TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – On Tuesday, former Tallahassee Tiger Sharks player Cory Paterson, detailed the progress he and his team have made in hockey back to Tallahassee.
Over the summer, WCTV looked back at Tallahassee’s minor league hockey team, which played in the Capital City between 1994-2001.
Months later, Paterson sounded confident that what was once his dream, has taken major steps towards becoming a reality.
“I am a thousand percent confident that hockey’s going to be back,” said Paterson. “The people of Tallahassee should be concerned right now whether you’re buying season tickets for 2027 or 2028.”
Paterson and his team have been working continuously with city leaders on the process to bring the team back. He says they have been supportive of a Tiger Sharks return since the idea was first broached.
Prospective owners have been met with in Tallahassee. It’s important to Paterson and his team that the new ownership group is at least partially local. He believes a lack of local ownership is what led to the team relocating the first go-around.
The original plan for the team’s arena was to return to the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, where the team used to call home.
That’s still an option, but it’s not one Paterson and his team are leaning towards.
“We think long term for the people of Tallahassee, maybe another option should be on the table and obviously that would be a different place to play,” he said. “The Mayor’s vision is even bigger than ours.”
Mayor John Dailey has been working with Paterson for months and made public his hope for the Tiger Sharks to return as Capital City Correspondent Matt Hoffman reported on October 28.
NEW: Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey wants to bring back the Tiger Sharks, a minor league hockey team that used to be in the city.
He also wants a minor league women’s soccer team.
Dailey said that’s a way to diversify the local economy in the face of property tax reform.
— Matt Hoffmann (@ByMattHoffmann) October 28, 2025
“I’ve had the opportunity to meet with Cory [Paterson] several times, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with other people who are interested in bringing the Tiger Sharks back,” said Dailey, to WCTV in early November. “I know that there’s a lot of work that’s going on behind the scenes and when they’re ready to engage again, we’re going to be ready.”
Paterson said he hopes an official announcement can be made by or before March 2026.
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