AUSTIN, Minn. – While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the NAHL in different ways over the past five months, the Austin Bruins are proud to continue bringing hockey and entertainment to the city of Austin. On Thursday, the Bruins announced two games which will be open to the public, beginning on Friday, September 4 and again on Saturday, September 5. Both games will drop the puck at 7:05.
Just like the team’s All-Star Game which took place in July, tickets for the event are $10 and can be obtained by calling the Bruins front office at 507-434-4978 or by emailing TJ Chillot at tj@austinbruins.com. To stay within the guidelines set by the state of Minnesota, only 250 fans per night will be permitted, masks will be required, and social distancing will be enforced. Leftover tickets from the 2019-20 season cannot be used toward the Black and Gold Games, and admission
Orientation Camp is an annual event for the Bruins where cohesion and chemistry, both on and off the ice, take place. Not only do the players get to know their new teammates on the ice, but team bonding events, group dinners, and other events all help design the brotherhood that becomes the Austin Bruins locker room. Traditionally, Orientation Camp takes place outside of Austin in an effort to encourage team bonding and to get every player on unfamiliar ground, but this seasons’ camp will be held in Austin.
The Black and Gold Games will be similar in action and competition to a standard preseason game as the nearly 40 Bruins players battle it out to make the team’s final roster. Plenty of familiar names will hit the ice including returning players from the 2019-20 team, tenders, draft picks, and those who earned an invite after standing out during the team’s All-Star Game and Main Camp. Head Coach Steve Howard and his new Assistant Coaches, Justin Fisher and Cody Lonke, will take into account the players’ performances during Orientation Camp and the Black and Gold Games to make their decisions on who will make the final roster and represent the Austin Bruins at the start of the 2020-21 season in October.
