Officials with team owner Hallett Sports and Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe unveiled the new name and logo for Bloomington’s ECHL Franchise. The Bloomington Bison will begin play at the soon to be renamed Grossinger Motors Arena in October to start the 2024-25 season. The team’s color scheme of Columbia Blue, Red, and White resemble the old Houston Oilers of the NFL.
In the reveal, Hallett sports co-CEO Chad Hallett explained that the logo is a nod to Bloomington and Illinois. ” The Bison resembles Abraham Lincoln with the hat and beard. The shield design behind the Bison represents Route 66, and the lightning bolt on the mascot’s cheek represents the storms across the prairie.” Hallett’s brother and co-CEO Sean Hallett will serve as the team’s CEO, a role he holds with the Hallett’s other ECHL franchise, the Indy Fuel. But the rest of the staff will be hired independently in the coming months.
This will be the highest level of hockey hosted by Bloomington, as the ECHL is equivalant of a AA minor league franchise in baseball. Over 700 ECHL players have gone on to play in the NHL. Prices for tickets in the first year will range between $20 and $30 dollars. Fans looking to make a reservation or deposit for Season Tickets can visit BloomingtonBisonHockey.com.
