TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – This weekend is the opening weekend of the Toledo Walleye and fans from all over are heading to Toledo for one thing: hockey!

“All you have to do is watch them one and you’ll be hooked, no pun intended,” said one fan.

Walleye fans came to downtown Toledo to show their Fish Pride on Friday. Whether it was from the team’s pre-party, watching from a local bar or from the Huntington Center.

“Our fans are everything we do here, we love them, we adore them. And as you can see from some of those walking behind me now, they try their best. They love fish, they have been waiting 365 days for this day and we are so excited to finally have it back in Toledo,” said Taylor Vandenbroek, Walleye Promotions Coordinator.

The loyal fan base travels near and far.

“We come here from Chicago every year to watch the Walleye games and we’ve been doing it for the last 10 years, from Chicago,” one fan said.

“I’ve been a Walleye fan since it was storming at the sports stadium, but I’ve been living in Charlotte, North Carolina for the last 20 years, so this is my first home opener at the Huntington Center,” said another. said the fan.

All eyes are on the Walleye as they head into this season after another long playoff run last year and fans outside the Huntington Center on Friday are hopeful.

“I’m hoping to have a great defense with big shots, a strong offense, score some goals and bring home a championship,” said one fan who spoke to 13 Action News on Friday. “Expectations for walleyes? I mean, it has to be the Kelly Cup, right? Kelly Cup, absolutely!

The Walleye will also be home on Saturday, so if you missed Friday’s first game, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to see the fish in action on Saturday and for a long season ahead.

Latest local news | First weather alert | Crime | National | original 13abc

Copyright 2024WTVG. All rights reserved.