New Sudbury Arena

[OSA]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a thread about this yet.

It looks like back in March, Sudbury city council voted in favour of a new arena.

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/03/08/sudbury-council-moves-arena-forward

The arena will seat 5,800 and could cost around $100 million.

15 sites are being looked at with the chosen site expected to be announced later this month.

http://sudburyarena.ca


This will be the last of the old arenas in the OHL and I imagine there won't be much in the way of arena developments in the league for sometime.

Sudbury arena is a relic from a time long since past. I would encourage any OHL fan to get up there to see a game in the next season or two before it's too late, especially if you've never been. You won't ever see an arena like it again.

Congratulations Wolves fans!! Look forward to see the new place on the future.

Click to read more...

 

[MoWanchuk1]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a thread about this yet.

It looks like back in March, Sudbury city council voted in favour of a new arena.

http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/03/08/sudbury-council-moves-arena-forward

The arena will seat 5,800 and could cost around $100 million.

15 sites are being looked at with the chosen site expected to be announced later this month.

http://sudburyarena.ca


This will be the last of the old arenas in the OHL and I imagine there won't be much in the way of arena developments in the league for sometime.

Sudbury arena is a relic from a time long since past. I would encourage any OHL fan to get up there to see a game in the next season or two before it's too late, especially if you've never been. You won't ever see an arena like it again.

Congratulations Wolves fans!! Look forward to see the new place on the future.

peterborough memorial centre still standing and nothing in sight for years...council approved a double rink on trent university grounds. Brilliant decision...is OS arena older?

 

[battfan888]

Age of rinks going by oldest and what year they were built.

OHL
Kitchener (1950) Though heavily renovated several times
Sudbury (1951)
North Bay (1955) Heavy reno done in 2013
Peterborough (1956) Last big reno done round 2005
Ottawa (1967) Several reno's through the years, def needs more
Flint (1969) Heavily renovated in 2015
Saginaw (1972) Heavily renovated in 2002
Owen Sound (1983) Big renovation in 2000
Erie (1983) HEAVILY renovated in 2012-2014 basically a new building
Hamilton (1985)
Barrie (1995)
Sarnia (1998)
Mississauga (1998)
Guelph (2000)
London (2002)
Sault Ste. Marie (2006)
Oshawa (2006)
Kingston (2008)
Windsor (2008)
Niagara (2014)

QMJHL
Chicoutimi 1949
Val d'Or 1949
Rouyn-Noranda 1951
Gatineau 1957
Drummondville 1963
Sherbrooke 1965
Rimouski 1966
Baie-Comeau 1970
Moncton 1973
Halifax 1978
Victoriaville 1980
Cape Breton 1987
Charlottetown 1990
Saint John 1993
Acadie Bathurst 1996
Shawinigan 2008
Blainville-Boisbriand 2010
Quebec 2015

WHL
Portland (Old Rink) 1960
Swift Current 1967
Prince Albert 1971
Brandon 1973
Lethbridge 1974
Regina 1977
Calgary 1983
Saskatoon 1988
Tri-City 1988
Red Deer 1991
Kamloops 1992
Portland (New Rink) 1995
Prince George 1995
Spokane 1995
Kelowna 1999
Kootenay 2000
Everett 2003
Victoria 2005
Seattle 2009
Vancouver (Langley) 2009
Moose Jaw 2011
Medicine Hat 2015
Edmonton 2016

 

[Otto]

It will be very disappointing if they don't bring the wolf from the rafters over to the new building

 

[ckg927]

OSA: I count myself lucky that I made it up to Sudbury a few years ago when I did a swing through the northern reaches of the OHL(the Soo first, then Sudbury & Owen Sound)a few years ago. (It took me a bit longer to get to North Bay, but I did that too.) And I'll agree, the arena is VERY unique. Hopefully, the new arena(when it's built)will try to echo the old one as best it can(yes, that includes moving the stuffed wolf to the new digs)while giving us the modern amenities we've come to expect.

 

[digiblader]

Good to see Sudbury get a new arena coming along. If the Wolves ever start playing well, a new arena will help their chances at a Memorial Cup..

The next city that needs to be pressured for a new arena or renvation is Hamilton.. as that arena is showing its age, and recently had a Memorial Cup bid turned down because of it.

In addition, former OHL market (and coming AHL market) Belleville is undergoing a massive renovation to their arena as well to be completed in October/November.

 

[vouve]

I quite like the old barn.
atmosphere is hard to quantify...so is a downtown location.
careful what you wish for

 

[Fischhaber]

Good to see Sudbury get a new arena coming along. If the Wolves ever start playing well, a new arena will help their chances at a Memorial Cup..

The next city that needs to be pressured for a new arena or renvation is Hamilton.. as that arena is showing its age, and recently had a Memorial Cup bid turned down because of it.

In addition, former OHL market (and coming AHL market) Belleville is undergoing a massive renovation to their arena as well to be completed in October/November.

I doubt that Branch would ever consider a Northern Memorial Cup again, unfortunately. The Greyhounds have a new arena and a great team and were basically advised to not even bother in recent years.

 

[OHLFan90]

I doubt that Branch would ever consider a Northern Memorial Cup again, unfortunately. The Greyhounds have a new arena and a great team and were basically advised to not even bother in recent years.

I feel like SSM would have at least been in real consideration for a Mem Cup if they had built the arena with 5500+ seats instead of the 4950.

 

[battfan888]

Ahhh yes the whole "branch hates the northern teams"
Ya know just like how he hates the US teams, Oshawa, Barrie, small markets etc etc etc *eyeroll*

 

[Fischhaber]

Ahhh yes the whole "branch hates the northern teams"
Ya know just like how he hates the US teams, Oshawa, Barrie, small markets etc etc etc *eyeroll*

Nobody said that. The league doesn't look past dollars and cents during the Memorial Cup selection process. Some fans don't enjoy watching a team like Windsor essentially 'purchase' championships without a deserving team. A year like this puts a stain on all of the truly great teams that have won in the past.

The Cup should be an opportunity for teams to showcase their city, a reward for putting together great teams. The fact that the league doesn't see it that way doesn't mean that they hate any teams.

 

[ohloutsider]

Nobody said that. The league doesn't look past dollars and cents during the Memorial Cup selection process. Some fans don't enjoy watching a team like Windsor essentially 'purchase' championships without a deserving team. A year like this puts a stain on all of the truly great teams that have won in the past.

The Cup should be an opportunity for teams to showcase their city, a reward for putting together great teams. The fact that the league doesn't see it that way doesn't mean that they hate any teams.

That's a pretty heavy statement - 99 years of the Memorial Cup has been "stained" this year by Windsor - nothing to do with Sudbury and a new arena but maybe be you can explain this further? If your going off of the fact that Windsor made deals to build their team to host name one team in the past who did not make trades to host? Actually not even sure why you would make this statement - hopefully you can define the "why" you think this.

 

[AttackSound]

Age of rinks going by oldest and what year they were built.

OHL
Kitchener (1950) Though heavily renovated several times
Sudbury (1951)
North Bay (1955) Heavy reno done in 2013
Peterborough (1956) Last big reno done round 2005
Ottawa (1967) Several reno's through the years, def needs more
Flint (1969) Heavily renovated in 2015
Saginaw (1972) Heavily renovated in 2002
Owen Sound (1983) Big renovation in 2000
Erie (1983) HEAVILY renovated in 2012-2014 basically a new building
Hamilton (1985)
Barrie (1995)
Sarnia (1998)
Mississauga (1998)
Guelph (2000)
London (2002)
Sault Ste. Marie (2006)
Oshawa (2006)
Kingston (2008)
Windsor (2008)
Niagara (2014)

QMJHL
Chicoutimi 1949
Val d'Or 1949
Rouyn-Noranda 1951
Gatineau 1957
Drummondville 1963
Sherbrooke 1965
Rimouski 1966
Baie-Comeau 1970
Moncton 1973
Halifax 1978
Victoriaville 1980
Cape Breton 1987
Charlottetown 1990
Saint John 1993
Acadie Bathurst 1996
Shawinigan 2008
Blainville-Boisbriand 2010
Quebec 2015

WHL
Portland (Old Rink) 1960
Swift Current 1967
Prince Albert 1971
Brandon 1973
Lethbridge 1974
Regina 1977
Calgary 1983
Saskatoon 1988
Tri-City 1988
Red Deer 1991
Kamloops 1992
Portland (New Rink) 1995
Prince George 1995
Spokane 1995
Kelowna 1999
Kootenay 2000
Everett 2003
Victoria 2005
Seattle 2009
Vancouver (Langley) 2009
Moose Jaw 2011
Medicine Hat 2015
Edmonton 2016

OS renovated hugely in spring of 1999 not 2000 unfortunately when they changed the name and resurrected the team from financial wows the 1999 season had ended, since then the Attack ownership group or group of 6 as they were known have added improvements slowly over the past 17 years.

The east side of the building was improved first removing the outdated plastic blue coloured benches with proper seating along with private boxes built above them over the bench area, this was shortly followed up by a private den on the southeast corner for the first phase of the Bayshore's renos.In 2012 the Attack added the addition of a new video scoreboard before making a minor addition in 2016 the building was once again improved with adding 3 additional private boxes on the south end of the seating area in the visiting teams first and 3rd period zones.

As far as the Attack organization is concerned the future in the Bayshore will continue to bring competitive sporting events like Attack hockey and Sr. & Jr. Lacrosse along with concerts

 

[Voice from the North]

Don't confuse agreeing that a new arena is needed with an arena build being imminent. This could get tied up with council for years dithering over whether is should be build downtown or 5-10 minutes east of downtown and who's going to pay for it. This will take more time then it should

 

[staubitz]

Ahhh yes the whole "branch hates the northern teams"
Ya know just like how he hates the US teams, Oshawa, Barrie, small markets etc etc etc *eyeroll*

Growing up in SSM and now living in Sudbury, it is very frustrating to know that these 2 cities (at least with the current economic climate in SSM and the current building in Sudbury) have little to no chance of hosting a Memorial Cup tournament. It has turned into an event where the host city is named long before the tournament begins and the focus is on generating as much revenue as possible. I wish I was old enough in 1993 to fully appreciate the Hounds winning the Super Series over the Petes and hosting the Memorial Cup, after 2 consecutive appearances by getting in legitimately as league champions.

Nobody was complaining about Branch hating the northern teams, just acknowledging a fact regarding selection of host cities. It's a shame that several OHL cities are likely shut out from hosting.

 

[Fischhaber]

That's a pretty heavy statement - 99 years of the Memorial Cup has been "stained" this year by Windsor - nothing to do with Sudbury and a new arena but maybe be you can explain this further? If your going off of the fact that Windsor made deals to build their team to host name one team in the past who did not make trades to host? Actually not even sure why you would make this statement - hopefully you can define the "why" you think this.

I don't like seeing teams that weren't even good enough to finish with a top 4 seed or make it out of the first round make it to the cup. I like seeing the home team earn their way there, or at least come close. It's not fair to the other teams that make it there and will never get to host because they don't have the finances that Windsor used to be purchase this championship.

Please let that be the end of this discussion. You don't have to agree, just go back to the Sudbury arena discussion.

 

[battfan888]

Couldn't even finish as a top 4 seed?

You do realize how ridiculously stacked the western conference was right?
That Spits team would have easily finished 1st or 2nd in the eastern conference and at minimum would have made the east final in my opinion.

As for somebody above saying that nobody in the thread said the league was against the north fine that's true but I've seen that argument tossed around so many times.
I think back to the final 4 of the 2015 playoffs when we had Soo vs Erie and Oshawa vs North Bay. Fans from all 4 teams were constantly moaning that the league was out to get them and that Soo and North Bay would never win because the league would cringe at the thought of an all northern final.

I cringe at people who make stupid remarks like that.

As for Sudbury specifically yes their current rink is inadequate for hosting the Memorial Cup but once they do get a new arena that's not their only hurdle. They actually have to be good for once to be considered as a hist. I'd love to see Sudbury host a memorial cup, I'd love to see Kingston host a memorial cup. But they gotta ice championship calibre teams first.

I firmly believe Windsor was a championship calibre team that ran into a stupid hot and good goalie in round 1 and that goalie took the league champs and memorial cup finalists to game 7 OT.
Would I rather see teams win the Memorial Cup that at least make their league final of course. But don't make it sound like Windsor was a bad team that got hot for 4 games.

 

[Fischhaber]

Couldn't even finish as a top 4 seed?

You do realize how ridiculously stacked the western conference was right?
That Spits team would have easily finished 1st or 2nd in the eastern conference and at minimum would have made the east final in my opinion.

As for somebody above saying that nobody in the thread said the league was against the north fine that's true but I've seen that argument tossed around so many times.
I think back to the final 4 of the 2015 playoffs when we had Soo vs Erie and Oshawa vs North Bay. Fans from all 4 teams were constantly moaning that the league was out to get them and that Soo and North Bay would never win because the league would cringe at the thought of an all northern final.

I cringe at people who make stupid remarks like that.

As for Sudbury specifically yes their current rink is inadequate for hosting the Memorial Cup but once they do get a new arena that's not their only hurdle. They actually have to be good for once to be considered as a hist. I'd love to see Sudbury host a memorial cup, I'd love to see Kingston host a memorial cup. But they gotta ice championship calibre teams first.

I firmly believe Windsor was a championship calibre team that ran into a stupid hot and good goalie in round 1 and that goalie took the league champs and memorial cup finalists to game 7 OT.
Would I rather see teams win the Memorial Cup that at least make their league final of course. But don't make it sound like Windsor was a bad team that got hot for 4 games.

I didn't say that they were a bad team, but the fact that you have to make such a long argument to show that they were like 6th best in a 20 team league is quite telling.

Sudbury's team will have little to do with a Memorial Cup bid. It is all about the money. This season made that quite clear.

 

[dirty12]

The memorial cup is a big event. Seating capacity and hotel availability is understandably more important than the required competitive team. Sudbury may get there eventually.
Windsor was a better team than the OHL regular season standings indicate. Windsor is more able to host the memorial cup; and, a better team than the Soo imo. After another rebuild, they will have earned the memorial cup.

 

[hockeylegend11]

Spits

I didn't say that they were a bad team, but the fact that you have to make such a long argument to show that they were like 6th best in a 20 team league is quite telling.

Sudbury's team will have little to do with a Memorial Cup bid. It is all about the money. This season made that quite clear.

Despite being 5th in the conference, Windsor also was 5th in the league overall with points,also unlike any 5th place club in Canada were named in top 10 ratings 16 times,at the end of the regular season given an honorable mention just outside the top 10 for the whole season,more importantly to me, finished #1 in the league in PK,in fact set a league record for percentage in that area-89 per cent,2nd overall in league defense/ goaltending for goals against, and 4th overall in PP per cent,and that's despite missing the most man games missed in the league.
Like the Erie coach said after after losing the 1st game between the teams in the Mem cup,it was the 1st time that they had played a healthy,full lineup Windsor team all season,toss in the fact that the St John's coach said that Windsor and Erie were the 2 best teams his club had seen all season.If you think because they finished 5th in the conference/ league it was reflective of their capabilities,the end result plus the other metrics, ratings, coaches comments say something far different.
As for Sudbury,I really hope they get a new facility,city deserves it,a good hockey town with a seemingly fresh approach to things.

 

[OSA]

Windsor was also riddled with injuries all year. I think they played only 2 games all year prior to the Memorial Cup with a fully healthy roster. If they were healthy in the playoffs, they were a championship caliber team IMO.

 

[OSA]

Anyway, back to the new Sudbury arena discussion

Where would the best location be for it? There seems to be a lot of options floating around.

 

[jamo27]

Anyway, back to the new Sudbury arena discussion

Where would the best location be for it? There seems to be a lot of options floating around.

Zulich, the team owner has land on the East edge of the city which he wants to develop as an "entertainment district". There also has been an effort by some to keep the arena downtown. Those are the only two realistic places for the arena to go. I believe that another developer was peddling the South End of the city.

It will come down politically to whether Zulich, or the downtown supporters get their way.

My bet is that the arena will end up on Zulich's land on the Kingsway.

 

[ScoresFromCentre]

Nobody said that. The league doesn't look past dollars and cents during the Memorial Cup selection process. Some fans don't enjoy watching a team like Windsor essentially 'purchase' championships without a deserving team. A year like this puts a stain on all of the truly great teams that have won in the past.

The Cup should be an opportunity for teams to showcase their city, a reward for putting together great teams. The fact that the league doesn't see it that way doesn't mean that they hate any teams.

The neat thing about Windsor winning the cup is that it made the 2016-17 season about the Big Five, not Erie. If Erie had won it all, I think almost all of us would remember this season differently five years down the line: it would have been Erie's year. Instead, we're talking about how the greatest fifth-place team in OHL history won one of the hardest trophies to win in sports. People have made credible arguments that London, OS, or SSM could have won the Cup too. No one remembers when the Mem Cup champion 2015-16 Knights lost four of five in late January/early February 2016 and London fans were breaking ankles hopping off the bandwagon because they crushed everyone in the playoffs. Even now, few people are talking about Erie struggling to sew up the Hamilton Spectator trophy and almost cacking that series to London. If Erie had won it all, we'd be talking about Erie, not the Big Five, and I think that would be a shame.

I mean no disrespect to Erie fans, who absolutely deserved the championship. I think Erie was the best team in the league, and they played like it in the playoffs. But teams like this year's Otters come around pretty often. A set of five teams this good--and all in the same conference!--has never happened before in OHL history! That's what had me captivated this season, even though, as a Kitchener fan, my team was out of it by the trade deadline. And I hope others remember this season fondly for that reason as well, even if their teams didn't quite get it done.

 

[youngblood10]

I've always enjoyed the old barn in Sudbury. But this is great news for the Wolves & city. I also hope that one day in the not to distant future we see Sudbury hosting a memorial cup.

Putting up the money to get the hosting ticket is the easy part. Every year a team & community does that. Winning the tournament is the hard part. Never mind doing it in style by running the table.