Blue Ridge Bobcats

The Blue Ridge Bobcats are a professional ice hockey team based in Wytheville, Virginia. They play at the Hitachi Energy Arena and are a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League. Their inaugural season was the 2023–24 season.

History
On November 7, 2022, it was announced that the Appalachian Regional Exposition Center (APEX Center) was to host to an expansion Federal Prospects Hockey League team to start in the 2023–24 season and owned by APEX Drive Holdings LLC, which is led by Barry Soskin. On July 27, 2023, the team announced its name, the Blue Ridge Bobcats. Vojtech Zemlicka was named inaugural head coach during the press conference. In December 2023, former President GM of the Carolina Thunderbirds and former VP of Operations of the Binghamton Black Bears, Jimmy Milliken joined the Bobcats as Executive Vice President of Operations.