St. Clair Shores Fighting Saints joining Federal Hockey League

By @StefanKubus –

Fresh off the Port Huron Prowlers capturing the Federal Hockey League crown in 2016, the league will be adding another Michigan club for the 2016-17 campaign.

The St. Clair Shores-based team revealed its name, colors and logo in a press conference Wednesday afternoon. The St. Clair Shores Fighting Saints will play out of the St. Clair Shores Civic Arena beginning in November.

“We wanted to reflect the rich heritage and history of youth hockey in St. Clair Shores by using Saints in the name,” general manager and associate head coach Brandon Contratto, 25, told the Detroit Free Press. “They have a red-and-white color scheme; we went with something new but still keeping identity with the youth program here.”

The team’s colors will be navy, kelly green and Vegas gold, featuring a Spartan holding a hockey stick on top of a crest with the Fighting Saints wordmark.

On April 18, the city council in St. Clair Shores approved plans to house the team in late April. Four new locker rooms and an overall upgrade in seating and amenities at Civic Arena are in the works.

St. Clair Shores native and former University of Michigan standout Dave Debol is set to man the bench as head coach along with his director of hockey operations role.

Contratto said two free agent tryout camps have already been set: one at the Civic Arena from Jul9 29-31 and another most likely in San Diego, Calif. during the first weekend of August.

The 2016-17 FHL schedule is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.