Ice Garden/ Beer warehouse

Gus · Post by **Gus** » Thu May 18, 2006 12:49 pm

Not exactly college sports related but I have heard that the the Martel family sold the Ice Garden to Cardinal Distributing and it will be converted into a beer warehouse. Anyone else know anything?

gocats · Post by **gocats** » Thu May 18, 2006 6:13 pm

It was just on the news that cardinal bought the Ice garden for a beer warehouse. What a bunch of crap if it's true.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Thu May 18, 2006 6:27 pm

Wow, if that's true ... that's pathetic.

Hey, maybe they can also convert the downtown movie theaters into grain silos?

MSU01 · Post by **MSU01** » Thu May 18, 2006 7:53 pm

That's sad, if true...I always enjoyed watching the Icedogs, and even had season tickets for a few years back when they first started playing. I had heard talk of the Icedogs not playing next year, since the Helena team is moving to Michigan and the Billings team seems to be leaving as well, which would have left the Icedogs as the only team in the league based in Montana. To hear that the Ice Garden will be converted to a warehouse is a big surprise, and especially bad news for the youth hockey program and whoever else used the facility.

coachouert · Post by **coachouert** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:12 am

Any news on this? I tried looking at the chronicle online, but surprise, surprise, there wasn't anything there.

canyoncat · Post by **canyoncat** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:51 am

MSU01 wrote:That's sad, if true...I always enjoyed watching the Icedogs, and even had season tickets for a few years back when they first started playing. I had heard talk of the Icedogs not playing next year, since the Helena team is moving to Michigan and the Billings team seems to be leaving as well, which would have left the Icedogs as the only team in the league based in Montana. To hear that the Ice Garden will be converted to a warehouse is a big surprise, and especially bad news for the youth hockey program and whoever else used the facility.

Where did you hear that the Helena team is moving? That is news to me. If true, real sad because those game are a lot of fun to go to.

Post by **kmax** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:29 am

I too have heard this rumor. I have some emails into people trying to get an answer but haven't gotten anything more than rumors still. I looked at the last seven days of the Chronicle pay edition online and didn't find anything and have found absolutely no mention of this anywhere online. I am very upset if this is true, and my little girl will be absolutely heartbroken as she is in love with figure skating.

I really find this hard to believe, why would you buy a multi-million dollar facility like the Ice Garden to make it a warehouse??? Hell, buying land and putting up a similar sized steel warehouse could be done for a fraction of what the Ice Garden building must cost. Just makes no sense to me. There are going to be alot of kids who play hockey and figure skate who are going to be hurt by this if true, not to mention the community losing such a nice facility for everything from hockey to concerts to graduation ceremonies and on and on.

As soon as I find out more information I will let everyone know, there is no way I will go quietly on this one if it is true. I doubt there is a lot that can be done if it is, but it never hurts to try.

PS-canyoncat, the chronicle reported that the Helena team is moving last weekend in the same article that they reported that the Billings team had been kicked out of the league.

catamaran · Post by **catamaran** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:35 am

The NBC affiliate in Bozeman made this story its number one last night on the 10:00 news so it definitely has legs

Post by **SonomaCat** » Fri May 19, 2006 10:58 am

I hope there is some extreme community backlash that prevents the "beer warehouse" BS from ever happening.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » Fri May 19, 2006 11:38 am

I just heard from an Ice Dog host that they are delaying the announcement of the sale until they can release the players from their contracts.

theblackgecko · Post by **theblackgecko** » Fri May 19, 2006 12:13 pm

Considering that I haven't gone to a single event at the Ice Garden, but I drink my share of beer.

Bring on the beer warehouse!

I am saddened to see that the Billings Bulls are having problems. Billings should be able to support its minor league sports, and the Bulls have been in Billings for an eternity (by minor league sports length).

BobCatFan · Post by **BobCatFan** » Fri May 19, 2006 1:00 pm

MSU could use a nice facility like the Ice Garden. Maybe we should be talking to the local politicials to save the Ice Garden. If ND joins the big sky, we could play hockey with them.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Fri May 19, 2006 1:04 pm

This could well be one instance where perhaps having a municipality of some sort (Gallatin County, City of Bozeman, etc.) could/should buy and operate the property in order to preserve it as the positive community resource that it is instead of letting it turn into a friggin' warehouse. I just can't say enough how shameful it would be if this happens.

I am hoping that some wires were crossed and that the distributor is actually buying it to use for what it is used now, but serving its own products, and maybe with its name on it. I know this is wishful thinking, but that would seem to be a plausible alternative.

Post by **kmax** » Fri May 19, 2006 1:35 pm

I am hoping for that type of a situation as well BAC. That facility is first rate for this type of a town and using it for just a warehouse would be sinful.

As Gus mentioned, apparently they are delaying any official word. Sounds like it will come out on Monday as Martel will be addressing Figure Skating parents (and probably hockey as well) Monday evening with full information on what is going on.

Edit to say Martel himself may not be addressing the groups, but word is that info from him will be given out at that time.

HelenaCat95 · Post by **HelenaCat95** » Fri May 19, 2006 1:42 pm

Maybe now it will be the "Ice Warehouse" or the "Beer Garden"

ok....admittedly that was pretty stupid.

as you were.

Bleedinbluengold · Post by **Bleedinbluengold** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:04 pm

That certainly is an expensive warehouse - I find it hard to believe that a beer distributor would buy that place as a warehouse. Maybe Cardinal is buying the Ice Garden in order to take a run at owning a hockey team of some sort.

I wonder what will happen in Helena with youth hockey? The 2 Junior teams took most of the ice time, and youth hockey did not support the facility to a great extent.

MSU01 · Post by **MSU01** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:29 pm

It doesn't make much sense to me either...surely there is a more cost-effective way of getting a new warehouse than buying a hockey arena and renovating it. It could have been sold at a big discount because the Martels were desperate to get rid of it, but that doesn't seem at all likely to me either.

Not too long ago, there were 5 Montana teams in the league (Bozeman, Butte, Helena, GF, Billings). Now, it looks like there won't be any at all. Wow...

catamaran · Post by **catamaran** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:49 pm

This is completely a theory in my mind but maybe the Ice Garden folks (ie Martel) is getting another facility/building/lot included in the deal to move the 'Dogs closer to the city. Just a random thought I had

GOKATS · Post by **GOKATS** » Fri May 19, 2006 5:43 pm

catamaran wrote:This is completely a theory in my mind but maybe the Ice Garden folks (ie Martel) is getting another facility/building/lot included in the deal to move the 'Dogs closer to the city. Just a random thought I had

Could be wrong, but I seriously doubt if that is the case. Martel got the building and hockey by default when the original owner/s couldn't pay his construction bill. If hockey is bailing out of Montana it would certainly make sense from a business perspective to get rid of the building.

The building obviously has a great refrigeration system, but most/all of Cardinals' product line doesn't require refrigeration. Just doesn't seem like a beer warehouse.

The rumor awhile back was that the owner of Bozeman Hot Springs bought it and it was going to be an indoor water park.

Dontcha love rumors?

grizzh8r · Post by **grizzh8r** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:29 pm

Man, if this is true, it sucks! I went to about half of the Icedogs games this year, and they were always a LOT of fun. Not to mention they were the best team in all of the NAHL this season. Unfortunately they lost in the Robertson Cup championship game to Texas 4-2, the favored son of the NAHL (threepeat champions). It was a poorly officiated game, with the 'Dogs getting the short end of the stick from the Referee Adam Hendrin.

Game recap here: http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/box ... eid=303055

Huh. Whoda thunk it, referees suck even in hockey?

Another thought: There will be a lot of disappointed Icedogs and Blackhawks fans. Also, there was getting to be a lot of little league hockey players getting into the sport.

Sorry for the random thoughts...