Commissioner set to attend opener

YOUNGSTOWN — North American Hockey League commissioner Mark Frankenfeld will be attending this weekend’s Phantoms games at the Chevrolet Centre.

Frankenfeld will drop the puck for a ceremonial face-off along with Phantoms president Bruce Zoldan before the start of tonight’s game with the St. Louis Bandits.

Frankenfeld said the league is happy to have one of its franchises move into a state-of-the-art arena like the Chevrolet Centre.

“I think it says a lot about the quality of our product, both on and off the ice,” he said. “It certainly helps raise the visibility of our league both locally and nationally, and that’s nothing but a positive from both a business and player development standpoint.”

The 5,500-seat Chevrolet Centre, built in 2005, is the largest venue in the NAHL. The Phantoms are scheduled to play 21 regular-season games and the North Division Showcase, scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend, at the arena.