Elliot Lake residents will have to drive at least two hours if they want to watch the NHL preseason game their community earned this year — but which direction will they be travelling?
Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury are believed to be the only two cities in the running to host the exhibition game between the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 29.
That game, along with $250,000 in upgrades to Centennial Arena, was part of the prize package Elliot Lake received as winners of 2024 Kraft Hockeyville this past March.
Their 57-year-old arena was forced to close suddenly last September due to structural issues and hasn’t reopened since, which raised questions about meeting the requirements set out by the NHL and its players association to host the preseason game this fall.
Elliot Lake’s interim CAO Rob deBortoli told SooToday the city was confident right from the start that it was never going to happen — and not just because of the ongoing construction.
“Even if our arena was functional, it would not have been played here because we just don’t have the capacity for that type of event,” he said. “Our arena is pretty small.”
“We also don’t really have the required accommodations to house two professional teams here,” he added. “We’ve only got one main hotel which I think has 40 rooms, so we’re pretty limited when it comes to that.”
Elliot Lake is among a growing trend of Kraft Hockeyville champions who had their NHL preseason game relocated due to logistical requirements, joining 2022 and 2023 winners Sydney, NS and West Lorne, Ont. on that list.
While SooToday previously reported the cost to fix Centennial Arena was roughly $4.3 million, that estimate was just for the structural wood.
Considering the extensive work beforehand, along with a new roof and foundation repairs, among other significant items, the restoration project is estimated to cost $7.4 million.
Although it was deemed unlikely back in April, the interim CAO is hoping to see the roof get reinforced and repaired by September, which would allow some activities to resume inside the building.
But a fresh sheet of ice isn’t expected to be installed until at least October, meaning Elliot Lake’s NOJHL team — the Vikings — will once again begin the season playing home games in other nearby rinks.
“The work is still being done to the interior to restore the structural integrity of the building,” deBortoli explained. “It’s highly specialized so it’s been time consuming work.”
While it’s yet to be confirmed if Elliot Lake residents would have priority for tickets, deBortoli is under the impression they’ll be allocated appropriately and won’t be up for sale.
But he doesn’t believe the Senators and Penguins will have time to visit Elliot Lake while they’re in northern Ontario.
“I think they’re going to be awarded a certain lot,” he said. “Then, I believe they’ll probably have to be distributed by a very fair and equitable means.”
“The teams will probably stay overnight wherever they play and then just go,” he added.
— with files from Kris Svela and Stephen Calverley, ElliotLakeToday