Flames defenseman Nate Cox and forward Mason Smith showcase their R2D2 uniforms for last season's 'Star Wars' theme night at the LaHaye Ice Center. (Photo by Ryan Alexander)
Promotional nights highlight 2025-26 DI men’s hockey season home schedule
8/11/2025 2:02:00 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
An action-packed series of theme nights, tailgates, games, and giveaways will create a festive vibe inside the LaHaye Ice Center as the Flames play out their 23-game home schedule.
Festivities and theme nights surrounding Liberty University's Division I men's hockey team will help keep the LaHaye Ice Center lively throughout the 2025-26 season.
"We're looking forward to this year," said Club Sports Fan Engagement & Promotion Assistant Seth Fernandez, who works with Club Sports Director of Marketing & Promotions Kim Jamison. "We've been planning this out since April. Hopefully, with all the promotions we have going on, more people are going to want to come."
The 33-game regular season will include 23 home games with five specialty jersey nights — Midnight Mayhem contests against Delaware on Sept. 26 and Minot State on Dec. 5, NASCAR Night against Stony Brook on Oct. 25, Military Appreciation Night against Jamestown on Nov. 6 (sponsored by the Army National Guard), and Star Wars Night against Niagara on Jan. 24.
The jerseys, which will be auctioned after each respective theme night, were designed in April and May by Club Sports graphic designers Madison Gaddy ('25), a former Division II women's hockey player, and Bobby Leak ('22), a former men's wrestler.
The first promotional night, for the game against the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on Sept. 19, is a new concept, "Pucks and Polos."
"That is kind of a golf meets hockey (promotion), playing on the 'Happy Gilmore' theme," Fernandez said, noting fans are encouraged to wear polo shirts, and Liberty Hockey sunglasses will be given away to those arriving first.
Ivy Hill Golf Club will sponsor that match, and attendees will receive a free Liberty-branded golf ball with the purchase of a polo from the Pro Shop.
An intermission putting contest, similar to the La Caretta hockey puck shootout, and closest-to-the-pin competition using the faceoff circles and dots as greens and holes, respectively, will add to the golf theme in the arena.
Rodeo Night for the Oct. 4 game against Utah, is also new this season.
"We've done Country Night in the past, but this year, we're trying to make it more Western," Fernandez said, noting they will be getting the Liberty equestrian team involved and producing a promotional video at the Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center.
On NASCAR Night, the creative team is planning a promotional video that features Sparky and a few hockey players, with giveaways of Liberty Hockey travel mugs and seat cushions, "something you could use at both the game and a race," Fernandez said.
Commuter tailgate parties are scheduled for Sept. 26, before the first Midnight Mayhem, and prior to the Nov. 6 Military Appreciation contest, which will be followed by a Hometown Heroes Night on Nov. 7, with discounted tickets for first-responders including EMTs, fire and rescue workers, and police officers.
The annual Teddy Bear Toss, which benefits Toys for Tots' Christmas drive, will be held in conjunction with Staff Appreciation Night on Dec. 6, in the semester-ending series finale against Minot State.
Regular fan participation games between periods will include puck shootouts, relay races, hockey uniform dress-up races, Knockerballs, human slingshot bowling, and dizzy hockey stick races.
The Star Wars Night kicks off the spring semester promotions on Jan. 24 with a video produced by Liberty's Marketing videography team. A Youth Day for the Jan. 31 afternoon contest against Adrian College will feature Lynchburg Coyotes youth hockey players in an intermission scrimmage before the home regular-season schedule concludes with Fan Appreciation Night on Feb. 20, including a tumbler giveaway, and Senior Night on Feb. 21 for the series finale against Ohio University.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
"We're looking forward to this year," said Club Sports Fan Engagement & Promotion Assistant Seth Fernandez, who works with Club Sports Director of Marketing & Promotions Kim Jamison. "We've been planning this out since April. Hopefully, with all the promotions we have going on, more people are going to want to come."
The jerseys, which will be auctioned after each respective theme night, were designed in April and May by Club Sports graphic designers Madison Gaddy ('25), a former Division II women's hockey player, and Bobby Leak ('22), a former men's wrestler.
The first promotional night, for the game against the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on Sept. 19, is a new concept, "Pucks and Polos."
"That is kind of a golf meets hockey (promotion), playing on the 'Happy Gilmore' theme," Fernandez said, noting fans are encouraged to wear polo shirts, and Liberty Hockey sunglasses will be given away to those arriving first.
Ivy Hill Golf Club will sponsor that match, and attendees will receive a free Liberty-branded golf ball with the purchase of a polo from the Pro Shop.
An intermission putting contest, similar to the La Caretta hockey puck shootout, and closest-to-the-pin competition using the faceoff circles and dots as greens and holes, respectively, will add to the golf theme in the arena.
Rodeo Night for the Oct. 4 game against Utah, is also new this season.
"We've done Country Night in the past, but this year, we're trying to make it more Western," Fernandez said, noting they will be getting the Liberty equestrian team involved and producing a promotional video at the Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center.
On NASCAR Night, the creative team is planning a promotional video that features Sparky and a few hockey players, with giveaways of Liberty Hockey travel mugs and seat cushions, "something you could use at both the game and a race," Fernandez said.
Commuter tailgate parties are scheduled for Sept. 26, before the first Midnight Mayhem, and prior to the Nov. 6 Military Appreciation contest, which will be followed by a Hometown Heroes Night on Nov. 7, with discounted tickets for first-responders including EMTs, fire and rescue workers, and police officers.
The annual Teddy Bear Toss, which benefits Toys for Tots' Christmas drive, will be held in conjunction with Staff Appreciation Night on Dec. 6, in the semester-ending series finale against Minot State.
Regular fan participation games between periods will include puck shootouts, relay races, hockey uniform dress-up races, Knockerballs, human slingshot bowling, and dizzy hockey stick races.
The Star Wars Night kicks off the spring semester promotions on Jan. 24 with a video produced by Liberty's Marketing videography team. A Youth Day for the Jan. 31 afternoon contest against Adrian College will feature Lynchburg Coyotes youth hockey players in an intermission scrimmage before the home regular-season schedule concludes with Fan Appreciation Night on Feb. 20, including a tumbler giveaway, and Senior Night on Feb. 21 for the series finale against Ohio University.
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
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