PIHA Pauses Midwest and East Coast Slate as Winter Storm Fern Moves In

Apex Semi-Pro weekend pushed back, Kenan Center Pro date cancelled, and Fraser Minor plans under review as safety takes priority

With Winter Storm Fern forecast to blanket large portions of the Midwest and East Coast, the Professional Inline Hockey Association (PIHA) has made the decision to postpone or cancel all scheduled events in the affected regions this weekend. The league’s primary concern is the safety of players, staff, officials, and fans who would be traveling into the storm’s path.

Events Affected by the Storm

Three events are impacted by this decision:

• Semi-Pro Festival – XL Sports World (Apex, NC)
  The Semi-Pro event slated for XL Sports World in Apex has been postponed to the following weekend. PIHA operations and the host venue are working together to keep the same basic game count and matchup structure, with a revised schedule to be released shortly.

• Minor Festival – Big Boy Arena (Fraser, MI)
  The Minor division event at Big Boy Arena has been put on hold as the league evaluates building availability, travel conditions, and the broader playoff calendar. The intention is to reschedule if logistics allow, but final details will be announced once plans are confirmed.

• Pro Event – Kenan Center (Buffalo, NY)
  Due to the combination of travel distance, forecast severity, and the complexity of rebooking ice time and travel for seven Pro teams, the Kenan Center Pro event has been officially cancelled. This cancellation will necessitate adjustments to both the Pro playoff weekend schedule and the playoff format/seedings, which league officials are actively reworking.

Why PIHA Is Taking This Step

With Fern’s projected track impacting multiple states simultaneously, PIHA determined that attempting to proceed would create unacceptable risk for road and air travel, particularly for organizations coming from multiple markets and time zones. The decision to pause was made in consultation with team representatives, facility management, and league operations to prioritize:

• Safe travel for players, coaches, and officials

• Reasonable conditions for fans and families attending events

• Fair competition, avoiding situations where one or more teams cannot safely arrive

What’s Next

• Semi-Pro (Apex, NC):
  The Apex Semi-Pro weekend will be pushed to next weekend, with an updated game schedule and puck drop times circulated directly to teams and posted on the league website and stats portal once finalized.

• Pro (Kenan Center, Buffalo, NY):
  With the Pro date cancelled, PIHA will restructure the Pro playoff weekend and adjust the playoff path to the Finals accordingly. Updated details on seeding, matchups, and format will be released as soon as the revised model is finalized with all stakeholders.

• Minor (Big Boy Arena, Fraser, MI):
  The league is reviewing alternatives for the Minor event, including potential reschedule options or format tweaks that protect competitive integrity heading into the postseason. A dedicated update on the Minor division’s next steps will follow in the coming days.

All affected teams will receive direct communication from PIHA with event-specific details, and any further changes will be posted on official league channels. While it is never easy to lose a weekend of games, the league is unified in putting safety first as Winter Storm Fern moves through the region—and fully focused on setting the stage for a safe and competitive stretch run into the 2025–26 PIHA playoffs.