Hidalgo Breaks Ground
Published on June 25, 2002 under Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release
The Central Hockey League will welcome another Texas franchise to its' roster of teams for the 2003/2004 season, with official arena groundbreaking ceremonies taking place today in the south Texas City of Hidalgo. Hidalgo Mayor John David Franz was on hand for the event, turning the first spade in the development of the brand new facility. The arena will be known as the Rio Grande Valley Multipurpose Event Center, and will be owned by the City of Hidalgo, Texas Municipal Facilities Corporation.
The facility will host approximately 5,400 seats for professional hockey, and will be completed prior to the start of the Central Hockey League's 2003/2004 season. Rick Kozuback, President and CEO of Global Entertainment Corporation, was also in attendance, and congratulated Mayor Franz and his constituents. "Today's events are the culmination of diligent efforts by Major Franz, the City of Hidalgo and International Coliseums Corporation (ICC) to bring an outstanding new facility to the Rio Grande Valley," said Kozuback. ICC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Entertainment, has completed the design of the facility, and will also lead the construction and management phases of the arena. The to-be-named franchise will join another expansion team in Larimer County, Colorado, as confirmed CHL expansion locations for the 2003/2004 season. The facility in Larimer County was also designed by ICC, and is managed in conjunction with Global Spectrum Corporation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Team owners will be introduced in the coming weeks followed by a name-the-team contest and the establishment of team offices. The Central Hockey League completed its' 2001/2002 season on May 28th, with the Memphis RiverKings capturing the President's Cup as post-season champions. The President's Cup is presented annually in recognition of CHL founder Ray Miron. This past season the CHL enjoyed a 16% attendance increase during the regular season, and led all North American minor professional circuits with a per game average attendance of 4,356 in post-season play. The 2002/2003 season is slated to begin Thursday, October 17th, and conclude Sunday, March 16th of 2003.
Central Hockey League Stories from June 25, 2002
- Hidalgo Breaks Ground - CHL
- Former Ice Skipper to Make NHL Coaching Debut - Indianapolis Ice
- Scorpions This Week - New Mexico Scorpions
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