The United States Hockey League team in Bloomington, IL has a new name and a new look, as the Bloomington Thunder are no more.
Now, the team will be known as the Central Illinois Flying Aces, and they debuted their brand new logo and jerseys at the Bloomington Labor Day Parade on Monday afternoon.
"We knew we wanted to have red as our primary color because of the special significance it holds in the area and the qualities of power and speed that it evokes," COO Brendan Kelly said. "Between that, the logo and name, we feel that our new identity really embodies the talent of the rising stars that we have playing for us."
The Flying Aces are members of the USHL’s Eastern Conference, playing frequently against rivals like the Chicago Steel, the defending league champions.
The USHL is a junior hockey league based in the United States, with players routinely graduating from the league to play at the collegiate level and to the NHL level.
The Flying Aces will play their first regular season game on Oct. 7 against Youngstown, and will play their first home game on Oct. 13 against Cedar Rapids.
Blackhawks players like Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad, and Nick Schmaltz all played in the USHL during their junior hockey careers.
