INSIDE THE FPHL: Mississippi born player Marvin Powell

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BILOXI, MS- The Federal Prospects Hockey League is a single-A professional hockey league that was founded in 2009. They cover geographical areas in the midwest, northeast and in the past few years have seemed to make their way to the south with teams in Columbus, Georgia and Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Biloxi has been without professional hockey since 2014, and Mississippi hasn't had any professional hockey since 2018. 25 years after the first professional puck drop in Mississippi, pro hockey has its biggest opportunity for a return to the Magnolia state.

Hockey in Mississippi has stayed alive with many youth programs such as the Gulf Coast Aces and many amateur groups around the state. One of Mississippi's biggest advocates for hockey plays in the FPHL. Marvin Powell is a 29-year-old Jackson, Mississippi native, who has played professionally in the FPHL since 2018.

This past week we sat down with Marvin to learn about the ups and downs he faced while being an aspiring pro hockey player growing up in Mississippi.

"I started skating around the age of 7. Originally I was a figure skater and around the age 8 I started playing hockey." Marvin said.

Mississippi has never been known for its ice, but that didn't stop Marvin from becoming one of the only Mississippi-born pro hockey players.

"Due to it, many places to practice and skate I was always a step behind cause I didn’t have certain things that most players did like an everyday ice rink to play on, and when it came to the exposure I didn’t really have much of it until my last year of midget hockey where I for the first time found out about junior hockey and the levels and dedication it would take to make it in this sport." he said.

Marvin told us he had to take his game outside of Mississippi to become a better-skilled player. "I went on to play juniors in New Hampshire, and Minnesota played college hockey in North Dakota and Canada."

Marvin said if he wasn't playing pro hockey, "I think I’d be doing what I am now which is dog training and animal rescue, but I’d definitely be heavier into those fields!"

Marvin Powell last played for the Watertown Wolves in 2019-2020, but the Wolves opted not to play in the FPHL shortened season this past year due to covid restrictions, and not having ice in the spring.

Biloxi Pro Hockey is bringing professional hockey back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast! TICKETS ARE ON SALE for three neutral site games on December 2nd, 17th, and 30th. Get yours today by visiting the coliseum box office or ticketmaster.com for more information.