FIRST-HAND LOOK
New arena’s namesake will be among spectators throughout upcoming month
Merlis Belsher tours one of the hockey dressing rooms in Merlis Belsher Place on the U of S campus on Monday. Belsher, who gave $12.25M to help build the twin-pad arena, says he’s delighted with the design of the facility and plans to be a regular spectator.
Merlis Belsher plans to be camping out at his new second home — the aptly named Merlis Belsher Place — during the next few weeks.
After shelling out a $12.25-million contribution toward a muchawaited new twin-pad hockey facility at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Belsher was among the first to arrive Monday for the media’s sneak-peek tour at Merlis Belsher Place.
He’ll be back again Tuesday when the very first Saskatoon minor hockey zone players step onto the ice for their first usage of the facility, which includes both a larger spectator rink and community rink.
“I want to watch and see the reaction of the people and see what they think of the rink,” offered Belsher, adding the facility is even more than what he himself envisioned.
“I couldn’t be more pleased. I think it’s absolutely beautiful. I had always wanted the front entrance to be sort of a wow factor — large and spacious because my understanding of community rinks is that is where people congregate and visit.
“This curved entrance with the glass and high ceiling, it’s beautiful. Love it.”
Merlis Belsher Place opened its doors Monday with its first icetimes, including the start of campus rec intramural hockey games.
The MBP hockey calendar includes the University of Saskatchewan women’s hockey team’s season-opener Friday and the Saskatoon Contacts’ home-opener Sunday.
The U of S men’s team will play its home-opener Oct. 12. Expect Belsher to see them all. “There are nine events, that I am aware of, that I’m going to attend in October,” he said.
U of S dean of kinesiology Chad London led Monday’s tour, giving details of the facility and sharing his own first impression.
“It’s magnificent,” said London. “When you walk through the doors for the first time, it takes your breath away.”
The Merlis Belsher Spectator Arena has a 2,487 seating capacity (expandable to 3,244) and a Merlis Belsher Community Rink.
Saskatoon minor hockey has been allotted about 1,500 hours of ice time per year.
MBP will be home to U of S men’s and women’s hockey teams as well as basketball and soccer teams, along with the Contacts and Saskatoon Stars midget AAA hockey squads.
The facility will also provide ice time for what U of S London called the “biggest intramural hockey program” in the nation with more than 900 student participants and 50 teams, as well as 400 students and 140 faculty and staff members who use the ice for other recreational or academic purposes.
“I give all the credit to the University of Saskatchewan and particularly to Wright Construction and Lorne Wright for the timing,” said Belsher. “The shovel officially went into the ground on May 7, 2017. Here we are on Oct. 1, 2018, and there are ice surfaces. That is great.
“I’m just so happy for the city to get involved and all the community getting involved and getting the campaign finished quickly.”
Construction on the $51-million project continues with the building of two gymnasiums (Nbasized basketball training courts) and Ron and Graham Sport Science and Health Centre scheduled to open in early 2019.
Belsher spearheaded the fundraising campaign with the largest single donation by an individual in U of S history.
Ron and Jane Graham, Wright Construction and the Wright family, Margaret Richardson Hulings family, Lawrence and Patricia Rychjohn, Ian and Alice Van Norman, as well as Hamm Construction each contributed more than $1 million to the project.
Grand opening celebrations will be held Oct. 25-27 with an open house Saturday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.