The Kootenay Ice announced on Tuesday morning that they have agreed to a partnership with the Columbia Valley Rockies of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
As part of the deal, during the 2017-18 season, Ice season seat holders will receive 15 percent off individual tickets to Rockies’ games with proof of their season seat card. In addition, all Rockies’ season seat holders will receive 15 percent off individual game tickets to Ice home games.
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Along with these benefits, the Rockies, who are based in nearby Invermere, will also be co-hosting a hockey festival with the Ice. The event will take place on Lake Windermere on Sunday, January 21 and will include a practice and family skate.
More details about the festival will be released at a later date.
“We are extremely excited to be announcing this partnership with the Rockies,” said Reid Mitchell, the Ice’s director of corporate partnerships and fan experience, in a team release. “Not only the ticket benefits, but also the opportunity to co-host a hockey festival specifically designed for fan engagement and enjoyment for our community and its future hockey stars, is something we’re really excited to be part of.”
Mitchell is an alumnus of the Rockies organization, having played for the team between 2005 and 2009. The former KIJHL winger won the team’s MVP award in his 20-year-old season and was raised in Invermere.
“The Columbia Valley Rockies are very pleased and privileged to engage in a partnership with the Kootenay Ice that will benefit both junior hockey and its fanbase across all of the East Kootenays,” stated Rockies’ President Graeme Anderson. “This is an exciting opportunity for local KIJHL teams and their fans to experience what our neighbouring WHL team has to offer, and to introduce more WHL fans to our own brand of junior development hockey.”
Last month, the Ice announced a similar partnership with the Kimberley Dynamiters of the KIJHL, which included the same benefits for season seat holders.
Addressing that deal in mid-July, Kootenay president and general manager Matt Cockell said that creating a number of partnerships across the region was a priority for the organization.
“We’re trying to get out, as our staff has grown, and have more of those discussions and as we do we hope to create more partnerships,” Cockell said at the time. “Ideally, we’re talking a month from now, [we’ll be out in] Fernie, Creston, Invermere, Nelson, Sparwood, all the communities. We want to be a part of that experience for everybody.”
