UAH hockey supporters to meet with new UAH President tonight

It looks like the UAH hockey program might still have a Fighting chance to survive. I will try and get an update from the meeting that is scheduled to take place tonight.

Paul Gattis, The Huntsville Times --- Members of the Save UAH Hockey grass-roots effort will meet with new UAH President Robert Altenkirch tonight to discuss the hockey program, the school confirmed Monday.

Huntsville attorney Doug Martinson Jr., a vocal advocate for hockey, said the expectation is that Altenkirch may spell out specifically what is needed to sustain the program financially. That's something UA System Chancellor Malcolm Portera never did when he ended the 30-year program in October while serving as interim president at UAH, Martinson said.

"I guess it will be what (financial) number he throws out (to sustain the program)," Martinson said of any optimism going into the meeting. "We think we can come up with a plan.

"If they get in a conference and have home games, they will have more attendance and get a better deal at the (Von Braun Center). You bring in the alumni money and possibly more along with that."

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UAH Hockey has donors willing to support team.

 (The Huntsville Times file photo)

Developing.... Looks like the Save UAH crowd isn't going to let their team go down without a fight. It also appears that they have a AL congressional leader that supports their cause. Here is a link to a video that talks about this issue as well. [click to view]

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Money will no longer be an issue to save the hockey program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville because of additional last-minute donors, a state legislator says he has been told.

In fact, Rep. Phil Williams, R-Monrovia, said today he has separate meetings scheduled with Gov. Robert Bentley and new UAH President Dr. Robert Altenkirch to discuss salvaging the program.

UAH announced last month that its NCAA Division I hockey program would be scrapped after this season and that the school would instead field a club team. Dr. Malcolm Portera, chancellor of the University of Alabama System who was serving as interim president at UAH when the decision was announced, said the $1.5 million annual expense was too rich for the school to support.

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EDIT - UAH to kill hockey

Holy Cow, after reading this newspaper article it doesn't look good for the University of Alabama Huntsville Chargers hockey team. One doesn't really have to look very far into these comments to see where this is going, you have a non hockey friendly college administrator, who probably doesn't know what a hockey puck is, that is hell bent on axing a college hockey program to save money and make a political point... It would be an absolute shame if UAH killed their Division I college Hockey program. 

John Turner, The Huntsville Times ---- Nathan Bowen, a 2000 UAH hockey alum and leader in private fundraising efforts to support the program, said in an email to The Times that $546,875 has been pledged over three years since that point. Bowen and a handful of supporters had hoped to meet with Portera on Tuesday to discuss the decision, but, according to Bowen, that sit-down will be preempted by the announcement.

"It's just been amazing that one person has this much power to end 33 years of tradition," Bowen said. "And it really is coming down to just him. It makes no sense to me.

"He is completely disregarding the mayor, the people of Huntsville, the student council at UAH and 23 athletes that gave up opportunities to play at other places," he continued. "He's completely disregarding those people and going back to his home in Tuscaloosa. To me, it's astounding." Portera Altenkirch UA System chancellor Malcolm Portera, right, will deciding on the future of the UAH hockey program before removing his interim title and appointing Robert Altenkirch as university president on Oct. 31. (The Huntsville Times/Robin Conn)

Portera has maintained that he plans to announce a decision on the program's future before handing over the presidency to Robert Altenkirchen on Oct. 31. In the meantime, Portera has met with various groups associated with UAH or college hockey to discuss the team's status.

EDIT - I just got some very bad news; just a few minutes ago, I got  word from a source that the UA Systems chancellor and interim UAH president Malcolm Portera is going to kill UAH Hockey, the announcement is coming tomorrow. 

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