For the sports fanatics of Louisiana, most dreams lie either on the turf or the court. However, a small but dedicated fanbase’s dreams lie on the ice.
The Baton Rouge Zydeco experience is rather humble. The team usually fills about 4,000 of the 10,000 seats in the River Center. However, as the classics like “Callin’ Baton Rouge” and “Wipe Me Down” fill your ears, you’ll know that this team has a special place within the hearts of the people of its state.
Hockey and the South have a complicated relationship. The South’s geography has generally precluded any close bond between the two. Children here can grow up tossing a football in the yard or dunking at their local basketball court, but frozen lakes are hard to come by.
Money has also usually been a barrier. Southern states consistently fall to the bottom of comparative income lists, and hockey demands a great deal of equipment. Working-class parents typically find it hard to provide a stick, skates, gear and gas to travel to an ice rink that could be far outside their rural county.
Yet the dream of Louisiana hockey endures.
In 1993, Tim and Dave Berryman were hunting for a home. The two brothers, working in Charleston, had witnessed the explosive rise of the South Carolina Stingrays in the humble East Coast Hockey League and sought to create a team of their own. They soon settled in a small town free of any professional sports teams, home to a nicely sized stadium and a high enough population to turn a modest profit.
Initially, the people of Lafayette were not accustomed to hockey, but they soon warmed up to the IceGators. The team worked hard on an advertising campaign that pushed hockey as an intense and lightning-fast game and exploited the sport’s violent tendencies to the fullest degree.
When they took to the rink for their first game, the people of Lafayette were electrified.
The IceGators broke ECHL attendance records and won multiple division titles, leading to an explosion in Louisiana hockey. Teams popped up in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport.
This golden age was short-lived, however.
The novelty of the sport soon wore off on the fans. While the sport had its share of local heroes, like Cam Brown, captain-coach of the Baton Rouge Kingfish, the new teams couldn’t find the same success as the IceGators. Attendance began sharply declining as almost all of them faded into the history books.
However, the idea of Louisiana hockey never entirely died. After the IceGators folded for their second and final time, transforming into the Quad City Storm, the Shreveport Mudbugs were re-established after 16 years. Further, in 2023, multi-team owner Barry Soskin cut a deal to start a new franchise in Baton Rouge, the Zydeco.
So far, the results have been mixed.
The Zydeco started their existence roughly. Head coach Matt Hamilton was replaced only two months into his tenure, and the subsequently appointed co-coaches Paul Maclean and Matthew Fornari led the team to an abysmal 2-10 start in the 2023 season.
However, fans have reason to be optimistic. Under coach Everett Thompson, the Zydeco have remained a solid team within their division. Currently, they sit at No. 2 with a 14-9 record.
While attendance is down from the 2024 season, the Zydeco remain popular, especially after football season.
When my best friend offered to take me to a Zydeco game in January 2024, my first thought was, “Baton Rouge has a hockey team?”
I never grew up as a huge sports fan, but I thought I was aware of all the professional sports teams in the state. I had even seen a couple of New Orleans Zephyrs shirts here and there.
When I got to the River Center, I was slightly surprised by the crowd. While it was not a sell-out, the place was pretty packed. Knowing almost nothing about hockey, I took my seat with zero expectations for what would happen.
While I didn’t know much about hockey, and still don’t, I witnessed an immense amount of passion on the ice that night. I don’t remember the score, but I remember that the Zydeco fought hard—the players’ sheer scrappiness drawing me in.
I also took a minute to look at the crowd. I saw a diverse array of children, young couples, old couples, and even a few superfans decked out in what I can only imagine was every piece of Zydeco merch available. I saw in their faces that they felt that same magic that I felt watching these boys try and take the win.
Will the NHL ever grant Louisiana a professional hockey team? The odds are unlikely, but that doesn’t mean Louisiana hockey is dead yet.
Check the hockey forums, and occasionally, you’ll find a thread eulogizing the old IceGators or discussing the prospects of the Zydeco. And, invariably, you’ll find a host of old fans longing for the days when hockey filled the Cajundome, and Louisiana was the center of minor-league hockey.
Professional hockey in Louisiana finds itself in a strange spot. It is a dream not yet fully realized, and it may never be such.
However, the faithful fans persist. They cook for the team, provide donations and bring their love and energy in full force.
I implore you to go to a Zydeco game and experience the magic. Sure, they aren’t a powerhouse, but Louisiana hockey is no novelty show. It is the product of the passion and love of a small group of dedicated fans, and that is always on full display.
Despite Louisiana’s frosty relationship with the game, hockey is as vibrant as ever in Baton Rouge.
