Athens is widely considered a football town, but now there's a new craze skating in... hockey. For the last two seasons the Rock Lobsters have been the thing to see, playing their home games in the new Akins Ford Arena. And Athens knows exactly what to do with a successful sports team! We ALL became superfans (Claws up!).

But that doesn't mean we... *cough cough* all actually understand how the game is played. To get us (and other newbie hockey fans) up to speed on hockey and the Rock Lobsters team in general, we reached out to Lindsey Bornhorst, the director of community relations for the Athens Rock Lobsters. 

Don't miss the home opener on Friday, October 16, 2026 to kick off their third season! Get your tickets here. 

Q & A

1. What is hockey exactly? How does it work?

Hockey is one of the best sports in the world. I've come to realize that in the past year.

• Hockey comprises of 3 periods and 2 intermissions. No halftimes, no quarters.
• The goal of the game is for the puck in the other teams net.
• There's typically 5 skaters at a time and 1 goalie from each team, but then you have stuff like power play and penalty kill, where penalties result in a player getting pulled of the ice. If our team has the advantage (the other team looses a player) we call it a power play. If we are at a disadvantage it's called a penalty kill.
• Penalties can range in minutes; they can be 2, 5, 10, or the rest of the game. At times one team can even be at a loss of 2 players, making it an even greater disadvantage. Normally, if there is a 2 player difference, the team with more players have no reason to not score.

"Hockey is a fast, fast paced game." - Linsdey Bornhorst

2.What should you expect, walking into your first hockey game?

You can expect a lively, energetic atmosphere filled with family, friends, and fun. We are here to bring Athens together with some good old-fashioned hockey.

3. How did this team start?

The Akins Ford Arena began construction in 2021, and finished in December, 2024.  This is when we had our first game. The team is owned by an ownership group called Spire Hockey, a subsidiary of Spire Motorsports, which also owns three NASCAR racing cars: The 7, the 71, and the 77. Spire Hockey owns three other hockey teams as well: the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, the Rapid City Rush in South Dakota, and the Lions de Trois-Rivières in Montreal.

The owners saw a great opportunity in the Athens market, and they were right—we had a very successful first season. As for our name, we ran a campaign to let people vote on team name ideas. We knew we wanted to tie it to music, since that’s such a huge part of Athens’ culture. The final two options were Classic City Panic, as a tribute to Widespread Panic, and Rock Lobsters, as a tribute to the B-52’s. In the end, Rock Lobsters won, which I’m so excited about. I love the name and think there’s so much we can do with it.

4. What league is the rock lobsters in?

FPHL- The Federal Prospects Hockey League. 

5. Describe the Rock Lobsters as a team?

In minor league hockey, they sign 1 year contracts, so there is a chance for a lot of turnover. We had a successful first year and the team has really had high comaraderie. The players truly fell in love with the town. The team works really well together and the guys are super easy to market because they're all pretty genuine and a really good group of guys. They're hardworking, they love what they do, and they care about the fans. 

6. What is the team working for? 

They are working towards winning the Commissioner's Cup. 

7.Who are the RockLobsters biggest rivals?

The Columbus River Dragons because they are an in-state rival. It is dubbed the Battle of I-85. 

8. Why should the audience be interested in going to a game?

Well, because you're going to get 50% hockey game and 50% of an entire experience. Almost all of our games are themed. Theres always fun stuff, like raffles, games, and interactive cams. We keep it exciting for all ages. We like to say wether you're 2-92 there's something for you.

9. What are some games fans should not miss?

Definitely our theme night games. 

Check out the schedule of theme nights for this season.

10. Why should people consider getting season tickets?

You will get the best rate for the season. We also offer exclusive season ticket holder events. For example, we did bowling with the players for season ticket holders. As season ticket holders, you get to form relationships with the players. Another perk is that we know going to 28 games is a lot. So, if anyone is unable to make a game, we allow them to bank their tickets. Meaning, we will sell their ticket to that game and add on 2 tickets to another game, so that they can bring friends & family. They can do that as often as needed. They also get a merch discount and 2 free buddy passes to use any time throughout the season.  

BONUS:  Is there anything you want to say to our audience? 

If you haven't come to a game, come out. And if you have, come back. Last year was a lovely experience for all of us, but we have been working all summer to figure out how to make it even better and more engaging. Expect great things from us this upcoming season and a great time. Come check it out. We love what we do and it's our job is to make fans happy and give them the best possible experience.