Not much will change with the Vail Yeti this season, and that’s a good thing.
The local hockey team had a successful season last year, going 15-3-1 at home and selling out a number of games at Dobson Ice Arena.
Despite the high demand, owner Kyle Forte says he doesn’t intend to raise the cost of tickets this year, keeping prices at $10 in advance and $15 at the door, with kids allowed to attend free of charge.
Forte will begin his second season with the Yeti this year and says maintaining a low cost of entry is part of his overall philosophy in taking over the team.
“I want to stay true and keep it as an affordable thing to do in Vail,” he said.
The Yeti will add two more home games to the calendar this season for a total of 21 Yeti matchups at Dobson. A season-ticket option, guaranteeing access to all 21 games, is also available for $160, which brings the cost to $7.61 per game. Season tickets can be purchased at VailYetiHockey.com/tickets.
The first home game of the season will be Dec. 2 against the Breckenridge Vipers, Vail’s Summit County rivals. With many Breckenridge fans making the trip over Vail Pass to see the Vipers last season, Forte suspects the very first game of the season may have a chance of selling out.
“It’s almost like we planned it that way,” he said with a laugh.
The next pair of home games will be Dec. 8-9 against another mountain-town rival, the Jackson Hole Moose, before the Yeti faces what promises to be their toughest opponents on the season, the Castle Island Hockey Club out of Boston, again in Vail in back-to-back matches Dec. 15-16.
Last year’s 15-3-1 record at home was a vast improvement over previous seasons, but Forte said he measures the success more in terms of the impact the team is able to make on the community. The Yeti, through on-ice promotions like the kid-friendly “chuck-a-puck” contest, was able to raise nearly $15,000 for local nonprofits.
The chuck-a-puck allows fans to purchase a puck and throw it out onto the ice in between periods, aiming for targets that have been placed around the rink. It will return again this year, along with the team’s merchandise booth. With the Yeti now celebrating 10 years as a team, Forte says they are planning on developing some 10-year anniversary merchandise exclusively for this season.
Before becoming the owner of the Yeti, Forte was the coach of the Kalamazoo Wings, a minor league affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and prior to that he was a hockey director for the Vail Mountaineers youth hockey program. On Sunday, he took time away from coaching women’s hockey in Eagle to take a phone call confirming that the Yeti, for 2023-24, is able to bring back its key players and will feature a few new faces, as well.
And in a final piece of good news, Forte said the refreshments at Dobson won’t be subject to recent inflation.
“I can confirm that beers will again be $5 this year,” he said on Sunday. “So no need to worry about that one.”
For more information visit VailYetiHockey.com.