Elmira Jackals Announce Second Round of Blade Tryouts

ELMIRA, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals announced today that they will hold their second round of Blade tryouts on Monday, July 21 at 7:00 p.m. inside First Arena. The check-in process will begin at 6:30 p.m. for all tryout participants.

To register for Blade tryouts please fill out the  Tryout Registration Form and return it to Jared Abbott via email (jared@firstarena.com) or fax (607-739-3766). Walk-ups will also be accepted starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 21.

The second round of the tryout process will consist of a skating test, an improvised skit, and a question-and-answer session with the panel of judges. The skating test and improvised skit will be done inside of the Blade costume while the Q & A session will be done face-to-face.

The skating test will mimic Blade's pre-game introduction at a Jackals home game. The improvised skit will need to be three minutes long and is limited only by the performer's creativity. It can range from a dance performance to a comedic skit similar to interacting with fans at a Jackals game.

The tryout participants will be evaluated and scored on skating ability, entertainment value, enthusiasm, improvisational skills and creativity.

There will be a few major changes from last year's Blade tryouts. For the first time, fans will be able to vote for their favorite mascot candidate! The fan vote will count as one of the five total votes and will be done on the Jackals' Facebook page. The voting will begin immediately following the conclusion of the Blade tryouts and will remain open until Thursday, July 24 at 11:59 p.m. All fans are encouraged to attend the Blade tryouts and watch from the seats. 

Additionally, the voting process will produce an on-ice Blade that will be used during the Jackals home games and a community Blade that will be used for public appearances year-round!

A panel of celebrity guest judges will score each of the performers' tryouts. The panel is comprised of:

Fan Vote - All fans are encouraged to attend the Blade tryouts and cast their vote on the Jackals' Facebook page.
Donna Brooks - Owner of Donna Brooks Dance Academy for 50 years. East Coast judge for teenage pageants. Taught dance in New York City and Buffalo.
Mike Strobel - Senior Account Executive for Elmira Jackals and First Arena. 20 years as a radio personality with 94Rock and 99.5 WOKN
Alex Cawley - Sports Director for WETM-TV
Jared Abbott - Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for Elmira Jackals and First Arena.

Performers should wear comfortable fitting athletic clothes to wear while in costume. Athletic shoes should also be worn while in costume and not on skates.

Interested performers are required to be 16 years old or older, stand 5'6" or taller and be able to provide their own transportation to and from Jackals home games and events.

Mark your calendars! The Jackals open their home schedule for their eighth season of ECHL hockey on Friday, October 17 against the Kalamazoo Wings at 7:05 p.m. Don't miss a minute of the action with Jackals season tickets! Call 607-734-7825 to order your season tickets today. Can't make it to every game? No problem! The Jackals are offering 10 and 20-game select and flex ticket plans! Get 'em while they're hot!