U of S asks City of Saskatoon for $1M for new hockey arena

The University of Saskatchewan wants the City of Saskatoon to help pay for a replacement for the university'saging hockey arena.

The U of S is asking for $1 million from the city to help replace the aging Rutherford Arena. Opened in 1930, the arena only holds 700 people. Athletes at the university have lobbied for years for a replacement.

"We know that a replacement facility is a priority for this university," said university vice-president of finance and resources Greg Fowler. "It's a priority for our board, it's a priority for our students as well."

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The university is planning to build an arena with two rinks, giving more ice space to Saskatoon Minor Hockey teams.

"We would be thinking about some sort of partnership or sharing arrangement where times where we're using it for recreational use, we would use one pad, and minor hockey would use another," he said.

The arena project is still in the planning stages. It's still not known how many seats the arena will contain, and how much the project would cost. Fowler said the university is looking for funding sources, and is hopeful the project will start in the next few years.

City administration is recommending that council give the money to the project.

Council's planning, development and community services committee will debate the proposal next week.