Hensville Park was buzzing with Toledo Walleye fans Thursday evening to celebrate the team and their thrilling 25-26 season. 

Despite the Walleye’s loss to the Fort Wayne Komets in the Central Division Finals, fans, joined by multiple Hens and Walleye staff members, cheered for the players and coaches as they made their way to Hensville Park. 

“The fans here are always going to support us and be amazing, and we had some great times with them this year,” Pat Mikesch, Walleye Head Coach, said. “It is just disappointing that we're not having more.” 

From Opening Night November 1 to the team’s final game May 19, countless “Let’s Go Fish” chants, electric games, and series-clinching goals were seen at the Huntington Center. 

The Walleye played 12 games in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, defeating the Bloomington Bison in six games, and 72 regular season games. 

A multitude of players sat at tables around Hensville Park Thursday, signing autographs and taking photos with Walleye enthusiasts. 

Jake McLean and Tracy McLean attended Thursday’s postseason event, commemorating not only their favorite players, but one year as FINatics Members. 

Tracy McLean said Riley McCourt, defenseman, was easily the most entertaining player to watch on the ice this year. Both Tracy and Jake said they were welcomed by existing fans in their section, forming new friendships. 

“We just decided one time to go to a game and I got hooked,” Tracy McLean said. “I was like, ‘Wow this is so much fun.’ We didn’t even know about it.” 

Other attendees at the postseason celebration were longtime Walleye fans, following the franchise since the Toledo Storm days. 

Shawn Skeens said she has watched the teams since 2006 and over the years formed a “hockey family” that travels to watch the Walleye. 

“We do road trips and we've been to Iowa, Kansas, Charleston, and Savannah, Georgia,” Skeens said. 

As lines formed in front of the player’s designated tables, younger followers of the team awaited their turn to meet and greet with their ice hockey idols. Five-year-old Lennox Lafferty was accompanied by his mother, Holly Lafferty. 

Lennox said he enjoyed watching Brandon Hawkins, forward, make “two scores” during one of the earlier games in the season.

“I love the experience, the community, and getting together to support the team,” Holly said. “I always loved watching this little guy just have a blast. We are going to be season ticket holders next year.” 

Matt Melzak, Team Broadcaster for the Hens and Walleye, shared memorable moments from the season, noting it is “always fun” to watch the team evolve. 

“There's so many changes that go on during the course of the year, whether it's trades or players going to Europe or coming back from Europe,” Melzak said. 

Melzak has commentated more than 15,000 hockey games in his career, but some stand out in comparison to others. 

“My favorite moment was the game where we hit our 100th consecutive sellout,” Melzak said. “I think there's some of those games that pop up in my head, but that's one that really comes to mind right away because it was such a unique milestone.” 

For Chaz Reddekopp, the 25-26 season marked his first as an Assistant Coach. The former Walleye defenseman joined the coaching staff in 2025 and described this year as “interesting” and a time of “learning.” 

“I didn't know what to expect going into it,” Reddekopp said. “At the end of the day, it was really fun. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish this year, but to still see the support from the fans and stuff is unbelievable. I think it's kind of what separates these fans from a lot of fans in the league.” 

Brent Bain, Associate Head Coach, shared a similar sentiment to Reddekopp. 

“You really develop relationships with the players outside of the rink and I would say just as a whole, we have a great group of guys,” Bain said. “They all love to come to the rink every day, and that makes it fun for us as coaches, to be a part of that, and feel that energy day to day.” 

With Thursday’s celebration wrapped up, the Walleye coaches, players, and staff look forward to what the 26-27 season has in store. Neil Neukam, Walleye Executive Vice President and General Manager, said it is the “little moments” that ensure a memorable season.

“Fans, even if they're not fans, maybe it's their first game, have so many other things they could be doing, but the fact that they choose to come, that’s awesome.” 

The 26-27 season home opener is November 7 against the Fort Wayne Komets. For more information, visit the Walleye website. 

Written By: Gina Napoli