elite Hockey under the coach that I hired, Colby Van Tassell. After many bitter months of speculation, arguments, and a lot of behind the scene arm twisting, the Bandits joined the Junior “A” NAHL. I was as happy as a puppy with a new bowl of milk. Over the last two seasons I have watched this club and ownership group evolve into a ideal situation to cultivate talent into serious prospects. Yes, the fans still get excited about a fight, but now the fans are equally pleased about an excellent goaltending effort.

I snuck back “home” last night. Bought my ticket and took my seat. I bought a beer, some popcorn, and watched with delight as the first place Bandits and Wichita Falls Wildcats kept every one of the nearly 2,000 fans in the building. Regulation ended in 4-4 Tie, the shootout ended with a Bandits win after Anthony Becker’s goal that sent the fans into a frenzy. How about them Bandits? Heck, how about them fans? They were excited, they were as attentive as any group of fans I had ever seen in Alaska, Michigan, Canada, or Minnesota. In a year of Olympic Disappointment, this town and this team is a bright spot on USA Hockey’s horizon. What really made me smile was realizing on my five hour drive back to Houston was the game ended with out a single penalty. Yes, the town has evolved. Yes, Texarkana, you are a Hockeytown.

Entry Filed under: Hockey