TALLAHASSEE (WTXL) - The only time you ever really hear about hockey in the south is when the Tampa Bay Lightning are doing well, and when visiting snowbirds brag about their northern teams. The sport isn't that popular in the south, that is, unless you belong to the Tallahassee Hockey League.
Nick Loffer moved to Tallahassee two years ago for a job. He's 880 miles from where he grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, but he feels right at home on the rink.
"I looked it up on Google, Tallahassee hockey league, and a week later I was out here playing with a great group of guys," he said of finding an outlet to play the sport in Florida. "I had asthma when I was growing up and hockey was a great way for me to beat it."
The Tallahassee Hockey League started in 2010, and has boasted at least three teams every season. Loffer both plays and refs games.
"I had a neighbor that knew liked hockey and I didn't have any equipment so he said borrow some of mine," said Mike McGinnis.
"It's a great relief," said Loffer. "I'm sitting on the computer all day dealing with work, but at the end of the day, whether you're going home or to the rink, it's just something that we love and grew up with."
For more information on the Tallahasse Hockey League, click here.
