The Montreal Gazatte has reported that the Montreal Juniors have shown interest to become the anchor tenant for a new Laval arena that is expected to be ready for use at the start of the 2012-2013 season.The Juniors aren't the only hockey club known to have an interest to use the new arena. The Hamilton Bulldogs, the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, have said they would like to relocate to Montreal and would call the new arena in Laval their home.
The new arena would accommodate up to 7,500 fans for hockey games and up to 10,000 spectators for concerts. The plan would be to build the arena close to highway 15 and St. Martin Blvd. This area is known as the heart of the still developing downtown Laval. The cost to build the arena is expected to be around $93 Mln.
If the Juniors are successful in becoming the anchor tenant for the new Laval arena, the seating capacity for a game would increase from 3,700, which is the legal seating capacity at the Verdun Auditorium (seen in photo), to 7,500, essentially doubling fan seating space.
I'll try to provide more information on this story as it unfolds...
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Yes it would be better in terms of seat Capacity to go to Laval but personally i'm not thrilled about this and the team wouldn't have much sense in naming itself the "Montreal Juniors" if they move to Laval.
ReplyDeleteI hope they stay in Verdun especially with the investment they placed in the Arena and local infratructures to allow poeple to make it there. I know I am not willing to go to Laval for a Junior hockey game but I am well aware that poeple in Laval mostly can believe the same thing about coming to Verdun.
Let's wait and see what happens.
Hi Prime,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments.
I too am wishfull for the Juniors to remain on the Island of Montreal. While I appreciate the investiment the team has made at the Verdun Auditorium, I also understand the challenges a franchise may face when paying in a 74 year old building.
My hope is the team will one day move into a new building that is located ON the island of Montreal and within sight of the down town core (as they are now).
Other rumours for the construction of a new Montreal Juniors home are 1) south of the Bell Center near the condo complex called Jardin Windsor and 2) just off highway 15 between highway 20 and highway 40.