[9] Geary remained as the primary owner. The Jacksonville Icemen are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL in Jacksonville, Florida, that began play in the 2017–18 season. [3] Finally, on March 14, the IceMen and the ECHL announced the franchise's relocation to Owensboro had been approved but the franchise would have to go dormant for the 2016–17 season to allow time for the necessary renovations on the Owensboro Sportscenter to be completed. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena hosts top-name performing artists and family shows and is home to the Jacksonville Sharks, Jacksonville Giants, and Jacksonville Icemen. Quick links. [6], On March 12, 2019, a 19–0 vote led to VyStar Credit Union becoming a sponsor for the arena. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena[5] (originally Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Jacksonville, Florida. Since that time, dozens of groups, including country, rap, rock, and others, have performed at the arena. [2], On February 8, 2016, the City of Evansville announced that it had secured an expansion team in the Southern Professional Hockey League to play at the Ford Center beginning in the 2016–17 season, thus displacing the IceMen franchise from Evansville. [citation needed], On October 17, 2006 an episode of ECW on Sci-Fi was held in the arena. [citation needed], The arena found huge success when the arena became the home of the Jacksonville Sharks in 2010 when they were introduced as an expansion team of the Arena Football League. [citation needed], Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, Buildings and structures under construction shown in, Learn how and when to remove this template message, NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, "Pregame Stuff: UF vs Eckerd (exhibition), 7 p.m. at Jacksonville", "Jacksonville Icemen Begin Their Season in Florida October 2017", "City approves VyStar naming rights agreement", "City Council Approves Adding VyStar to Arena Name", "Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena could soon have VyStar in its name", "City approves arena name change to Vystar Veteran's Memorial Arena", "Jacksonville Hockey Team Gets a Record-Setting New Home", "Behind the scenes at UFC Jacksonville: 1,000 tests, 32 fights and one wild ride", "Republicans announce Trump convention events will move to Jacksonville", "Trump cancels Republican convention as virus soars", "Meet the Jacksonville Icemen, Our New Hockey Team", "2010-2011 ABA All-Star Game Awarded to Jacksonville, Florida", "Jacksonville's First Professional, Indoor Lacrosse Team to Launch in September", West Palm Beach Christian Convention Center, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Jacksonville Branch, Title & Trust Company of Florida Building, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=VyStar_Veterans_Memorial_Arena&oldid=973986219, American Basketball Association (2000–present) venues, Indoor lacrosse venues in the United States, Articles needing additional references from July 2020, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (2003–19), This page was last edited on 20 August 2020, at 12:13. The ordinance does not cover any other venues, which allows for two other venues in Duval County to have corporate sponsors, most notably TIAA Bank Field.[8]. [10] The first artist to hold a concert in the Arena was Elton John in November 2003. The Sharks generally have maintained the highest attendance among the arena's regular tenants. [citation needed], In 2016, Rihanna opened her Anti World Tour at the arena, which attracted an audience of 11,000 people. On November 16, 2015, Evansville IceMen owner Ron Geary wrote a letter to the fans that the team's operating lease with the Ford Center was ending after the 2015–16 season. Sporting events hosted include the 2004 USA Men's Olympic basketball team in their only game played in the United States, as well as some early round games of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2006, 2010, 2015, and 2019. [citation needed], The arena was the host for the Davis Cup first round tie between the US and Brazil on the weekend of February 1–3, 2013. [17] In 2013 and 2014, it was home to the Jacksonville Breeze of the Legends Football League. [5][6] On the September 30 deadline, Geary sent a letter to mayor Ron Payne stating he would not be purchasing the Sportscenter because of too much cost to convert and refurbish the arena. 904-602-7825. [10] The team hired Jason Christie as their first head coach and then affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) and the Manitoba Moose (AHL), the organization familiar with Christie from his time as the head coach of the Tulsa Oilers. Contact Us. [11] In 2007, WWE held the Pay-Pay view event One Night Stand (2007) in the arena and as of 2017 it has been their first and only major event to be held in the arena. The Official Store for Jacksonville Icemen Merchandise. [1] The City of Evansville and Geary were unable to come to an agreement. It also hosted the 2011 ABA All-Star Game, which took place on February 26, 2011. [citation needed], On December 1, 2019 Ariana Grande held a concert at the arena, which was part of her Sweetener World Tour. [citation needed], The arena held three consecutive Ultimate Fighting Championship events in May 2020, one of the few sporting events to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jacksonville Icemen are a minor league ice hockey team in the ECHL in Jacksonville, Florida, that began play in the 2017–18 season. Men’s Apparel Women’s Apparel Youth Apparel Jerseys Novelty Headwear Pre-Order Now! [15] It also hosted the 2011 ABA All-Star Game, which took place on February 26, 2011. [citation needed], In addition to its athletic tenants, the arena is also host to the annual graduation ceremonies of the area high schools. [13] However, these plans were ultimately cancelled to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a WWE Raw episode was held on August 6, 2018. Coordinates: 30°19′32.77″N 81°38′42.25″W / 30.3257694°N 81.6450694°W / 30.3257694; -81.6450694. [4] However, by September 2016, Geary still had not taken over management of the Sportscenter and the City of Owensboro announced a different management company would take over the Sportscenter on October 1. [12], "A Letter To IceMen Fans, From Team Owner Ron Geary", "BREAKING: Evansville IceMen Announce Move", "Evansville will be home to Southern Professional Hockey League franchise", "Owensboro finds backup plan for Sportscenter", "Back Up Plan in Place for Owensboro Sportscenter", "Reports: Minor league hockey team sold to Jacksonville group", "ECHL Approves IceMen Transfer of Home Territory to Jacksonville", "Meet the Jacksonville Icemen, our new hockey team", "ICEMEN BECOME ECHL AFFILIATE OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA", "Board of Governors Approves Jacksonville's Transfer of Controlling Interest", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jacksonville_Icemen&oldid=984396418, Ice hockey teams in Jacksonville, Florida, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Relocated to St. John's, NL, for 2011–12 season, Relocated back to Winnipeg for 2015–16 season, This page was last edited on 19 October 2020, at 21:57. [7], In January 2017, Geary sold part of the franchise to an ownership group based out of Jacksonville, Florida,[8] and the relocation was approved by the ECHL on February 8, 2017. The arena was designed, using state-of-the-art techniques, to have the acoustical characteristics necessary for concerts. Despite attempts to negotiate a lease extension with the city since February 2015, the two parties had not yet come to an agreement on new terms. It was built in 2003 as part of the Better Jacksonville Plan to replace the outdated coliseum. [12], The arena was scheduled to host days 2-4 of the 2020 Republican National Convention from August 25 to August 27, originally to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jacksonville Icemen, professional ice hockey team in Jacksonville, Florida offering family fun weekend entertainment! The team plays its home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Following the season, Geary sold his shares of the team and the controlling interest was acquired by SZH Hockey LLC, a group led by Andrew Kaufmann on July 16, 2019. MERCHANDISE. In 2012, it was home to the Jacksonville Bullies of the Professional Lacrosse League. [11], In the team's second season in Jacksonville, the franchise qualified for the ECHL playoffs for the first time since it joined the league in 2012. Currently, the arena is home to the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League, the Jacksonville Giants of the American Basketball Association, and the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL. The team was founded by former Orlando Predators executive Jeff Bouchy, who is also the brother of former Orlando Predators owner Brett Bouchy. [14], Currently, the arena is home to the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League, the Jacksonville Giants of the American Basketball Association, and the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL. [7] The 15-year agreement includes an annual contribution to the veterans trust fund along with upkeep of the arena. The Icemen were formerly known as the Muskegon Fury from 1992 to 2008, the Muskegon Lumberjacks from 2008 to 2010, and the Evansville IceMen from 2010 to 2016.