Budweiser Events Center. (Courtesy photo)
Hockey’s semifinals and championship game have a new home for the next two seasons: The Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.
Home to the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles and the Indoor Football League’s Colorado Ice, the Events Center has a capacity of 5,289. It also hosts the Class 1A boys and girls state basketball tournaments.
The agreement, finalized on Friday, runs for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Budweiser Events Center,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bud Ozzello, who administers hockey. “We had the opportunity to visit, and they welcomed us with open arms and want to be venue for our state championship. They are extremely excited. Not only do they host 1A basketball, they’ll play host to hockey for the next two years.”
A new championship site was needed when it became clear that the Denver Coliseum had date conflicts for the coming season. The Coliseum hosted the semifinals and championship game last season. Prior to that, the games were at the University of Denver for two years, and also spent one season at the Pepsi Center. The World Arena in Colorado Springs has also hosted in the past.
Following a search, the Budweiser Events Center presented the best option for the coming seasons.
This season, the semifinals will move to a Thursday — March 5, 2015. Games will be at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The championship game, per usual, will be on a Saturday (March 7), with the game at 2 p.m.
In 2016, the semifinals will shift back to a Friday (March 4). Again those games are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. That championship game will also be on a Saturday (March 5), though that time has not yet been set.
Ralston Valley won last year’s championship over Monarch.