Wings take Centre Ice

The Cold Lake Wings have taken centre ice at Imperial Oil Place. The newly formed team will have their logo alternate each year with the Cold Lake Jr. B Ice, with the Wings taking centre ice for the 2018-19 season, confirmed Mayor of Cold Lake, Craig Copeland.

Along with alternating seasons at centre ice, each team will be given half the ice logos to sell, said the mayor. “Each team will have an opportunity to sell those logos. They were given positions to sell the advertisements,” as the mayor explained this will help each team generate money to operate. Each team is also given 50/50 sponsorship opportunities for inside the arena; including the stair risers and rink dasher boards.

The City of Cold Lake, who owns and operates the Energy Centre, has given the Jr. B the media booth to sell. “We did not take away the sponsorship for the media booth. The branding will remain with the Junior Bs.”

The jumbotron/score clock  and lounge area are available for both teams to operate, sell and utilize during home games. “They have the arena for three hours and that’s their opportunity to do whatever they want to do in terms of generating revenue.”

“That lounge is really going to blow people out of the water,” Copeland stated. It will be up to each hockey club to market the arena.

The Jr. B Ice will remain in their dressing room. “That’s a very nice dressing room for Junior Bs,” confirmed Copeland. The Wings will take use of the former “red” dressing room. There are plans to discuss building up to two more large dressing rooms during budget deliberations, said the mayor. If the items make the budget they would be used for the Wings and a possible pro female team.

The second ice surface is expected to be completed at the end of the month, confirmed Copeland. “It’s a $20 million rink that will rival a lot of communities main rink. When people go see the rink next door, I think they are going to be stunned.”

The second rink will be used mainly for minor hockey and figure skating, with no plans for it to be used for the Jr. B Ice or Wings, unless there is a conflict in home ice schedules.

“We tried to work out an agreement that would be equal for both teams,” said the mayor.