Richfield Ice Arena Becomes New Home of PHF's Minnesota Whitecaps
July 29, 2022 - Premier Hockey Federation (PHF)
Minnesota Whitecaps News Release
RICHFIELD, MN - The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) in association with the Minnesota Whitecaps Hockey Club today announced that the team will be relocating from TRIA Rink in St. Paul, MN to Richfield Ice Arena in Richfield, MN beginning at the start of the 2022-23 PHF season. The move allows the Whitecaps to secure a venue that will provide a permanent locker room and training facility for its players. The lease agreement between the Whitecaps and the arena was officially approved by a Richfield City Council vote on Tuesday, and extends through April of 2038 with a run of three five-year intervals.
"As an ownership group, we were approached and offered a great opportunity to secure an arena with a permanent locker room for our players, which is an important part of the professional environment that we value," said Bobby Long, Director of Hockey Operations for NLTT Hockey Ventures. "The Whitecaps would like to thank TRIA Rink, the Minnesota Wild, and Excel Energy for their partnership and support over the years. We look forward to our new home and adding to the rich history of hockey in Richfield, where we expect an exciting atmosphere for all of our games."
"I'm so excited to have a place the Whitecaps can call home," said Andy Scurto, Managing Partner of the Minnesota Whitecaps. "We feel it is important that we give the players a place they can call their own with Whitecaps branding, dedicated locker room, laundry and other spaces to properly support the team."
Richfield is a suburb of Minneapolis, just minutes south of downtown, and immediately west of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. Richfield Ice Arena has two regulation size sheets, with the main Rink 1 built back in 1971 with bowl seating for 1,300 spectators, plus standing room for another 500. Rink 2 was added in 1999 and is used primarily for practices.
"Facilities are critical to the growth of the PHF, and the Whitecaps and their players will surely benefit from the enhanced professional experience that comes from development opportunities and competition at a single venue they can call home," said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. "We look forward to a new era for the Whitecaps as they expand their passionate fan base at Richfield Ice Arena."
The Whitecaps will be the venue's main tenant and will hold sole advertising rights in Rink 1 and Rink 2, and will share a portion of advertising and concession revenues with the city. For Richfield, the Whitecaps' focus on women's leadership, equity and inclusion in the hockey world made them a great fit for the city's programming and goals.
"We are excited to add the Whitecaps organization to our facility," said Kris Weiby, Facility Manager for the City of Richfield. "This will help us grow girl's hockey in Richfield and continue the rich hockey history in the city. This is a perfect fit for our organization, and I can't wait for the first puck drop in November."
Richfield Ice Arena hosts a robust Learn to Skate program, and is also home to the Hockey Niñas with Coach Meredith Davis who was nominated for the NHL's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award for her efforts to make hockey accessible to young women of color.
"I'm really looking forward to making Richfield our home," said Sydney Brodt, one of the Whitecaps' new forwards and a 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship gold medalist with the U.S. Women's National Team. "I think we'll have a great atmosphere for home games for our fans. It will also be a great place to spend time and train everyday as professional athletes!"
Established in 2004, this season will be the Whitecaps' 19th as an organization and fifth in the PHF. They are the only team to claim two major championships in professional women's hockey including the Clarkson Cup as a member of the WWHL in 2009-10, and the Isobel Cup in their inaugural 2018-19 PHF campaign. The 2022-23 PHF regular season schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
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Premier Hockey Federation Stories from July 29, 2022
- Richfield Ice Arena Becomes New Home of PHF's Minnesota Whitecaps - Minnesota Whitecaps
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