Flint's Ontario Hockey League Team To Be Called 'Firebirds'
FLINT, Mich. (AP) - The Ontario Hockey League team that's scheduled to start playing in Flint later this year will be called the "Flint Firebirds," in a nod to the resilience of the city's residents, officials from the team's ownership group said Monday.
IMS Hockey Corp. officials said the bird represents freedom, oftentimes the result of a difficult journey, and offers significance amid the city's struggles, the Flint Journal reported.
"Flint is a community that has been built and sustained on the fierce resilience of its residents, and we see the Firebird as a symbol of that resilience," team president Costa Papista said in a statement. "Flint has pulled through a difficult journey, and is now standing on the verge of great potential and promise.
"We see a revival happening in Flint. It's the very reason we chose to be part of this community in the first place."
The officials also unveiled the team's logo and jersey. The logo shows a bird with its wings held high and an orange, grey, navy blue and white color scheme.
IMS Hockey bought Perani Arena in December. League officials earlier this year approved plans to sell the Plymouth Whalers and move the team from suburban Detroit to Flint. It's the fifth major hockey franchise to call Flint and Perani Arena home.
"We desire to build a team that the community can be proud of; a team whose impact will be felt far beyond the ice of Perani Arena," said team owner Rolf Nilsen.
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