Avs moving to Palmer?

MAT-SU —The Alaska Avalanche are looking for a new home and the Junior A hockey organization just may find one in Palmer.

On Wednesday, Avalanche general manager Dave Boitz said the team has officially parted ways with the city of Wasilla and the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, the North American Hockey League team’s home since 2005.

“We’re defiantly moving out of Wasilla,” Boitz said. “The option we’re looking at, at this point, is going to Palmer. We’re very interested in what they’ve put together. We think it’s a real positive move.”

Boitz said team officials have been working with the city of Palmer on a deal that would make the Avalanche an anchor tenant at the Palmer Ice Arena, a 5-year-old facility located off East Cope Industrial Way in Palmer. The Palmer City Council is scheduled to vote during its July 13 meeting on whether to approve an agreement with the Avalanche.

Boitz said team officials were unable to come to terms with the city of Wasilla on a new lease agreement that would keep the Avalanche at the Menard Sports Center.

“I’m not saying they’re not doing what’s right for their facility, but we had to do what we feel is right for our team,” Boitz said.

James Hastings, the city of Wasilla’s recreation and cultural services manager, oversees the operation of the Menard Sports Complex. He confirmed Thursday that the Avalanche will no longer call the Menard home. Like Boitz, Hastings said both parties needed to do what’s best for each entity.

“They’ve opted to move to another facility. We looked at some ways to make it more affordable, but we can’t reduce pricing any more,” Hastings said.

Hastings said he doesn’t hold any ill will toward the Avalanche.

“I want to see them succeed,” Hastings said. “I don’t want to see them fail.”

Boitz said a move is what is in the best interest of the future of the franchise. Other facilities, including one arena in Anchorage, have contacted team officials about luring the Avalanche, Boitz said. But overall, along with solidifying its future financially, Boitz said team officials wanted to keep the Avalanche in Mat-Su. With that in mind, Boitz approached Palmer officials about the prospect of moving the team to Palmer.

“We really appreciate the people of Wasilla. That’s why we want to stay in the Valley,” Boitz said. “We really want to stay in the Valley. There have been a lot of good people here who have helped make this thing stick. They stuck with us through thick and thin.”

The potential move of the Avalanche to Palmer and proposed upgrades to the Palmer Ice Arena have been on the city council’s agenda for about six weeks. Palmer Councilman Brad Hanson said he expects the council to vote on two separate agenda items on July 13. The first would be an agreement between the team and the city. The second would be the upgrades needed to house the team.

Hanson said that with approval of the council, renovations to the Palmer Ice Arena could include expanded seating, additional locker rooms and space for more parking. Hanson said there is also potential to expand the existing building by 20 feet and construct a new entryway.

According to the minutes of the council’s May 25 meeting, “a major sponsor is willing to assist financially with the cost of the arena upgrade.”

Earlier this summer, the Palmer City Council also voted tp allow the sale of beer during the Avs’ potential 27 home regular-season games at the Palmer Ice Arena, Hanson said.

Hanson said this proposed expansion would benefit more than just the Avalanche organization.

“It would be exciting to have Junior A hockey continue in the Valley, but this would allow [the Palmer Ice Arena] to be more of a multi-use facility,” Hanson said.

When the facility was built five years ago, Hanson said, future expansion was part of the plan.

“When we first built this thing, it wasn’t complete,” Hanson said. “There were other amenities, other things we wanted to add.”

Hanson said expansion would allow the facility to host events such as graduations and non-sports-related activities.

“The byproduct of this makes for the ability for us to do other activities during the off-season,” Hanson said.

An Avalanche move to Palmer also could provide a financial boost for the city. The Avalanche would host 27 home games during the regular season, and possibly more games during the postseason. The Avs averaged 926 fans per regular season home game in 2009-10, according to the NAHL’s website, and drew more than 3,000 total fans during a pair of playoff games.

Another bonus for the city of Palmer would be the organization’s rental of ice time for the squad’s practices during non-peak hours.

“Financially, it’s a benefit to the rink,” Hanson said. “To be able to rent day ice is always problematic in any rink.”

Regardless of whether the Avs end up in Palmer, the city of Wasilla has lost the anchor tenant of the Menard Sports Center. Despite the absence of the Avs, Hastings said it’s been business as usual at the facility.

“The ice time is already booked up,” Hastings said. “It’s covered. The city won’t lose out.”

Hastings said most of that ice time has been taken by local youth and adult leagues, and the city has also booked a variety of weekend non-sporting events.

Boitz and the Avalanche will now wait for the Palmer City Council’s decision, but is excited about the possibility. The Avs want to build on a historic 2009-10 season in which the team set franchise records for wins and points, and finished a team-best second in the NAHL West.

“We think we’re on the right track,” Boitz said. “We really feel like we have a following here.”

Boitz also believes the Palmer Ice Arena would provide an atmosphere players and fans can appreciate.

“It could be loud and exciting, a pretty intimidating place for opposing teams to play,” Boitz said. “That’s what junior hockey’s all about.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.