MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Mylan Park will soon add hockey to the long list of sports offered to the community when construction of the new hockey facility is complete.
Mylan Park Foundation Executive Director Ron Justice said the estimated cost is $15 million and the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust is the primary donor.
“Included in that would be a regulation sized hockey rink, 800 permanent seats, six locker rooms initially, a warming area, a concessions area, and a skate sharpening area,” Justice said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
The facility has been designed to continue the tradition of high quality with the Peak Health Aquatic Center at Mylan Park and the Anker Fields Complex. Justice said in the near future there will naming rights opportunities for the new facility.
“The fan experience, viewing lines, scoreboards, and amenities that come with that,” Justice said. “A warming area and a place you can go have a birthday party- all those things were important to us.”
The facility is expected to open during the first week of October and be ready for a full season of play. Justice said workers are getting the project under roof and in about five weeks there could be some opportunities for members of the public to get their first look inside. The finished product won’t be complete, but there will be a chance to visualize what the facility will look like when completed.
“We anticipate having the slabs completed in the facility by April,” Justice said. “At that point, we’ll be able to take folks through the facility or let them come in and look.”
The facility will be home to the Morgantown Hockey Association, WVU Club Hockey that include D1, D2, and D3 men’s and women’s teams. Additionally, club hockey teams travel and play extensively and some of those organizations have already reached out to Justice for more information about the facility.
“We’re working through all that scheduling right now, but this will be a great facility for our youth hockey programs and it will draw groups from outside this area to the area,” Justice said.
The new facility with updated facilities and locker rooms is expected to be draw for club hockey organizations throughout the region. The WVU hockey season starts with a game in Wheeling against the University of Pittsburgh at WesBanco Arena and the first scheduled WVU game in Morgantown is October 15.
“We’re very fortunate to have such a strong program in Morgantown and we’re looking forward to this facility being home to WVU Club Hockey,” Justice said.