Get ready for lots more hockey at CN Centre.
The City of Prince George has renewed a rental agreement with the Prince George Cougars that will keep the hockey team in CN Centre.
The city and the hockey club have worked together to develop a six-year agreement, retroactive to July 31, 2018. Like the previous agreement, it is largely based on a revenue-sharing arrangement rather than a flat rate for rent. For example, the city receives a share of revenue from general ticket sales and suite rentals, and proceeds from all food and beverage sales. The Cougars are also providing $50,000 per year from the proceeds of advertising that the hockey club sells in the arena.
“This agreement provides the city with important revenue, it keeps the Cougars as our No. 1 tenant in a premier city facility, and it allows both organizations to benefit in the future, based on team improvements and increased attendance at CN Centre,” said Mayor Lyn Hall, in a news release. “On behalf of council, I’m very pleased to see the Cougars and the city working so well together, and as a fan, I can’t wait for next season to begin.”
“The Prince George Cougars are committed to Prince George and have been invested in the community under the ownership of EDGEPRo Sports & Entertainment. On behalf of our ownership group, management, hockey and business staff, and players, we are extremely proud of our relationship with the City of Prince George,” said Cougars’ Vice President, Business Andy Beesley. “We are here to stay, and we are fully committed to Prince George. We have heavily invested in our community in the last several years and we look forward to continuing to do so. Today’s announcement shows how committed the Cougars are to B.C.’s northern capital.”
Over the past five years, the Prince George Cougars 50/50 Society has donated more than $700,000 to various community-based charitable and non-profit groups. In addition, the Prince George Cougars Alumni Hospital Charity Golf Tournament has raised close to $500,000 for the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation over the past seven years. The partnership with the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation has also involved a “Spirit of Healthy Kids” school program, which has provided programming to 20,000 elementary students over the last five years.
The CN Centre opened in 1995, one year after the Cougars started play in Prince George. The arena has nearly 6,000 seats and hosts 34 regular-season Cougars games per year.