The Thorold Jr B Blackhawks have decided to move all their home games of the upcoming 2022-2023 season to the Port Colborne Vale Centre.
As ThoroldToday reported, due to the ongoing renovations at the Frank Doherty Arena it’s not looking likely that the ice will be ready in time for the upcoming hockey season.
“After dealing with two years of COVID issues, the players need a stable home for the season,” read an online statement by the team's General Manager Scott Barnes. "The City of Thorold helped immensely through this process in an attempt to find alternative solutions but we felt the need to secure stability for the season.”
Back in March, the City of Thorold permanently closed the James Whyte Arena, with an eye on having local user groups split their time between the Frank Doherty Arena and the newly built Canada Games Park.
Now it seems that the Frank Doherty Arena won't be ready in time, hampering the start of hockey season.
Even though the Jr B Blackhawks will not be playing in Thorold, Barnes is telling fans not to worry.
“We are still the Thorold Blackhawks playing out of Port Colborne and we hope to return to Thorold better than ever for the 2023-24 season,” concluded his statement.
