SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch have announced details for the team’s 25th Home Opener presented by Upstate University Hospital when the team hosts the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.
The game will be highlighted by an opening ceremony featuring one former Crunch player from each of the team’s affiliations – Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning – accompanied by the mascot from that affiliation. Additional special guests will include former Onondaga County Executive Nicholas J. Pirro and Ryan McMahon, current chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature and successor to Joanie Mahoney as County Executive. The Crunch will also recreate elements from the team’s inaugural 1994 home opener.
Following introductions, the Crunch will begin the 25th season celebration with an opening video on the brand-new state-of-the-art scoreboard and ribbons lights looking back on the franchise’s history. During the game, the team will wear silver specialty jerseys.
Additionally, the first 2,500 fans in attendance on Oct. 13 will receive LED foam batons, courtesy of Upstate University Hospital.
The region’s largest employer with nearly 9,000 employees, Upstate Medical University is the only academic medical center in Central New York, serving the New Yorkers from Canada to Pennsylvania with its educational, clinical and research missions. Upstate University Hospital, with two campuses Downtown and Community, employ nearly 2,000 nurses. A highlight of Upstate’s leading role in the region is its ability to ensure access to vital one-of-a-kind services, such as burn and trauma care, an array of highly specialized pediatric services and the area’s only comprehensive stroke center.
