At a press conference held yesterday from Berglund Special Events Center, Team President, Bob McGinn, and the local ownership group announced that the name of the new professional ice hockey team will be the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs.  The Rail Yard Dawgs will be part of the Southern Professional Hockey league (SPHL) and their inaugural season will be in the fall of 2016. 

Colors for the team will be red, gold, and blue hues, which align with Berglund Center's logo and branding itself as the center's true home team.  The logo includes a dog wearing a conductor hat with Roanoke's famous neon star, paying homage to the city's rich train history and biggest landmark.

"The name 'Rail Yard Dawgs' makes so much sense for this community," stated McGinn.  "During the process it just kept jumping off the page.  Artist Rob MacDougall did an amazing job designing the logo...something we can all be proud of!"

This is the first professional ice hockey team in Roanoke in a decade, making fans of the sport hungry for hockey.

"It has certainly been worth the wait," said Spectra Venue Management's, Robyn Schon, General Manager of Berglund Center.  "The McGinn family, Rob MacDougall, Tim Kerr, and the local ownership group arrived at the right time and we look forward to the Rail Yard Dawgs brining more excitement to our great city."

The press conference was open to the public and fans were treated to face painting, caricatures, and refreshments while mingling with the owners.

Seasons ticket inquiries can be made at this link: http://www.thesphl.com/view/thesphl/roanoke-hockey.

The SPHL, now in its 12th season, has nine other teams in the league.  The defending President's Cup Champion Knoxville (TN) Ice Bars, Columbus (GA) Cottonmouths, Fayetteville (NC) FireAntz, Huntsville (AL) Havoc; (Lafayette) Louisiana IceGators, Macon (GA) Mayhem; (Southaven) Mississippi RiverKings; Pensacola (FL) Ice Flyers and Peoria (IL) Rivermen.

Visit www.RailYardDawgs.com for information on tickets and the latest team news.  For more information on the SPHL, check out their website at www.thesphl.com. 

About Spectra:
Spectra by Comcast Spectacor is the expert in hosting and entertainment, partnering with over 300 clients at 400 global properties to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year.  Spectra's expertise is embodied within three divisions: Venue Management (formerly Global Spectrum), Food Services & Hospitality (formerly Ovations Food Services) and Ticketing & Fan Engagement (formerly Paciolan). Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com.

Comcast Spectacor is part of Comcast Corporation, a Fortune 50 media and technology company that operates Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal.  Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., In addition to Spectra, Comcast Spectacor owns and operates the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center venue.  Visit us at ComcastSpectacor.com, PhilidelphiaFlyers.com and WellsFargoCenterPhilly.com for more information.