A close decision preserves Oregon club hockey’s current season, but its long-term future is very much in doubt.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to keep the Lane County Ice Center open for 2010-11, as long as the ice center and the user groups raise $2.4 million by the end of the year to refurbish the rink. This preserves the short-term viability of the team, but raising that much money is a daunting task.
“We are approved for one year as is. But in order for us to have a 2011-2012 season, the entire arena, ice rink needs to be rehabilitated,” county commissioner Bill Fleenor said, according to KEZI.
Junior Carter Achilles said another rink could be constructed in Lane County for about that amount of money and he is doubtful the groups can raise that much money in that period of time. More than likely, he said, another rink will be constructed, which could take a year or more.
And without a rink, that means Oregon club hockey could be finished.
“It would be extremely difficult to keep a program going here,” head coach Scott McCallum said. “If the rink closes, I’m not sure Oregon will have a hockey team.”
This all came as a bit of a surprise to Oregon club hockey. McCallum said the team ended the season knowing they would have to address the rink at some point, but also thinking they would have at least one more season to formulate a plan. That has changed with this latest decision.
“We feel a bit out of the loop and powerless,” McCallum said.
Club coordinator Kevin Trihey called McCallum after the decision was made to begin preliminary fundraising efforts, but nothing has been decided for sure. Some players are attending meetings to plead their case before the commissioners. McCallum said that the club is feeling a bit disorganized and that this happened at an inopportune time.
“The timing of this is difficult with all the students being gone,” McCallum said.
Medford and Sherwood are possible substitute destinations, but both rinks are at least two hours away. McCallum said the club could still field a team, but it wouldn’t be nearly as competitive as he and players would like it to be. Washington State’s closest rink is an hour away, and it is difficult for the Cougars to practice regularly. As a result, the Cougars tend to languish at the bottom of the Pac-8 standings, and McCallum said he would rather not have a team than be consistently beaten.
“It’s hard to be a part of a team that gets crushed,” McCallum said.
In addition, the Eugene Generals minor-league hockey team and other private groups, which could include Oregon club hockey, have to raise $40,000 immediately to keep the arena running at a bare minimum. It is unknown how this money will be raised, but all groups seem to agree this is the least of their problems.
The rink is approximately tripling admission prices to make up the difference, including an increase to $23 an hour for drop-in hockey. It is upping admission for adult skaters from $5 last year to $18.75 this year, and for youth, the price increased from $4 to $11.40. Freestyle/figure skaters must pay $61 an hour, and skate rentals go from $3 to $10.
Achilles said raising prices will not solve the problem because people just won’t pay that much to go to the rink, and the real problem with the arena is poor management.
The fallout from the decision has affected the players, as well. Achilles said junior teams have called club hockey players to see if they want to play elsewhere, and several are considering it.
Unless something drastic happens, this could be the end of club hockey at Oregon.
“$2.4 million being raised by March is not very likely,” commissioner Faye Stewart said to KEZI. “I think we’re really just sealing the end of it with this motion.”
[email protected]