New Haven. Hockey. Beer.

Old Time Hockey! And Beer! The Story Behind Nighthawk Brewing

By Paul Caputo for sportslogos.net | January 3, 2016

This story begins with a hockey fan who simply wanted a T-shirt for the minor league team he grew up with. It culminates with a brand-new beer that has reawakened an entire community’s love affair with its long-defunct team.

The New Haven Nighthawks played in the American Hockey League for two decades from 1972 to 1992 as affiliates of the North Stars, Islanders, Rangers, and Kings. The team was renamed the New Haven Senators for the 1992-93 season after affiliating with Ottawa, then left town in favor of Prince Edward Island in eastern Canada. For what it’s worth, the Nighthawks nickname came from nocturnal birds that live in the region—nighthawks have long wings and tiny feet and beaks, and they eat insects.

But this is not the story behind a hockey team’s nickname, it’s the story behind a beer.

Jeffrey Haynes grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, attending Nighthawks games with friends and family at the New Haven Coliseum—a venue that was closed in 2002, then imploded in 2007 while the New Haven community watched on live television and in person…Story Continues