State Wars Returning to Fort Wayne in 2019

by Tim McManus

When we were deciding where we wanted to hold our 15th anniversary, yes 15 years wow, we thought of no better place than the SportsONE Parkview Icehouse in Fort Wayne, IN. For those of you who have yet to visit this awesome city and amazing facility, you will be in for a real treat next summer.

The facility was built in 2010, is operated by Canlan Ice Sports and houses 3 NHL sized rinks all under the same roof. The Sports Center is fully air conditioned, has a pro shop on site and features a beautiful full service sports bar restaurant called the "Thirsty Penguin" that oversees all 3 rinks, giving families and fans an awesome birds eye view of all games! The Sports Center is also the practice facility for the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets. I honestly do not know of a facility more perfect for a tournament.

State Wars 15 will be held July 23 - Aug 5, 2019

If you have not checked out our NEW website please make sure you do so at www.statewarshockey.com Our 2019 tryout registration is already open and players can begin registering at the link below!

REGISTER NOW FOR TRYOUTS

"I am extremely excited to be returning to Fort Wayne and the Icehouse this summer. It was such a blessing to find this facility a few years back and add it to our rotation of locations to host State Wars. There are so many customers of ours who felt that this was their favorite venue and it truly is a perfect place to hold a tournament" said President Tim McManus.

"The local excitement and coverage we received in Fort Wayne was mind blowing. To be on the nightly news and in the papers sports coverage each day was so unexpected. There is definitely something to be said for holding the event in a smaller market as the players and families all benefit from it" said National Director Greg Thompson

McManus added "we know how expensive youth sports are today and we are proud to be able to choose another location to host State Wars that is affordable. We don't want parents sending their kids with other families, we want to see each and every family at State Wars together. By choosing a location like Fort Wayne that is relatively inexpensive and has a lot to offer locally, it is a home run for all!"

A great aspect of this location is that the facility, the downtown area, tons of hotels, hundreds of restaurants and all of the main attractions (including zoo and minor league ball park) are all a few simple miles away from one another.

The SportsONE/Parkview Icehouse features 3 full size NHL rinks, air conditioning on all rinks, a sports bar restaurant that oversees all 3 rinks, on site pro shop, and more...

The Icehouse is only a few miles from Downtown and twenty minutes from the Fort Wayne airport.

There are also so many fun and exciting things to do away from the Sports Center when you are in the area...check out some detailed info below!

2019 Block Schedule
6u : August 2-4
2011 : August 2-4
2010 : August 1-3
2009 : July 30 - August 1
2008 : July 30 - August 2
2007 : July 28-31
2006 : July 23-26
2005 : July 24-27
2004 : July 25-28
2003 : July 23-26
2002 : July 27-30
2001 : July 29 - August 1
Juggernaut ('98s & younger) : July 28-30
Junior ('95s & younger) : July 23-26
Senior AA : August 1-4
Senior A/B : August 2-5
Womens : July 27-29
35 & over : August 3-5
45 & over : August 3-5
PAMA Pro : July 26-28

It is a great feeling not to have to worry about which games we have to play on the 'smaller rink" or the one we know teams wont like as much. At the Icehouse, all 3 rinks are identical and side by side by side...making an incredible atmosphere that is perfect for State Wars Hockey. Each rink is fully air conditioned and all have full sized locker rooms with showers.

An awesome feature at the Icehouse is the upstairs viewing of all 3 full sized rinks. Yes, from the "Thirsty Penguin" sports bar & restaurant there is plenty of seating and viewing of all three rinks. So there is no need to miss a second of action this summer, as you can watch any game while enjoying a cold drink or great meal.

Fort Wayne is an Easy Drive For Many

No Bag Fees or Car Rentals!

When choosing a location for this prestigious event there are many factors but the one we choose not to ignore is affordability and ease to get there. We purposely choose central locations that are either easily drivable or reasonable to fly to, hence the central location.

Fort Wayne is a great place to drive to for many families in many states. So pack up the SUV or minivan and get to State Wars! Oh and if you do drive make you dress up your vehicle and show your support for your home state or province!

Time Driving From Major Cities to Fort Wayne

Chicago (3 hours)
Detroit (3 hours)
Cincinnati (3 1/2 hours)
Milwaukee (4 1/2 hours)
Pittsburgh (5 hours)
St. Louis (6 hours)
Nashville (6 hours)
Buffalo (6 1/2 hours)
Mississauga (7 hours)
Des Moines (7 1/2 hours)
Overland Park (9 hours)
Philadelphia (9 1/2 hours)
Atlanta (9 1/2 hours)
Newark (9 1/2 hours)
Raleigh (10 hours)
Richmond (10 hours)
Lincoln (10 hours)
Long Island (10 1/2 hours)

Many Great Things to See and Do in Fort Wayne

Highlights of the Local Area

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo (named one of top 10 for kids in nation)
Check out a minor league baseball game at the beautiful Parkview Field (affordable family fun for all!)
Check out a show at the gorgeous Embassy Theatre
Visit the Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Surround yourself with nature at the Froellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory
Shop at the Jefferson Pointe or Glenbrook Square
Have fun at Lazer X the Midwest's largest laser tag and arcade game facility
Check out Visit Fort Wayne for even more great things to enjoy with your family while in beautiful Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne International Airport

20 Minutes from the Sports Center

On our site visit to Fort Wayne, after landing, we got our bags, our rental car and were in the car in about 15 minutes! A great luxury to a smaller less busy airport! No huge lines or having to arrive hours early either.

Direct flights are limited to : Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Ft. Myers, and Tampa

All other flights connect in O'Hare Chicago Airport (as we did) but the connecting flight from Chicago to Fort Wayne was 20 minutes!

REGISTER FOR YOUR STATE/PROVINCIAL TRYOUT

Remember tryouts are RISK FREE, so there is no reason for anyone not to give it their best shot and have an opportunity to play in this awesome event. Any player who attends the full tryout and is not selected will receive a full refund of the tryout fee.

Each tryout is two hours long and all players receive a State Wars Hockey tryout jersey.

REGISTER NOW

**Indianapolis International Airport is a 2 hour drive away as well**