ECHL to Myrtle Beach

Who says it has to be cold to love hockey? The ECHL is looking to start a minor league expansion team in Myrtle Beach, but there's just one hold up... and no, it has nothing to do with the year round great weather.

ECHL Commissioner, Brian McKenna, says he is eager to have a team in Myrtle Beach but they are waiting for the city to construct a new building.

In an interview with NHL.com he let his frustrations with Myrtle Beach be heard as he stated, "Myrtle Beach has been a frustrating one. There’s been funding in place, but between the university and developers, those folks haven’t been able to get a building coming out of the ground." It's hard to disagree with him when the money's there but nothing seems to be getting done.

The ECHL is desperate to see new teams in the league as they lost Augusta Lynx and Fresno Falcons in 2008-9 and Dayton Bombers, Mississippi Sea Wolves and Phoenix RoadRunner won't be returning next season.

The recipe for success is there for the Myrtle Beach hockey team, should they ever get their building up. Both nearby Florence and Charleston host teams, with Charleston winning the league cup and leading the league attendance on multiple occasions. And being in South Carolina, neither city is in a traditional hockey town despist their success.