I want one...

This last weekend was spent in the Prescott Arizona area. A couple of good friends and I decided that we would hit a couple of fishing spots to try our luck. Turned out not to be that great of an expedition to land a lunker. In fact I didn't even land a spare tire or anything else that may have been submerged under the water.

But that just didn't matter, as it turned out.

Since we had decided to head to the Prescott area, we checked out an event schedule a few days before we left and lo and behold we found ourselves an opportunity to take in a minor league sporting event on Saturday night. The sporting event would not have mattered to me, but it happened to be an ice hockey game... most know that I'm a huge fan of the game and even still play in recreation leagues to this day. But honestly... the star of the game (to me) was not the hockey game, the teams, or the players (although all of it was entertaining). The star of the show was the place, the venue, the big building that has so much potential.

I sat in amazement throughout the event fantasizing about having one of these kinds of venue's located somewhere in Mohave County.

You may remember last summer that I wrote about the possibility of this happening. Now that I've actually been there, seen it, experienced it, and so forth... I'd bet most folks would want it too.


Unfortunately I left my camera behind, I would love to have shared some interior photo's as well.

The game itself was exciting, there were 13 goals scored and the home team won by a single goal. The crowd was really into it... and there were no fights in the game. The arena website says the place holds up to 5,100 for hockey games. While I saw some empty seats, all of the sections were mostly filled with live bodies in the seats.

Whether everyone there was a longtime hockey fan or not (I suspect most are new fans, which is great), one thing was apparent that night. This was a place to be seen. It was a place to meet up with friends and family. It was a place for entertainment.

I want one... that was the thought running through my head all night long.

While the arena may have been built for the hockey team, there are plenty of other events held there. Here is a link to some of them. Another sports team will be using the arena in short order as well. There is talk of an indoor American football league playing it's games there.

From the my article that I linked to earlier, the hockey league appears to be opening up a new team in Yuma and to start play sometime in 2008. Lucky dogs.

Hopefully there is still an outside shot of something like this happening in the Mohave County area. I'd easily go to games as often as I could if they happen to be in Bullhead City or Havasu. I think Bullhead City is the most ideal area since it is located close to Laughlin Nevada... and those casino's would likely pay big dollars to sponsor the naming rights of the area, purchase luxury boxes, and comp their guests for games and events.

I think getting one of these will be a pet project for me. I will be making some calls to let whoever it is I need to that I would love to help in any way I can to bring this kind of venue to our area.

I can see this kind of project creating all kinds of jobs, revenue opportunities, and exposure. There were people from all walks of life at the game on Saturday night. The game represented an entertainment option for the residents of Mohave County that just doesn't exist at the moment.

Of course, until there is one of these things located a bit closer to home... I won't hesitate to find some kind of excuse to catch a few more of these games in Prescott Valley from time to time. I had myself a very good seat and it cost me all of $11 for the ticket.

Speaking of excuses... I did leave all the fish in the lakes this time... I don't think it will be too long before I'd like to try again... but only if there is a hockey game to catch in the evening.