The Alaska Aces professional hockey organization announced on Thursday, February 23 the decision to cease operations at the end of the regular season and playoffs of 2017.
The Alaska Aces organization notified the ECHL, East Coast Hockey League, of the decision and the ECHL Board of Governors approved the request for Voluntary Suspension of Operations.
Alaska Aces Press Release (2/23/2017)….
ANCHORAGE, AK –The ownership group of the Alaska Aces professional hockey organization has made the decision to cease operations at the end of this regular season and playoffs. The team informed the ECHL of the decision and the league’s Board of Governors has approved the request for Voluntary Suspension of operations.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision, which came after months of careful consideration,” said Terry Parks, Managing Partner of the ownership group. “We worked through every possible solution that might have avoided this outcome but it became painfully obvious to us that, in this economy, a professional hockey team is not sustainable in Alaska.”
Parks says as a result of the economic downturn, sponsorships are down $600,000, season ticket sales are down $262,000 and attendance is down about 1,500 spectators per game from just a couple seasons ago. The organization has lost more money this season than in the past two seasons combined.
With thousands of job losses in Alaska and more likely to come, Parks says, the team expects this downward trend to continue. “We are 100 percent convinced that this town can no longer generate the kind of revenue necessary to sustain a professional hockey team,” Parks said.
“This is devastating for all of us,” Parks said. “For the owners, the Alaska Aces has been a labor of love. There are no state or local subsidies. None of us has received any financial return but rather have had to continually invest in the organization to keep it operating.”
The Alaska Aces organization wishes to thank its incredibly loyal fans and sponsors for their support over the past 15 seasons, which included numerous playoff runs and three Kelly Cup championships. Fans who have made deposits on season tickets for next season will be given full refunds.
The Alaska Aces organization is also proud of its support of a long list of worthy charities and causes, including the Scott Gomez Foundation, Mountain View Lions Club, our military, fire and police, reading programs, youth hockey, cancer awareness, men’s wellness and many more.
More details on the Alaska Aces hockey organization available here: Click on link