MASON CITY, Iowa – The Mason City Toros will have the task of defending the NA3HL’s Fraser Cup championship that the North Iowa Bulls handed off with their move to the North American Hockey League, and they’ll follow in the Bulls’ footsteps as one of the most exciting tickets in town.
The Toros have announced their inaugural promotional schedule for the 2021-22 season, with lots of fun spread over their 22 home games. Fans who became familiar with opponents such as the arch-rival Granite City Lumberjacks and defending Fraser Cup runner-up Rochester Grizzlies during the Bulls’ decade in the NA3HL will get the chance to see those same teams when the Toros drop the puck on their first season.
Mason City plays its first-ever contest in a 3 p.m. tilt against the Alexandria Blizzard on Saturday, September 25, as part of the “1 Town, 2 Teams, 3 Days, 4 Games” celebration in conjunction with the Bulls’ two home games against the Aberdeen Wings. A poster schedule giveaway will mark the occasion on Saturday afternoon as the Toros take the ice for the very first time.
Both teams will “Fall Into Hockey” over the weekend of October 16, when the Toros welcome the Willmar WarHawks to town for a 3 p.m. matchup.
The fall fun continues the following weekend, with the first of the team’s two jersey auctions in 2021-22. The Toros welcome in the newly-minted Minnesota Loons for Jurassic Night on Friday, October 22 before auctioning off a special set of threads the following evening. More details, including the theme and design of the jerseys, will be announced closer to the game.
The Granite City Lumberjacks head to town on October 29 and 30 for their first-ever games against the Toros and the team’s “Halloween Spooktacular” weekend, featuring costume contests and trick-or-treating on the concourse.
No-Shave November for the Toros starts on November 4 against Willmar, with a facial-hair contest set to run throughout the month of November. Fans who enter the contest will have their facial hair measured again on November 26, also against the Willmar WarHawks, to determine a winner. The latter game is also Mason City’s Black Friday outing, including sales on Bulls and Toros merchandise.
A longtime River City hockey staple returns on Saturday, November 13 when the Toros take over the “Five For Fighting” mantle, featuring $5 specials on tickets, drinks and merchandise. The following day is a “Sunday Funday” for the Toros and the visiting Alexandria Blizzard.
The Toros will keep the fun going through the middle portion of the home schedule, despite just one home game in December and three in January. December 12 closes out the Toros’ home schedule for 2021, with “Naughty and Nice” Day. A toy drive will be held to benefit the Salvation Army and Toys For Tots.
January 8 is “Super Saturday” at the Mason City Arena, with several favorite comic-book characters from the Marvel universe set to make appearances at the 2022 home debut against Willmar. The following weekend, the Toros will hold their second jersey auction of the season with Friday and Saturday night home tilts against the New Ulm Steel.
Promotions in February and March will give Toros fans a chance to end the work week in style before the regular season comes to a close. Fans can enjoy drink specials on Friday, February 11 for the Toros’ Frozen Fiesta night, and more drink specials are in the works for the February 25 “Red, White and Booze” night against New Ulm. The final regular-season Friday night game comes the following week as Granite City comes to town on “Celebrate Your School” Night – the school that brings the most fans out to that game will win a special prize from the Toros.
More promotional dates remain to be filled, with details to be announced closer to the day of each game, and the Bulls’ promotional schedule is subject to change.
Season tickets for the 2021-22 campaign remain on sale, with several perks available for season ticket holders. Fans can also keep up with the latest Bulls content online by following the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
