UTICA, N.Y. — The Utica Comets will host the Syracuse Crunch in an outdoor American Hockey League (AHL) game in Rome on Feb. 13, 2021, dubbed the AIS Empire State Classic.
The teams will play at Building 100 of the Griffiss Business and Technology Park.
The state announced the game during a Wednesday morning event in Utica in which it broke ground for the $44 million Nexus Center.
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“Utica has grown one of the most passionate and die-hard fan bases in the AHL since the Comets came to town seven years ago,” Chris Nikolis, EVP of business for the AHL, said. “This outdoor game next February will add another memorable chapter to the franchise’s history, as well as to one of our league’s best rivalries.”
The 2021 AIS Empire State Classic will build upon the seven-year rivalry between the Comets and Crunch. This will be the 11th outdoor game for the AHL and the third in the state of New York. The Crunch hosted the first outdoor game in AHL history back in 2010 at the New York State Fairgrounds.
Along with the Nexus Center groundbreaking, the state also announced an outdoor winter festival at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in December to support state and regional tourism marketing initiatives.
The winter festival, which will commemorate the park’s 25th anniversary, will coincide with the grand opening of the Nexus Center and will host the first ever Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) outdoor game featuring Utica City FC.
The $1.067 million festival is being funded in part by a $345,000 Empire State Development Market New York grant.
Mohawk Valley Garden plans to create a winter festival at the Griffiss Park to coincide with the opening of the new Nexus Center. Mohawk Valley Gardens, Inc. operates the Utica Comets for the Vancouver Canucks, which own the affiliation.
As part of the festival, Mohawk Valley Garden will erect a portable, “state-of-the-art” ice rink at Building 100 at Griffiss Park. It’ll include temporary indoor and outdoor seating for 12,000 to 14,000 people.
“To be able to be a part of two epic projects in the Nexus Center and the 2021 AIS Empire State Classic Outdoor Game is not only humbling but also fulfilling to see how our community has banded together through sports and entertainment,” Robert Esche, president of the Utica Comets, said. “I personally want to thank … Gov. Andrew Cuomo for bringing our area’s vision to a reality.”
Esche also announced that the night prior, on Feb. 12, the Utica College men’s hockey team will face off in an outdoor game against SUNY Oswego, per a Utica Comets news release.
Besides the outdoor hockey games, the rink will also host games involving local high schools and youth hockey opponents.
Building 100 will become an “innovative festival and marketplace,” featuring local amenities and vendors that “highlight the region’s culture and livelihood.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
