Hockey team is now the Greenville Swamp Rabbits

In March, the Greenville Road Warriors hockey franchise signed a five-year lease with the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. For team owner Fred Festa, it was a clear commitment to Greenville.

It also was a risk.

The Road Warriors have not turned a profit since arriving in Greenville in 2010. Festa bought the team in 2012. His staff stabilized attendance, but Festa determined no profitability in keeping the Road Warriors as Greenville’s team.

Rather than change locations, Festa changed the name. On Wednesday, the team officially became the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.

“When I bought the team, I asked a number of people why it was the Road Warriors,” Festa said. “No one could tell me the significance in the alignment with the community. No one.”

The Road Warriors mascot initially was pitched as a tie to the Upstate automotive industry. However, Festa said the name never gained any traction

“Half the people I meet call us the Grrrowl,” Festa said, referring to the Greenville hockey franchise that folded in 2006 after eight seasons.

Festa certainly does not aim to follow the Grrrowl into Greenville’s graveyard of minor league misses, but he wants a similar brand, one strong enough to outlive a franchise.

“We wanted to make additional efforts to really ingrain ourselves in the fabric of the community,” Swamp Rabbits general manager Chris Lewis said of the new name. “As unique as it is, and it may make people raise their eyebrows at first, there’s no doubt that it’s inherently Greenville. It’s specific to this city, and it’s a thing that the community can own along with us.”

Lewis said the team drew parallels of struggle and survival from the story of the historic Swamp Rabbit railroad line that ran through Greenville County. The name is shared by local restaurants, a brewery and the popular pedestrian trail that weaves through the city.

“We really feel that this will be a brand and really an identity that is going to appeal to the most hardcore hockey fan and to the family that comes once or twice a season,” Lewis said. “It is our goal and our mission to not be a hockey team in Greenville, but to be Greenville’s team, to be a vibrant and valued asset to the community that helps make Greenville a place that wins all these awards and makes all these Top 10 lists.”

Considering all the Road Warriors merchandise, marketing materials and equipment already in circulation, rebranding required a significant financial investment. Festa declined to share the exact amount, but he asserted that the total cost is “well over six figures.”

Festa also asserted that ticket prices will not be affected by the change, but he hopes ticket sales will be.

“It’s about how do we get more fans in the seats,” he said. “How do we get a refreshed brand so we can attract more sponsorships and partners? How do I keep a staff motivated to continue to excel every day?”

Greenville ranked 24th among 28 teams in the East Coast Hockey League in attendance last season with an average crowd of 3,619 per game. Lewis said Greenville enjoyed a six percent increase in attendance from the previous year but is still far from its goal of reaching the league average, which was 4,598 last season.

Lewis is confident this new Swamp Rabbit brand will help the franchise debunk the stigma that hockey will never thrive in the South.

“We’ve seen these indicators that it could work. People can like it,” Lewis said. “What it’s really about too is creating an experience and creating an entertainment option that just attracts people whether you know what a blue line is or not. You don’t need to know why the whistle blew to come have a great time at a hockey game.”

Lewis said the rebranding also includes enhanced gameday promotions and community initiatives. According to Lewis, the Swamp Rabbits will continue partnerships with the Greenville Zoo, Children’s Museum, Greenville County Schools, Boy Scouts, Ice on Main and the Greater Greenville Hockey Association.

Swamp Rabbits head coach Brian Gratz said he will compile a team to reflect the new brand as well— a fast paced offense, a gritty, stingy defense and players who do not mind staying late after a game to greet fans.

“When minor league sports is in a town, it’s about the access that the fans have,” Gratz said. “The closeness with the community, that’s one of the reasons too that the rebrand was so imperative.”

Gratz said recent renovations to the arena, including new scoreboards, sound system and suites, will help him attract players who fit the new mold.

“It is one of the nicest arenas in the country,” Gratz said. “Guys want to play in a great place.”

The Well already has worked as a recruiting tool. Festa said the renovations and the commitment from general manager Beth Paul encouraged him to keep the team in Greenville. Festa, who also serves as president and CEO of Maryland-based W.R. Grace and Co., fielded interest from other cities before finalizing the new lease at The Well.

There are merely 58 minor league hockey teams in the United States. Consequently, demand for a franchise is high.

“As any good businessperson, I looked at the other alternatives,” Festa said. “Because of the league structure now, there are only two more available spots (for franchises), so a lot of cities were looking at if I could take this team and move it somewhere else.”

However, Festa said his accord with Paul, his affinity for Greenville and his determination to make hockey work here enticed him to stay.

“I like Greenville. I really do,” Festa said. “Every time, me and my family, we come down, and we walk along Main Street, people greet you. People are friendly to you. People say, ‘Thank you for bringing the hockey team here.’”

Maybe now, they will remember the hockey team’s name.