A New Season Underway?

10/21/2022 | Author: Brandon Stolz

As the fall season is once again upon us, West Michigan residents again have one question on their minds. When can we expect the next Carlson Cup season to begin? Although many have this question each year around this time, the answer to it has been slightly different in recent years due to the pandemic raging on. Fortunately, fans will soon have an answer to this question for this year's season, and it might be one that they're very pleased with.

Now that the pandemic has been brought back to a controllable level, talk has once again begun regarding the 2022-2023 season. With the extended offseason, players have been training to sharpen their skills, and are eager to battle it out over the plastic ice. Furthermore, fans have also shared this excitement, as this marks the longest break in Carlson Cup seasons since before 2017. As a result, the defending league champion Jacob Carlson has decided to take action, and is actively working on a schedule.

"I'm gonna try my best to talk everyone into it lol" is what Carlson said in response to being asked about the possibility of another season.

With such high demand for a new winter season, the prospects of it happening seem highly likely, meaning that fans will once again be able to watch their favorite competitors both in person and online.

Despite the building anticipation shared by players and fans, there are still many logistical questions that first must be answered. Namely, where and when will these games take place? Traditionally, tournaments would be held at former champion Nick Carlson's house on Saturdays, but venue availability has brought the feasibility of the option into question. In addition to this, the last two years of no tournaments have allowed players' schedules to shift, ultimately making it much more difficult to coordinate a season.

In spite of this, the defending champ has shown a lot of optimism in being able to sort out the above details, and is confident that the league will return after its long hiatus.

Although nothing is ever a certainty in the world of table hockey, there is still much hope to be had in regards to the future of the Carlson Cup Hockey League. While the specifics of the upcoming season remain unclear, what does remain clear is the strong passion and support towards the league from both the players and the fans, and that it isn't a question of will we play again, only when.