I’m not the only person who’s disappointed that the Red Wings aren’t holding their prospect tournament or training camp in Traverse City.
However, the 9&10 News’s Kyle Garrison reports that Centre ICE Arena director Todd Spaulding is taking a circumspect view about the situation:
“I think it was cool for everybody to have them up here right in our backyard and right in a small rink where they can see well. So, I think it was cool, very cool for everyone,” Spaulding said.
Spaulding highlighted the economic benefits the camp brought to the area. “I think that there’s quite a few people that come up here, hotels, restaurants and things like that. So I think it’s a pretty big impact,” Spaulding said.
The partnership also had a lasting impact on Centre Ice Arena itself, as the facility made upgrades to meet National Hockey League standards. These improvements continue to benefit local players and other events. “We had to make some improvements to the rink to, to help them keep coming here, some requirements by the NHL. But, you know, it just helps the process of keeping things running around here,” Spaulding explained.
One significant upgrade occurred in 2017 with a six-figure renovation to the glass bordering the rinks, which was funded by Traverse City Tourism. While the improvements remain, many fans will miss the opportunity to see NHL players up close each fall, a tradition that helped coin Traverse City as “Hockey Town North.”
Spaulding noted that the arena has adapted to changes over time, including previous adjustments to the Red Wings’ schedule. “In the last few years, things have changed a little bit. They haven’t had as many days here. The prospect tournament moved once, and the Red and White game went to Grand Rapids last year. So, you know, we’ve had bits and pieces of it go away and we’ve had years where we didn’t have it, so we’ll be fine,” Spaulding said. He also stated, “I don’t have any say in the Red wings coming here or not. So I guess I don’t, you know, I guess it’s unfortunate that they’re not, but I certainly understand from, from the rink standpoint, we certainly understand.”
I think we all knew that training camp would eventually relocate to Little Caesars Arena and the BELFOR Training Center once the facility was built, but it still sucks for Red Wings fans across Michigan who don’t get to go downtown to see their team.
