Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3 - Page 216

Acajack · #**4301** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:03 PM**

The arena under construction that is to be the new home of the Gatineau Olympiques will be called the Centre Slush Puppie for the first 10 years of its existence.

Naming rights were sold for just under 1.5 million dollars.

MonctonRad · #**4302** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:10 PM**

Of course, the Avenir Centre here in Moncton is named after a chain of local audiology clinics...….

esquire · #**4303** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:12 PM**

Incredible that naming rights for a junior rink now cost a million bucks a year! I think when the Blue Bombers first sold stadium naming rights to CanadInns 20 years ago, it was for a measly $150,000 a year. That business has certainly exploded.

Anyway, CENTRE SLUSH PUPPIE. I love it. Normally I like beer at hockey games but you're damn right I'll be having the namesake drink if I ever make it out to Gatineau during hockey season

Acajack · #**4304** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Incredible that naming rights for a junior rink now cost a million bucks a year! I think when the Blue Bombers first sold stadium naming rights to CanadInns 20 years ago, it was for a measly $150,000 a year. That business has certainly exploded.

Anyway, CENTRE SLUSH PUPPIE. I love it. Normally I like beer at hockey games but you're damn right I'll be having the namesake drink if I ever make it out to Gatineau during hockey season

Sorry, I made a mistake in my initial post. It's more like 150,000 a year.

esquire · #**4305** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Sorry, I made a mistake in my initial post. It's more like 150,000 a year.

Goddamnit Acajack, when I read your post I felt a rush of giddiness knowing that if naming rights are worth that much then surely Winnipeg's new junior rink (which still isn't under construction) was for sure going to get built... but you pulled the rug right out from under me!

MonctonRad · #**4306** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Sorry, I made a mistake in my initial post. It's more like 150,000 a year.

$150,000/yr x 10 years = $1.5M

I love the name though. I can't tell you how many slush puppies were consumed by my kids at various sundry small town hockey rinks here in NB, when my eldest son was involved in hockey.

I texted him with the news after you posted this, and he loved it. He said it was the best thing he's heard all day.

esquire · #**4307** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

$150,000/yr x 10 years = $1.5M

I'm not that bad at math... the original post said it was a 10 year deal worth just under $10 million

Acajack · #**4308** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Goddamnit Acajack, when I read your post I felt a rush of giddiness knowing that if naming rights are worth that much then surely Winnipeg's new junior rink (which still isn't under construction) was for sure going to get built... but you pulled the rug right out from under me!

Sorry!

Acajack · #**4309** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 6:34 PM**

Slush Puppie is based in Gatineau.

J.OT13 · #**4310** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 7:51 PM**

Beautiful! Naming the arena after a drink (an icy drink to boot) is awesome, but also naming the arena after a local brand. I long for the days of the Corel Centre. Local company, amazing hockey team. Those were the days.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle...a-slush-puppie

TorontoDrew · #**4311** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 8:23 PM**

I looks like a cars sales centre.

Djeffery · #**4312** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 9:38 PM**

I like it. But with all arena names, I wonder what the short form will turn into. The Slushy? The Pup? Be interesting to see if local media tries to push a name, and to see what fans end up agreeing on eventually.

In London, our arena was called the John Labatt Centre originally. Naturally, one of the rock radio morning shows tried to push "The John", their reasoning being the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit was "The Joe". Didn't happen, it became the JLC. At 10 years, it was renamed Budweiser Gardens, known simply as The Bud. Toronto's former Air Canada Centre was The Hanger for a short time (and not very widely used, I don't think), but ACC eventually became the norm.

J.OT13 · #**4313** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 9:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I like it. But with all arena names, I wonder what the short form will turn into. The Slushy? The Pup? Be interesting to see if local media tries to push a name, and to see what fans end up agreeing on eventually.

In London, our arena was called the John Labatt Centre originally. Naturally, one of the rock radio morning shows tried to push "The John", their reasoning being the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit was "The Joe". Didn't happen, it became the JLC. At 10 years, it was renamed Budweiser Gardens, known simply as The Bud. Toronto's former Air Canada Centre was The Hanger for a short time (and not very widely used, I don't think), but ACC eventually became the norm.

I'm thinking "La Slush" or "Le Slushy".

J.OT13 · #**4314** Posted **Sep 18, 2020, 11:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I looks like a cars sales centre.

It certainly not a ground breaking design. It's very utilitarian. Still a great addition to the City and a long awaited one at that.

Djeffery · #**4315** Posted **Sep 19, 2020, 12:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

It certainly not a ground breaking design. It's very utilitarian. Still a great addition to the City and a long awaited one at that.

I think it's what, 4000 or so seats and 4 rinks in it? Basically a huge rectangle out of necessity. I think a building that size isn't easy to make a groundbreaking design without really blowing the budget up.

JHikka · #**4316** Posted **Sep 19, 2020, 3:25 AM**

Centre Slush Puppie is the funniest shit i've ever seen in sports naming rights. I heard about this AM and it's just as funny twelve hours later as it was when I first heard it. Move over, Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena, we've got a new king.

Sports insiders were going to break the news before the official announcement but held back because they thought the story was fake.

Berklon · #**4317** Posted **Sep 19, 2020, 4:27 AM**

I dunno, KFC Yum! Center and Smoothie King Center aren't any better... and those are major arenas.

JHikka · #**4318** Posted **Sep 19, 2020, 4:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

I dunno, KFC Yum! Center and Smoothie King Center aren't any better... and those are major arenas.

In Canada though.

Corndogger · #**4319** Posted **Sep 19, 2020, 5:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

I dunno, KFC Yum! Center and Smoothie King Center aren't any better... and those are major arenas.

Climate Pledge Arena will be hard to beat.

elly63 · #**4320** Posted **Sep 19, 2020, 10:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

Sports insiders were going to break the news before the official announcement but held back because they thought the story was fake.

That shouldn't stop anybody these days.