Courtesy Adirondack Thunder
By Paul Post
The Adirondack Thunder, under new Head Coach Sylvan Cloutier, can’t wait for the puck to drop at their Saturday, Oct. 25 home opener against the reigning Kelly Cup champion Trois-Rivieres Lions.
A successful season, and a wide variety of upcoming non-hockey events, would bolster Harding-Mazzotti Arena’s fiscal bottom line and enhance its positive impact on the downtown Glens Falls economy.
“Hopefully in 2025-26 we have a great year on and off the ice with the team and big events; a great season where we can invest all the money back into the building,” said Jeff Mead, Thunder president and arena and general manager.
The 46-year-old arena has seen a series of major capital upgrades in recent years, but needs a whole new ice plant, engine room, and ice rink boards and glass, costing an estimated $5 million, he said.
Tough, speedy forward Matt Salhany, returning to Adirondack after five years in Europe; defenseman and former South Carolina Stingrays captain Jacob Graves; and 15-year ECHL veteran Justin Taylor are among a core group that Cloutier is counting on heavily to provide leadership for the team’s younger players.
“Character, commitment, hard work,” Cloutier said. “We wanted guys with a high compete level and people that want to buy in coming into our community, knowing how passionate and knowledgeable our fans are about the game. Obviously you want to win hockey games, but it’s a small community so we need guys who want to be a part of it. That was a very important part of our recruiting.”
The Thunder set an all-time attendance record in 2024-25, averaging about 4,500 fans per game, and season ticket sales are already head of last year’s total (2,150). Four of the arena’s five suites have been purchased by corporate clients and a fifth, made available game by game, is almost sold out, too.
“So we’re in really good shape on the business side of things,” Mead said.
The arena finished the 2024-25 fiscal year in the black on June 30, but revenues were down a bit because the Thunder didn’t reach the playoffs, unlike the previous season’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, a long list of popular promotional nights is on tap, sure to boost attendance considerably. Opening Night will include a number of giveaways by Harding-Mazzotti law firm, which won the arena’s naming rights this summer.
This fall’s highlights alone are Halloween Night (Oct. 31), Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 26), Military Appreciation Night (Nov. 29) and Teddy Bear Toss Night (Dec. 13), followed by a New Year’s Eve celebration with a 3 p.m. game against the Maine Mariners.
Thunder players wear special-themed jerseys for some games that are sold in post-game auctions. On March 28, they’ll wear colorful green-and-gold John Deere jerseys on Country Night.
Upcoming non-hockey events include the Adirondack Stampede rodeo, New York State girls high school volleyball championships, and a fun night with stand-up comic Jeff Leeson in Heritage Hall on Nov. 15.
The arena will kick off 2026 with a New Year’s Day appearance by the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters, who are marking their 100th anniversary of entertaining fans and spreading goodwill.
Comedian Jeff Dunham will be at the arena on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The winter schedule also features Section II boys basketball and wrestling championships, and Mead said concert plans are in the works in addition to a three-day, weekend kids show in June.
“We think this could be a good year for the arena in terms of major events,” he said.
In addition, local officials are working hard to bring the state high school basketball championships back to Glens Falls.
The three-day event, held each March, was wrested away by Binghamton, which has it for two more years. The tourney attracts thousands of players, coaches and spectators from around the state, providing a major boost to local business during a normally slow time of year.
Mead said the tourney’s absence hasn’t hurt the arena much financially because the building is made available rent-free to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. “But it’s a huge negative impact to the community; for the hotels, retail stores, restaurants and bars,” he said. “That’s why we’re going to fight so hard to get it back. We think Glens Falls is the perfect place for it. It’s just a source of pride for our community.”
Bids for the next three-year contract will be submitted in 2026. If Glens Falls wins, the tourney would be here from 2028 to 2030.
As always, several upgrades and improvements have been made to the arena in preparation for the year ahead. The Adirondack Hockey Hall of Fame is in the same location, but has been changed so that all inductees can be honored. Previously there wasn’t room enough for all the plaques.