Tallahassee Tiger Sharks Eye a Comeback for 2027 Season

For seven seasons, the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks brought professional minor league hockey to Florida's Capital City. Playing as members of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) from 1994 through 2001, the Tiger Sharks called the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center (now the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center) their home rink.

A History of Fast Skating and Controversy

The franchise itself had a long pedigree, having originated in 1981 as the Nashville South Stars and moving through several cities before landing in Tallahassee in 1994. While in Tallahassee, the team served as an affiliate for NHL clubs, including the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens.

Under the guidance of head coach Terry Christensen, who coached the team for five of its seven seasons, the Tiger Sharks were initially successful, making the playoffs in their first three seasons, 1994–95, 1995–96, and 1996–97. Fans were rabidly loyal, partly because of the immense popularity of the team's 6-foot-tall, ice-skating mascot: a gray tiger shark named Frenzy.

However, the team's tenure ended on a sour note: during the 2000–01 season, though the Tiger Sharks were in position to make the playoffs, they were fined $50,000 and 15 points in the standings for exceeding the team salary cap and making improper payments to other hockey teams; the franchise moved to Macon, Georgia, after that season.

The Drive for a Return

Since the Tiger Sharks left town in 2001, Tallahasseeans have made various attempts to revive the ice hockey franchise, none of which succeeded until the current one started to gain serious steam.

At the forefront of the revival is Cory Paterson, who used to play for the Tiger Sharks. On November 11, 2025, Paterson talked about what his team has been working on and went on to say that he is "a thousand percent confident that hockey's going to be back." He went so far as to hint that people should prepare to buy season tickets for either the 2027 or 2028 seasons.

The movement has strong support from city leadership: Mayor John Dailey has publicly supported the effort, seeing the return of the Tiger Sharks, along with the potential for a minor league women's soccer team, as a way to diversify the local economy. He has been meeting with Paterson and others interested in bringing the team back for months.

Paterson and his ownership group would like the new ownership to be at least partially local, as he believes that is the reason the team relocated the first time. The original venue, the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, is still an option; however, Paterson's team is considering another location for the long term in Tallahassee.

Hockey fans may not have to wait long for definitive news: Paterson hopes an official announcement regarding the team's return can be made by or before March 2026. Wheels are turning rapidly; Tallahassee might soon be hearing the roar of the crowd, and quite possibly Frenzy, once again.