MTS Iceplex getting bigger, better

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This article was published 01/09/2015 (3773 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Planning will finally turn to digging as True North Sports & Entertainment moves ahead with its long-expected expansion of the MTS Iceplex.

Ground will be broken in the next few weeks on a $7.5-million addition to the four-sheet facility on the west side of the city. No new ice is being added but 21,000 square-feet of dressing, training, medical and equipment rooms, a shared hydrotherapy room, offices and storage will be constructed. It’s a two-level add-on to the east side of the complex.

One more winter of temporary and cramped space will have to be endured by the NHL’s Jets and the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Currently, the Jets occupy an 1,110 square-foot dressing room and use three or four other public dressing rooms for part of the day when they practise at the Iceplex.

The project, entirely funded by True North’s ownership, will not be complete until next summer.

Monday’s announcement adds to True North’s latest upgrades and updates to its facilities.

The Jets’ ownership has invested in several enhancements to the MTS Centre this summer. The home arena for both the Jets and Moose is getting a new scoreclock and video screens, renovated suites and about 250 loge seats in the arena bowl, as well as a new home-team dressing room and facility for the Moose.

At the Iceplex, the expanded facilities for the two pro teams will offer them more flexibility when it comes to scheduling their various weeks of the season.

The season ahead will be at times a dance between team schedules, given both will be playing home games in the MTS Centre and using the MTS Iceplex regularly.

“I think it’ll allow the Jets to make a decision on what and how they want to program things,” Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said at Monday’s announcement. “A lot of times right now when the Jets do practise here, it’s very quick because you’re taking up three, four, five dressing rooms.

“That also interrupts programming here for the ice time after, because they don’t release those dressing rooms for public use until you get out of there. I think it’ll free up a lot of decision-making on both sides, but there will be some juggling going on this year, no doubt.”

Cheveldayoff suggested Monday the return of the Moose — after four years in St. John’s, N.L. — was the catalyst to turn concepts into actions, something that’s been contemplated for a few years.

“When the Moose came to fruition, that’s when things really started to ramp up,” he said.

He also said the expansion is concrete evidence the Moose are here for the long-term.

“What it really does is cements in the minds of anybody that wasn’t cemented before that the Manitoba Moose are here for a period of time, an indefinite period of time,” Cheveldayoff said. “With the investment that’s being made here today, those questions are being answered. You don’t make an investment of this magnitude if you don’t plan on being here for many, many years to come.

“We are committed to making this work as a long-term situation. The opportunity to have our development situation under one roof with the Jets, training side-by-side at a wonderful facility here at the MTS Iceplex is something many teams can only dream of.”

Cheveldayoff said a better Iceplex and the return of the Moose creates a win-win for Winnipeg hockey fans.

“Obviously everything we’re going to do is going to be geared towards the future success of the Jets and not so much geared towards the financial benefit of the Moose,” he said.

“Again, it’ll still be run as a business, as everything has to be, but (at the same time) running the operation at arm’s-length with a third party in a differerent city has its costs as well.

“This is a long-term investment in the future of both franchises.”

 

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca