Hockey is back at First Arena. Elmira Aviators will be the fifth team for the facility

The Elmira area has the National Soaring Museum, sailplane competitions, and the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center, and now it has the Elmira Aviators.

The Aviators, so named as a nod to the region's aeronautical tradition, will be the latest hockey team to play at Elmira's First Arena, with home games expected to start this fall.

The Aviators will be part of the Dallas, Texas-based North American Hockey League, which bills itself as "the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Junior league," with 32 teams in 17 states.

The team will also be the latest in a string of hockey franchises that have spent time at the arena, starting with the Elmira Jackals, followed by the Enforcers, the Mammoth and most recently the River Sharks.

Unlike the past, when hockey was tied to management of the arena, the Aviators will be a separate but key component of the overall mix, said Mark Margeson, chairman of the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency, which owns the arena.

"We're looking for support from the community. This is a community facility," said Margeson, who added the arena's management is also working to provide a variety of other community sports and attractions to complement hockey.

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"We have a responsibility to keep this place moving forward," he said. "We're going to go out and market this."

The arena was able to attract a new team and league thanks to a significant investment by local businessman Marc Stemerman and Chemung Supply Corp., Margeson said.

The Aviators will be part of the NAHL's East Division, which also includes teams from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.

The NAHL, founded in 1975, is an important piece in the development system for collegiate and professional hockey, said Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld, who was on hand for Wednesday's announcement.

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Frankenfeld noted many of the league's players have gone on to compete with the U.S Olympic hockey team and to play in the National Hockey League.

"This is a unique relationship and partnership. This is a win for the Elmira area," Frankenfeld said. "We believe in giving back. We do a lot of things with colleges, hospitals, a whole host of things."

The Aviators should be playing their first home games by early September, Frankenfeld said.

The First Arena has struggled to be self-sustaining since it was built in 2000, and a recent audit pointed out several financial issues.

But Margeson believes with a new management team and a goal of creating a multi-faceted community facility — one that still includes exciting hockey as a key component — the First Arena is on the correct course toward success.

"This is a significant time. This is our time," he said. "Let's talk about positive things, not negative. We can all work together."

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira First Arena will be home for a new hockey team, the Aviators