Rabbit fever: Greenville’s hockey team
Patrick Brown, Staff Writer
Photo from www.swamprabbits.com
For some people, Fall is a time for Starbucks’ red cups and seasonal flavors, but for others it’s a time to get excited for hockey.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, are the local East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) affiliated team here in Greenville.
The Swamp Rabbits are affiliated with the National Hockey League (NHL) team the New York Rangers, one of the premiere teams in the NHL making it to the eastern conference final last year.
The Swamp Rabbits are running a new marketing slogan, branding themselves as ‘Greenville’s hockey team,’ the main reason it changed its team name.
Fans have enjoyed the change of the team’s name so much that they have developed rabbit fever.
One fan, Allen Ellis, a sophomore broadcast media major at North Greenville University, said, “The name feels more local and in tune with what the area is about.” Ellis is referring to the swamp rabbit trail that runs throughout the Upstate.
Ellis recently attended a Swamp Rabbits game and witness the excitement of the crowd despite a loss.
“The crowd was really into [the game], even though when I went, the Swamp Rabbits lost 7-0, the crowd stayed with the team till the end,” Ellis added.
The Swamp Rabbits started off pretty well in the season, but since landing third place in the conference, the Swamp Rabbits find themselves in desperate need of a win soon. The Swamp Rabbits play at home on Friday, Nov. 20 against their instate rival, the South Carolina Stingrays.
