Minor Professional Hockey is a shrinking business. Gone are the days of the early 1990’s when Minor Pro dominated the talk, and the arena landscape throughout North America.
The Central Hockey League at one time was not only growing, but they were one of the leaders in new arena construction projects throughout the United States. Build an arena, find ownerships, and place a team in that arena. The model worked for a while, but no more.
After one season the St. Charles Chill are done. Averaging better than 2500 fans per night was simply not enough to make the franchise financially viable. Then again, in an arena that seats nearly 10,000 for hockey, 2500 fans still leaves the building feeling empty.
So what now for Family Arena?
While it may be very large, clearly there is a good enough fan base for a team to build upon. 2,500 on average came out to support a team that finished in last place. What would happen if a winning program were placed in Family Arena? What would happen if only the lower bowl were used, and a team friendly lease were in place?
Could the USHL or NAHL make a run at St. Charles? It would certainly fit within either leagues geographic footprint. 2,500 fans per night is close to what a USHL franchise would need to break even. 2,500 is an average break even number for an NAHL franchise.
While both the NAHL and USHL have had teams in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area in the past, neither league has had a franchise in St. Charles. While competing with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues may seem like a daunting task, there is now clear evidence that a franchise in St. Charles can draw a significant amount of fan support.
When you take away player salaries and workman’s comp costs, a USHL or NAHL budget becomes much more manageable compared to a CHL budget.
Will it happen? Will it even be explored? Those questions have yet to be answered.
Joe Hughes
