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Asheville ice hockey fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief � with a 6-0 vote, City Council has approved plans to welcome the Asheville Aces to town for the 2004-05 season. The Asheville Aces are the seventh and latest team in the new World Hockey Association 2, a first-year league made up of teams located throughout the Southeast. This is very good news for local ice hockey fans, who have not had a local team since the Asheville Smoke folded two years ago. The contract with the new team is also very good news for the City of Asheville. The city has negotiated a contract that includes clauses that call for the WHA2 to foot the bill for any repairs to ice-making equipment that exceed $2,500 and for increases in Civic Center rental fees for games with low attendance. City attorneys are confident that these clauses, in addition to others, will prevent the addition of an ice hockey team from adding to the Civic Center�s negative cash flow, anticipated to be $700,000 this fiscal year. During the four seasons that the Asheville Smoke played at the Civic Center, ice sports, including hockey and figure skating, enjoyed enormous popularity among local residents. A recreational ice hockey league, sponsored by the Asheville Smoke, had well over 300 participants, including children and adult divisions. Figure skating clubs sprang up, with many young children and adults participating in learn-to-skate programs. Several figure skating children also participated in local, regional, and national figure skating competitions. The Asheville Aces will be sharing Civic Center dates with the Asheville Altitude, an NBDL team that is backed by the National Basketball Association. The Altitude is currently in the final year of a three-year contract with the city, but have an option for a seven-year extension, should they choose to exercise it. Other WHA2 teams are located in Pelham, AL, Macon, GA, Jacksonville, FL, Orlando, FL, Lakeland, FL, and Miami, FL. World Hockey Association 2 officials will be in town in the coming weeks to set up an office, select a head coach, and begin selling season tickets. (Image provided by The Asheville Aces)
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