Syracuse Crunch to Take on Syracuse Canal Mules Identity March 28
AHL Syracuse Crunch

Syracuse Crunch to Take on Syracuse Canal Mules Identity March 28

Published on March 14, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse Crunch will continue to honor the significant role the Erie Canal had in shaping the city of Syracuse by taking on the Syracuse Canal Mules identity for one night on Saturday, March 28 when the team hosts the Rochester Americans.

Canal Mules Night pays homage to the first-known beer league hockey team that skated on the Erie Canal in the early 1920s.

Built between 1817 and 1825, the original Erie Canal was a 363-mile artificial waterway from Albany to Buffalo. The canal developed Syracuse and turned the city into an economic and social hub. Barges were pulled from city to city by mules walking along the canal's towpaths. A hybrid cross between horses and donkeys, mules are intelligent and tough working animals that became the key to spreading goods, people and ideas across New York State.

The original Syracuse Canal Mules team was made primarily of Greenway Brewery workers who would play on the Erie Canal during prohibition and were known to bring homebrewed beverages to these pick-up games. The Canal Mules dissolved in the 1920s when the portion of the Erie Canal running through downtown Syracuse was filled in and the team was lost to history. The Crunch first honored the Canal Mules during the 2023-24 season and continue to highlight the role they played in creating a worldwide tradition.

During the game, the Crunch will wear specialty jerseys to take on the Canal Mules identity. The jerseys have a blue body with a cream stripe along the bottom. The arms have three thin cream stripes around the wrists, one thick cream stripe around the elbows and five thin cream stripes around the arms to represent Syracuse's 315 area code. The crest is felt and features a standing mule, while the shoulders have felt lightning bolts from the Canal Mules logo. "Syracuse Canal Mules" is written inside the neck. Select game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off in a live postgame auction on the ice.

Throughout the night, fans can visit Memorial Hall to learn more about the Erie Canal. The Canal Corp will have a working lock model, while The Erie Canal Museum will have a display and information about the history of the canal.

To further support the night, Talking Cursive Brewery has brewed Canal Mule Fuel that will be available in cans at the Upstate Medical University Arena during the March 28 game. Talking Cursive is located on the same block in downtown Syracuse that Greenway Brewery took up when it opened 1852 and operated at through the early 1900s.

Tickets for Syracuse Canal Mules Night are on sale now at www.syracusecrunch.com/eriecanal. A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit the Erie Canal Museum. Exclusive Canal Mules merchandise will be available at the merchandise stand located behind Section 105 during the game.

Ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), X (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch).

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