Published: August 26, 2008 02:03 am      

Inferno hope to warm up to new fans

DANVILLE — The sounds of blades cutting the ice, sticks clanging together and players barking out strategies filled an otherwise focused David S. Palmer Arena.

And sitting in a section away from the crowd was a Superior, Wisc., native that could have been mistaken for one of the many players trying out at the Danville Inferno hockey camp.

But his focused glare wasn’t the frustration of being injured or not making the team — he has already secured his spot. He was carefully scouting the group of hopefuls battling for a place on the Inferno’s roster for its inaugural 2008-2009 season.

Inferno head coach Chris Sislo’s calm demeanor shouldn’t be confused for a lack of intensity. He’s more than excited to be on board for hockey’s return to Danville. And part of his excitement comes from the challenges that lie ahead in putting together each piece of the puzzle necessary to make the Inferno a success.

While the final roster is not yet decided, Sislo is already amped about getting his players out in the community in an effort to drum up support and allow fans to get to know them off the ice.

“For a Junior team to succeed, a town has to back it,” said Sislo.” But we don’t come into this with the expectation that we’re just going to show up and the town’s going to fall in love with us. We know that we have to do our part. We’re going to get involved in the community. These guys are going to have volunteer hours that they have to (fulfill).

“We know that we have to do our part to win over the town. Then if they come and see the product that we’re going to have here, they’ll fall in love with us too.”

One of the many pieces of the puzzle is finding adequate housing for the players.

The Inferno will do their best to become invested in Danville’s community by creating a bond with their fans, and they look forward to a reciprocal relationship. But a select group will get to know the team on another level by bringing it into their homes — literally.

Countless stories have been logged about the positive aspects of hosting players with the benefits exceeding expectations. Host families get an extra body in the house to help with the occasional chores and receive a monthly stipend to help with expenses.

“The biggest thing that you get is a lifelong relationship with a guy that comes into town that plays hockey, moves on and furthers his career, and just being able to keep track of him as he moves on,” said Inferno General Manager Cameron Estes. “He becomes part of the family — kind of like a stepchild or an adopted child. That’s the biggest thing. Just that relationship.

“There are misconceptions out there that (hockey players) are all high strung and high maintenance and do nothing but want to badmouth each other and fight all the time. That’s just not true. Most of them, you get them off the ice and they are just big, easy-going guys. They want to serve, they want to help out. They want to feel like they are part of something and part of the family.”

Working his way up through the ranks and to his current position as head coach of the Inferno, Sislo has witnessed firsthand the relationship building process involved when players enter an unfamiliar territory.

“It’s definitely scary at first, no question,” said Sislo. “But you get to know the housing families, you get to like them. We definitely try to match personalities with the families. It is a little strange at first, but it doesn’t take long for you to start growing attached to the housing parents and the families. It’s not just the parents getting attached to the kids, the (players) get attached to the families too.

“Everybody that I’ve talked to has always enjoyed it. It’s great because they always stay in touch with them. I was talking with a few of the guys that we have here this weekend and the biggest thing that I notice is that they are just phenomenal character kids. In talking to some of the evaluators, they can’t believe the type of personalities that are out here. They are just great kids that want to play hockey.”

The Inferno are scheduled to hit the ice at the Palmer Arena for an exhibition game on Sept. 6 against the Chicago Huskies before opening the season in Midland, Mich., against the Tri City Ice Hawks. The Inferno’s first regular season home game will be Oct. 3 against the Motor City Chiefs.

For a complete schedule, ticket prices and information on becoming a host family go to the team’s Web site at http://www.danvilleinferno.com.