Saint Mary’s University to build new athletic centre featuring NHL-sized arena

Saint Mary’s University announced on Monday that it will build a brand new arena on its campus.

According to a university press release, the on-campus area will be state-of-the-art and feature an NHL-sized ice surface.

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“This facility will benefit the Saint Mary’s community but also Halifax as a whole,” said Saint Mary’s University president Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray in a statement.

“As a university, we are community engaged and focused, and our new arena will be available to community sports teams and other groups looking for a place to learn and play.”

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The school says that the new arena will be built in the same location as the current arena, meaning that the current space will need to be torn down ahead of construction.

The facility is expected to have seating capacity for 800 fans with standing room for 200 more.

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SMU says the arena is scheduled to open in time for the 2019 hockey season.

The cost of the new facility and funding details are expected to be announced later this spring.