The Cedar Rapids Roughriders Are Officially Back

Everyone knows 2020 was a rough year, but no one knows that better than the Cedar Rapids Roughriders, their players, staff, and fans. This video shows just how much damage the August 2020 derecho caused to ImOn Ice Arena, also known as The Stable, the home of the Roughriders. Still, I love the uplifting message of the video the Roughriders who posted on their Facebook page earlier today, 'The Comeback is Always Stronger than the Setback!' It's a theme they've continued to use as they awaited major work at the arena in advance of a new season of hockey.

The Roughriders announced on Friday that they'll return to home ice for the regular-season opener of the 2021-22 United States Hockey League season on Saturday night, October 16. The only thing that could make it better is if they were playing Waterloo. Don't worry, Cedar Rapids will meet the Black Hawks three times on the Roughriders home ice during the upcoming season.

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Friday, September 18, 2020, was the day the Roughriders announced they would be opting out of the 2020-21 season due to damage to their home arena. Now, nearly nine months later, fans are ready to grasp their cowbells and don their hockey apparel. The 2021-22 regular season will feature 30 Roughriders home games, 26 of them on Friday or Saturday. I can already hear the bells ringing. It will be a beautiful sound.