Black Bear Sports Group To Acquire 30th Facility, Enfield Twin Rinks CT

[Newsalerts]

Now focusing efforts on youth ice hockey facilities and organizations in Connecticut, Black Bear Sports Group redirects interests to New England.

Hartford, CT – An affiliate of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. (“Black Bear”) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Enfield Twin Rinks in Enfield, CT (the “Arena”). The deal is expected to close in the next 30 days. The Arena features two NHL ice sheets and is the home rink for more than five local high schools. Enfield Twin Rinks is the proud home of the MassConn United Youth Hockey Club and the Enfield Eagles Youth Hockey Association. The Sellers were Keith and Brian Hillebrecht. Black Bear named Sean Provost as the incoming General Manager and Hockey Director. Black Bear, the largest owner/operator of ice rinks in the U.S., was founded by CEO Murry Gunty in 2015.

“The rink is a cornerstone of this community and my father and I are pleased to pass the torch to Black Bear Sports Group to ensure that the Enfield Twin Rinks has many bright years ahead,” said Keith Hillebrecht, co-owner, and seller. “I am thrilled that Black Bear has selected Sean to lead the rink and the MassConn United. Sean is both a friend and an excellent hockey coach.”

“We are excited to continue our Connecticut expansion with this transaction,” said Murry N. Gunty, Founder and CEO of Black Bear. “The Enfield Twin Rinks has a rich history of skating and youth hockey and we’re thrilled to continue the operations of the MassConn United and the partnerships with the local high schools and youth clubs. The Eastern Hockey Federation and the New England Girl’s Hockey League are the top youth leagues and the country and we our proud to have our United teams compete in these elite leagues.”

Sean Provost will immediately begin meeting with players and customers to avoid any disruption in operations. Coach Provost is a Springfield, MA, native with deep experience coaching youth hockey in New England.

• 

[Guest]

this is great news, saving another rink that probably would have gone under, AHF league will expand to CT, I like this!  I give Atlantic League Tier 1 maybe 2 more years of existence, the Bear saving rinks and letting kids play!

• 

[Guest]

Great news until the families get the bill and forced supplemental hockey they don't want. Kids recreational hockey shouldn't be a corprate business, it should be affordable and tax free but instead black bear aims to monopolize and make it all about the bottom line.

• 

[Guest]

Great news until the families get the bill and forced supplemental hockey they don't want. Kids recreational hockey shouldn't be a corprate business, it should be affordable and tax free but instead black bear aims to monopolize and make it all about the bottom line.

not sure about this specific rink but others that BB has taken over would have been out of business leaving the kids and families with no options.  I'd rather see a rink functioning than turned into a storage facility.

• 

[Guest]

The rinks can function without raising rates over a thousand dollars for each player. The same tired excuse is given every time money is mentioned, but, but, but...... we saved hockey for kids. Rinks and hockey would be fine without the bb monopoly.

• 

[Guest]

Capitalism lives on!! Free market society

If you find better options, you are free to explore

Long live the Bear!

• 

[Guest]

Rinks and hockey would be fine without the bb monopoly.

BB is keeping these rinks open, I think some of these rinks would be closed, so no, in some cases rinks and hockey would not be fine without BB. 

• 

[Guest]

thank you, comrade

• 

[Guest]

Well, the new season rates are out and looks like BB is not really raising rates at all, at least not for the teams near me. My kid played Genesis 12u this year, the cost was $2,384, but there was also a mandatory EJ fee which was $330 pp, for a total of $2,714. This does not include tournament fees or the travel expenses (more than 1,800 miles of tournament travel and six nights of hotel stays). We have played 44 games, including 2 tournaments with 2 more tournaments on the horizon.  DVHL home games only accounted for 10 out of 44 home games we played. We will end somewhere around 50 games. 52 practices before and during the seasons, with 10 more scheduled after the seasons ended for a total of 62 practices. 9 player development sessions and six goalie training sessions during the season, and a goalie camp preseason. At least according to what was scheduled on sports engine.

The Royals are the nearest BB team. Cost for the season is $2795 for 12u aa. The number of games and practices they advertise seems to be about in the ball park. Certainly not drastically more expensive. Frankly, the AHF league format of playing 40 league games seems more appealing than playing 20 dvhl league games and filling in the rest with nl games, ej, and tournaments.

•