Mesha 13, 2078, m249

After delays in colony permits due to rink safety issues, ISMO has finally confirmed the start date for Round 2 of the Exhibition. Games will start next weekend on Mesha 21 and Mesha 22.

Those expecting the same-old, same-old will be surprised as the new season brings with it some big changes! With the exception of the Cosmonauts, all the teams will be relocated to one of the settlements sporting a brand new rink.

The Moles will be moving to Marineris, the Wildcards will be migrated to Wendland, and Khimik will be moved to Europa. Not only will the fours teams will playing from a new home base—they’ll be expanding each team roster with an additional player.

Each team had their pick of players from the disbanded Phantoms and Sands.

Khimik strategically drafted Jessie Andersen from the Sands to join their team, boosting the number of female players to 2. Andersen had been the main scorer for the Sands and will be joining the likes of Vasiliev and Hryc as a forward on Khimik.

“I’m glad to have another woman on the team,” says Khimik goalie, Veronica Danilenko, about the acquisition, “Jessie really adds a great dynamic to our team.”

Star forward of the Phantoms, Peter Lehmann will be bring his scoring skills to the Wildcards. With Lehmann and Martinez on the same team, the Wildcards are going to be a formidable force next season. Aaron Bello and Hugo Milosevic will be joining the Moles and Cosmonauts respectively.

Fans and settlement officials alike are excited about the relocation of the teams.

“Being able to host an ISMO team really helps to put us on the map,” says Wendland Counciller, Ryt Bohenno, “we’re mostly associated with heavy industry right now, but we’re so excited to host the Wildcards and be part of this next phase in Martian hockey.”

Fans who have been unable to make the expensive and time-consuming trips to Novyimir, Korolev, or Mareotis now have a chance to watch a live game. And the fans are many!

The new rinks have an increased seating capacity of 800-1000 depending on the colony.

Nevertheless, tickets for the opening games of the Exhibition sold out within a minutes of the release. Those lucky fans will be able to see Khimik play the Wildcards at Europa on Mesha 21, and Moles play the Cosmonauts at Marineris on the 22.