SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — As you may have gathered from the weather forecast, hockey season is upon us, and the Sioux Falls Stampede is celebrating a milestone.

The Stampede’s home opener is Saturday, marking the start of the hockey club’s 25th season in Sioux Falls.

“To see how much the game has expanded here in the city of Sioux Falls from the youth program all the way to the college level now is amazing, and to know we played a part of that is pretty special,” Stampede President Jim Olander said.

As part of the festivities, the organization is partnering with Severance Brewing Company on a beer named Brew Line Lager.

“It’s something we’ve been talking about for the last handful of years and with it being the 25th anniversary we thought this is the perfect time,” Olander said.

“We knew it was their 25th anniversary this year, so we approached Jim and the team, threw out the idea and they grabbed hold of it,” Severance Brewing Company owner Scott Heckel said.

Severance owner Scott Heckel says the specialty brew will be sold locally, including at the PREMIER Center throughout the USHL season.

“Response that we’ve gotten from local retailers was way better than we had anticipated originally, to the point that we were afraid we wouldn’t have enough beer to give to the PREMIER Center for the opening night of hockey. We’ve got another batch going and we’ve got another batch planned right after that to hopefully keep up with demand,” Heckel said.

And he believes the beer is a winner.

“This is just a really light, crisp lager, something that folks can drink, very easy drinking, it’s a crushable beer,” Heckel said.

“Good hockey beer, so I think a lot of our fans will enjoy it and it’s also delicious on tap,” Olander said.

For Olander and the Herd, Brew Line Lager is just the start of things to come.

“25 years of history, so we’re looking to bring back some former players, celebrate some special moments in Stampede history, and at the same time look ahead, what can we do the next 25 years?” Olander said.

The Stampede’s home opener is Saturday at the PREMIER Center. The puck drops at 6:05. The first 1,000 kids in attendance will receive a free Thomas Vanek replica jersey.