Flint’s new team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) will be the Michigan Warriors, as the relocated Muskegon Rangers prepare to play at the Perani Arena and Event Center, replacing the IHL’s Flint Generals as the lead tenant in the facility.
“Flint has been a potential NAHL market for many years, and we’re very fortunate to match a hockey-hungry community and a first-class facility with an ownership group committed to the success of our league,” said NAHL commissioner Mark Frankenfeld.
The team is owned by Asset Management, led by Flint native Bob Bryant, Pat McEachern of Rochester Hills, Mich. and former NHL defenseman and veteran coach Moe Mantha of Ann Arbor, Mich. Mantha, a former NHL player, will also serve as GM of the squad.
“We’re bringing a new style of hockey to Flint,” McEachern said. “The NAHL features young stars-in-the-making working to showcase and develop their skills for college coaches and NHL scouts. We joined the league in selecting Flint as the team’s new home because of the Mid-Michigan region’s passion for hockey and the hard-working, family values that the people of this area share with the NAHL and its players.”
Under Firland Management, which assumed operations at Perani Arena earlier this year, the facility already has seen initial improvements, including enhanced lighting, as investments in the fan experience. Additional upgrades are planned.
“Over the past 40 years, Perani Arena has been home to some of Mid-Michigan’s most exciting hockey moments,” said Firland Management CEO Jim Cain, who oversees operations at the facility. “The addition of the Warriors to this venue is another important step toward our goal of providing this community the arena experience it expects and deserves.”
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