After nearly 25 years, hockey is returning to Mobile.

Mobile's new hockey team with an old connection, the Mobile Mysticks, was unveiled during a special event at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center on Tuesday, June 16, paying homage to the original Mysticks that played in Mobile during the late '90s and early 2000s. The team is set to begin play during the 2027-2028 Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) season.

The Mysticks will play their home games at Regions Arena, a new state-of-the-art venue under construction in downtown Mobile at the site of the former Mobile Civic Center. It has a seating capacity of 10,000 and is expected to open in early 2027, just in time for Mardi Gras season.

"Having worked for the ECHL when Mobile was first awarded a hockey team, I am excited for the long-time fans who passionately supported the original Mysticks and for those fans who will be donning the purple, gold and green for the first time," Doug Price, SPHL commissioner, said in a press release. "Welcome back, Mysticks!"

The Mobile Mysticks are owned and operated by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, led by CEO Andy Kaufmann. Zawyer Sports allowed fans to nominate a nickname for the franchise through an online voting process, with an overwhelming amount of the votes being in favor of the Mysticks name.

"We are super excited and grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact both on and off the ice in the special community that is Mobile," Kaufmann said in a press release. "October 2027 can't get here fast enough!"

The original iteration of the Mysticks was founded in 1995 as an expansion franchise that played in the ECHL. The name is a reference to the area's Mardi Gras roots, with local mystic societies hosting parades and balls during Carnival season dating back to when French settlers first celebrated the holiday in 1703.

The team suspended operations and relocated to Duluth, Georgia, in 2003-04, becoming the Duluth Gladiators, later renamed the Atlanta Gladiators, which are currently an affiliate of the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Despite being more than a year away from the puck dropping, many locals are already excited for the Mysticks' revival.

One of those people is Brian Kane, managing partner for Fairhope Brewing Company, who recalls being a high schooler at the time the original team played. He said he attended opening night despite having to take the ACT the next morning.

He distinctly remembers a fight breaking out on the ice within seconds of the game starting.

"I think it's another great family activity," Kane said. "My family will go over to Pensacola for either the (Ice Flyers) or we go to the Blue Wahoos games on occasion. I just think those are really good family activities or for a group of teenagers to go out and have a good time watching a game. Those games are always interactive with different competitions during the breaks and giveaways and all that kind of stuff."

Joe Cuhaj, a Fairhope-based author who worked as a public address announcer for the original Mysticks, expressed his excitement for hockey returning to the area.

"The Mysticks were really great," Cuhaj said. "It didn't matter if you knew what hockey was down here in the South or not. It brought people together. In the first season I think they had almost 6,000 people in attendance for games, and it was just a great experience."

The team is accepting deposits for season tickets, with seating priority determined by the date deposits are received. Some merchandise is also already available for sale online. Visit www.mystickshockey.com for more information.