Venue Detail
Niagara Ice Dogs
RSV Pro Facilities Report
March, 2015
Niagara Ice Dogs
35 Queen St St. Catharines, ON L2R 5G4 Phone: 905-687-3641 Fax: 905-682-9129 URL: www.niagaraicedogs.net Owner: Bill and Denise Burke League: Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, East Division
Venue
Gatorade Garden City Complex, 8 Gale Crescent, St. Catharines, ON Owner: City of St. Catharines Managed by: Owner Built: 1932 Capacity: 3,000 Permanent concession stands: 1 Soft drink: Pepsi Cola
Naming rights
Sold to: Pepsi Bottling Group
Ticket prices
Season tickets range from $399 to $499 Single tickets range from $14.50 to $20.00
Attendance
2012 average attendance: 3,046 2013 average attendance: 2,989
Garden City Arena Complex houses both Jack Gatecliff Arena and Rex Stimers Arena. Jack Gatecliff Arena is home of the Niagara Ice Dogs and the St. Catharines Falcons Jr. "B" Hockey Club.
St. Catharines city council members have approved a replacement for Jack Gatecliff Arena.
The council approved a multi-use spectator facility with 4,500 to 5,300 seats, at a maximum cost of C$50 million.
The vote follows earlier comments from Bill Burke, owner of the Ontario Hockey League Niagara IceDogs that the team would move if a new venue was not approved.
The team, which moved to St. Catharines from Mississauga in 2007 with the understanding the old complex would eventually be replaced, is coming to the end of its five-year lease with the city.
Burke has said they will sign a 20-year lease if the team can move into a new, bigger facility.
Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch said the IceDogs currently play in the oldest and smallest arena in the league. The team's current arena has 2,745 seats, and can accommodate 3,145 people with standing room.
Burke said they haven't yet made a profit on the IceDogs. He said the team spends $1 million in wages, $100,000 to billet players with families and $350,000 for game-day expenses, like security. He said the team also spends $600,000 a year locally on businesses, such as car rentals, accountants, lawyers and retail items. The team's 20 full-time employees have bought 11 houses and 16 cars in the time they have been in St. Catharines. (Facilities, Ice Hockey, Professional Sports, Venue)