Waterloo Hosts Cedar Rapids-50th Annual Thanksgiving Hockey Game

The Waterloo Black Hawks kick-off a busy holiday weekend with the first of three games in a four-day span. The team welcomes the Madison Capitols tonight (Wed. 11/24/21) for a Thanksgiving eve game at 7:05 at Young Arena.

Black Hawks/RoughRiders: Iowa’s Great Thanksgiving Hockey Tradition

A few weeks ago, representatives of the Black Hawks made the road trip to the State Capitol in Des Moines and met with Governor Kim Reynolds. In one of the easiest decisions she'll ever make (and one pretty much everyone can agree on, no matter what side of the political spectrum you're on), she declared the Waterloo Thanksgiving home hockey game, "Iowa’s Great Thanksgiving Hockey Tradition".

Governor Reynolds with Black Hawks staff members (from left to right) Tim Harwood, Parish Mason, and Joe Greene - Photo Courtesy - Waterloo Black Hawks

The matchup against the RoughRiders will be the 50^th time Waterloo has hosted a game on the holiday.

A team press release explains: "the tradition was interrupted last season by the coronavirus pandemic and the August 2020 derecho, which kept the RoughRiders from playing during the entirety of the 2020/21 season. Prior to last November, the Hawks had met the RoughRiders on Thanksgiving every November since 2000. Waterloo has skated on home ice for the holiday in all but eight years since 1964." It'll be the 21st time Cedar Rapids has been the visiting opponent for the traditional tilt.

Black Hawks' Teddy Bear Toss Returns on Thanksgiving Night

As mentioned, because of the coronavirus pandemic, last season the Black Hawks did not play on Thanksgiving for the first time since 1996. A fan favorite, the "Teddy Bear Toss" returns on Thursday night, immediately following the Black Hawks’ first goal of the night, fans can throw their stuffed toys on the ice. The toys will then be donated to children in need through Toys-4-Tots, Furries 4 Fosters, and local hospitals.

Black Hawks play at the "Stable" for the first time in over a year

The Black Hawks will head to Cedar Rapids for a "return game" this Saturday at 7:05 pm. It will be Waterloo’s first trip to Cedar Rapids Ice Arena since a 4-3 victory on February 15, 2020, before the rink was damaged by a severe storm that August.

Courtesy - Waterloo Black Hawks

Tickets for the Wednesday night match-up with Madison, or the Thanksgiving game are available here or by calling their box office at (319) 291-7680.

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