If there was ever any doubt about the popularity of hockey in the Greater Chicagoland Area...

Tuesday, the ECHL team in Hoffman Estates will unveil their new team name, along with their Head Coach, at a press conference at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates at 11:00.

They're even giving out freebie T-shirts to the first 100 to show up.

The team will begin playing for the 2011-12 season.

A year seems like a long way off unti you think about the fact that they don't have any AHL or NHL affiliation, and they probably don't have many tickets sold yet.

Wade Welsh is the new team's GM. He did a good job with the Kalamazoo Wings. Under his management, the Islanders affiliate finished first in the ECHL North last season.

Now, to be fair, a lot of the on-ice talent will only be as good as what the affiliate provides. I don't think it takes a genius to look at the location of the team, pretty much dead-assed between Chicago and Rockford, and see where they want to be affiliated.

It would be one sweet setup if they do. This has the potential to actually be pretty cool if they do it right. The bottom single ticket price is $8. Cheaper than a movie. In fact, they're already selling season packages for the new season - a quick phone conversation with the Ticket salesman (Steve - nice guy), and I found out they're already selling season ticket packages, starting at $243/seat. So for those of you who live out in the Northwest burbs and want hockey without shelling out a lot of dough, this is an option.

Since we're not above whoring ourselves out for a few goodies, look for us to shill shamelessly for the new team.