The First Arena in Elmira will welcome in a new hockey team and league next year.
The Chemung County Industrial Development Agency announced on Wednesday that the Elmira River Sharks of the Federal Prospects Hockey League would not be returning.
The arena will now be home to the new Elmira Aviators of the North American Hockey League, which is considered the second tier of junior hockey in the US.
The Chemung County IDA said the cost of running a North American Hockey League team will be significantly less than that of the Elmira River Sharks and the FPHL.
This will be the fourth different hockey team to play at the First Arena in recent years. The River Sharks were preceded by the Elmira Mammoth and the Elmira Enforcers. Before that the Elmira Jackals played at the First Arena from 2000 to 2017as part of both the UHL and ECHL.
