Valley Ice Garden Sold

Now we know why Martel missed the conference call... Ice Garden sell Andrew Hinkelman - Chronicle Sports Writer Speculation became reality Monday as the Valley Ice Garden was sold to Cardinal Distributing. The building will close after August and be renovated into a new cold-storage warehouse for the beverage distributor. As a result, the Bozeman Icedogs Junior A hockey team, the Ice Garden's primary tenant, has suspended operations and will either be sold and relocated or dissolved. The team requested and was granted inactive status by the North American Hockey League. Ice Garden and Icedogs owner Bill Martel made the announcement Monday afternoon at the Chronicle. "This came to be based on the fact that our West Division was no longer going to be in existence - the way we're accustomed to seeing it, at least," he said. "We're the lone man standing and that's not going to work, for many, many reasons. Financially, of course, is the main one." The NAHL approved the termination of the Billings hockey franchise and sale and relocation of the Helena franchise on May 13 in Ohio. That left the Icedogs as the only team in Montana, their nearest opponent in Bismarck, N.D. The financial impact of increased travel, combined with the likely dip in home attendance with no regional rival on the schedule, set in motion a chain of events culminating in Monday's announcement. "It's been fairly common knowledge that we've been interested in selling (the Ice Garden) and not remain in the hockey business," Martel said. "We've had various parties express an interest in purchasing that facility the last nine years, ever since we've taken possession of it." But the developments in Billings and Helena over the last month accelerated the efforts to unload the building. "Our hopes and dreams were always that somebody would buy it and retain it as a hockey facility," Martel said. "Now that we're the only standing member of the West Division, we're a league of one, and that's not going to work. We really had no option but to look for another use for that facility." The Ice Garden has been a financial black hole for the Martel family ever since they took ownership of the building in 1997. Martel Construction was commissioned to build the rink, but the original owners couldn't pay up and the Martels got the Ice Garden and Icedogs as part of the settlement. And while the Icedogs have been a success on and off the ice, the team hasn't been able to make the arena profitable. "The financial shortcomings of that facility are astronomical," Martel said. Icedogs general manager Jason Martel said a number of potential buyers have stepped forward over the years with the intent of continuing to operate the Ice Garden as a hockey/skating facility. But once they learned of the building's operating costs, any deal was off. "It's lost a substantial amount of money every year," Bill Martel said. "The Icedogs as a stand-alone entity would have been able to make money, and did make money. "Obviously now with the events that have occurred here in the last month, maintaining that as a hockey facility makes it more difficult than it ever was in the past, so that prompted us to pursue the other use of the facility more aggressively." That's where Cardinal Distributing comes in. Martel said that owner Ed Brandt was looking at building a new facility. Instead, Martel suggested Brandt consider renovating the Ice Garden. The Valley Ice Garden will remain open through the end of August. Any previously scheduled events during that time will take place as planned. Fans who have paid money toward 2006-07 Icedogs season tickets should expect a refund by July 1. "It wasn't something we took lightly," Martel said. "I know there'll be some hurt feelings. That's understandable. We did the best we could, and I'm proud of that."