Frequently Asked Questions

Black Bear Sports Group (BBSG) was founded in 2015 by a group of lifelong hockey supporters. Its mission is to make hockey more accessible for the next generation of hockey players and create new and improved pathways for hockey players to achieve their goals at the junior, collegiate and professional levels of the sport. By preserving community rinks and creating development opportunities, BBSG ensures that hockey and other ice sports remain accessible, competitive and positioned for long-term success. Since its inception, BBSG has helped thousands of young players get on the ice for little to no cost, saved 47 rinks from
closure and modernized them across the Northeast and Midwest. In the 2025-2026 season, BBSG grew player participation 9%, from 5,515 participants to 6,008, in the states where it operates, while youth participation overall declined in those same states. Nationally, youth hockey participation grew just 1.6% over the past year, according to USA Hockey registration data.

In 2025, BBSG launched Take a Shot at Hockey (TASH), which helps first time players ages 4-9 learn the game at zero cost. In its inaugural season (2025-2026), TASH had 3,500 kids complete its program. For the 2026-2027 season, TASH’s goal is to more than double that number and recruit 7,500 first time players. Once a player graduates from TASH, they can enroll in BBSG’s Learn to Play Hockey (LTPH) program, which provides free head-to-toe hockey equipment for players to keep as they learn the game. Roughly 5,600 kids have been helped by BBSG’s Learn to Play program, and an additional 1,100 players are progressing through the NHL/NHLPA’s Learn to Play programming that is  hosted and supported at BBSG arenas. BBSG has also pioneered similar products for adults, allowing them to try hockey for the first time at little to no cost.

For families not able to afford the costs of playing on a BBSG team, BBSG established the Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation, a 501(c)(3), in 2020 to reduce financial barriers to youth hockey. It provides need-based grants for players ages 7-17 and has distributed over $250,000 since launching. It also runs annual scholarship awards across its hockey network and separately offers a 25% discount on its Foundry Adult Hockey beginner program for veterans, military and first responders.

BBSG is a privately-held LLC owned by dozens of individual investors – hockey parents, former players, and sports-medicine physicians among them – who are committed to a mission of growing the game of hockey and keeping community ice rinks open for the public.

BBSG has no relation to private equity. Unlike private equity, BBSG has no management fees, no third-party fund manager, no carried interest, and no fund life or forced end date requiring a sale. That's the opposite of the "buy, strip, and flip" model. BBSG is a long-term investor, owner and operator of rinks. In fact, it has owned and operated many of its rinks for more than a decade with no obligation to ever sell.

BBSG’s business model is centered on being a long-term investor in rinks, teams and leagues to ensure families have a place to play hockey and skate that suits their individual needs and goals. BBSG reinvests virtually all available funds directly into its rinks and teams, providing new ice plants, chillers, dehumidifiers, and the constant repairs and capital upgrades that aging rinks require to stay open and safe. Over the past three years alone, BBSG has invested more than $20 million across its 47 rinks. Since it was established over a decade ago, its dozens of individual investors have received on average only a 1% return annually, with several years receiving no return at all.

BBSG often steps in after years of financial losses, poor maintenance, and the real possibility of permanent closure without an investor. Over the last decade, BBSG has turned down countless offers to sell individual rinks for alternate uses – from data centers to apartment buildings or other more profitable uses.

Notable BBSG rink investments include:
● In Southern Michigan, five ice rinks have closed since 20191 , and no new rinks have opened. The only rink that has reopened is Wings West Ice Facility, which was closed in September 2025 under prior ownership due to a refrigeration system failure that it
couldn’t afford to fix. BBSG bought it in October 2025, renamed it Biggby Coffee Ice Cube – Kalamazoo, and recently reopened it after completing costly header-trench and chiller repairs, installing emergency life-safety systems left undone by prior owners and bringing the facility fully back up to code.
● Rink closures have hit Pennsylvania hard: two in Pittsburgh, three in greater Philadelphia, and one in central Pennsylvania have closed since 2019. 2 In Harrisburg, one operator owned two arenas, Twin Ponds East and Twin Ponds West. Twin Ponds West was sold to Lancaster County Bible Church in 2019. BBSG acquired Twin Ponds East in December 2020, investing hundreds of thousands into the ice plant equipment and cosmetic upgrades and it remains a year-round hub for the region's skaters and hockey families.
● In New Jersey, three rinks have closed3 since 2019, and only one – East Brunswick Ice Arena – has opened due to a municipality investing more than $30 million to build the rink. In February 2018, BBSG saved Jersey Shore Ice Arena in Wall Township from an inevitable closure after the owner of the rink defaulted on a bank loan. After purchasing the rink, BBSG invested $3 million over the next 18 months in improvements, including removing a heaving ice floor, excavating underground permafrost, replacing sub-floors on two of the three rinks, installing new chillers and ice making equipment and completely renovating outdated bathrooms and locker rooms. Throughout the remainder of the season in 2018, BBSG allowed more than 400 families – who had already signed contracts with the prior owner and paid the prior owner for the full season – to skate for free.

1 Veterans Memorial Coliseum (municipal owned; 2026), Wings West (2025), The Summit Sports and Ice (2021), Oak Park Ice Arena (municipal owned; 2025), and Neff Park Ice Arena (2025)

2 Closed rinks are as follows: Wintersport Ice Arena (2021), The Rink at Lehigh Valley (2022), The Rink on Old York Road (2019), Twin Ponds West (2019), The Ice Mine (2025), Spencer Family YMCA (2025)

3 Fritz Dietl (2023), Westfield Rink (2026), and Protec Ice Arena (2022).

BBSG welcomes Congress’ inquiry into the state of youth sports across the country – from public funding to private investment and overall accessibility issues. To preserve and grow the game of hockey, BBSG believes that stronger public-private partnerships need to exist to adequately invest in building new ice rinks and preserving existing rinks for future generations.

BBSG owns or operates only 47 (less than 3%) of the approximately 1,700 ice rinks across the United States. Of those 1,700 rinks, 557 are owned by municipalities, 660 are owned by private investors and the balance are owned by schools, colleges or seasonal operators. Without increased public and private investment, hockey is at risk of becoming less accessible across the country. Since 2019, due to the high cost of operating rinks and declining public investment, rinks have closed in Black Bear’s operating states of Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania 3.5 times faster than new rinks have opened – a terrible long-term trend for the sport.

Running a community rink is a high-fixed-cost business. Most of the costs are set before a season ever begins – hiring professional, full-time coaches for the entire year, booking ice time for the year, and committing to tournaments and game schedules in advance. Those fixed costs largely remain the same whether a program has 100 players or 400.

BBSG sets its rates to be consistent with comparable facilities in each local market. Where rates have increased relative to prior ownership, whether for ice time, locker-room rentals, or other accommodations, those increases reflect the real cost of keeping an aging facility open and safe: new ice plants, dehumidification, code and life-safety work, and full-time professional coaching. They are not a markup for profit.

What families are paying for is a consistent, high-quality experience: experienced coaches who are there all season to train players rather than rotating volunteers, reliable and well-maintained ice, professionally managed facilities, and a full schedule of games and tournaments. BBSG also reinvests heavily in the buildings themselves – in just the last three years, more than $20 million has been reinvested across BBSG rinks – so families are skating in safe, reliable and modernized facilities.

BBSG believes in transparency in pricing. It publishes its prices on an annual basis prior to commitment deadlines so families can comparison shop before committing. Further, every BBSG rink has another rink, club, or league within 30 minutes, so families always have a choice, and they wouldn't choose BBSG if it was priced above the market. For any family that needs help, BBSG’s foundation provides financial aid and scholarships.

Black Bear's contracts, like those across youth hockey, allow it to collect for a full season once a family enrolls because the major costs, including professional coaching, ice time, and tournament commitments, are booked and paid before the season begins.

Black Bear does review fee-waiver requests on a case-by-case basis and works with families whose circumstances change during the year. Families facing financial hardship are also directed to the Black Bear Youth Hockey Foundation, which can help offset costs.

BBSG's goal is to partner with well-run nonprofit clubs after purchasing a rink and it is proud that these clubs continue to thrive and deliver a quality youth hockey product for kids. 20% of BBSG rinks have thriving nonprofit clubs. In Pittsburgh, that number climbs to 50%. In Michigan, 33% of BBSG rinks have non-profit clubs as their primary occupant.

In other cases, when non-profit clubs have mismanaged their finances, failed to account for unexplained expenses, engaged in self-dealing, or allowed player participation to significantly drop, BBSG has established its own clubs to improve and expand programming, grow participation, and give all players and families a consistent experience with professional coaches.

BBSG teams frequently excel on the ice, including several that have made (and won) the USA Hockey National Tournament. BBSG has also pioneered low-cost, no-travel hockey in a number
of its rinks to keep play accessible and affordable for every kind of player. Together with BBSG’s partner, Biggby Coffee, the NHL is now piloting this program in Illinois and Michigan, including at one of Black Bear’s rinks.

No. BBSG is a small participant in every state in which it operates. There are approximately 1,700 ice rinks in the US, and BBSG operates 47 – less than 3% of the rinks in the entire country. For example, in Michigan, BBSG has 9 rinks out of 100. Similar rates exist in Eastern Pennsylvania (4 of 30), Western Pennsylvania (4 of 25), New Jersey (8 of 40) and Connecticut (5 of 50). Every BBSG rink is within 30 minutes of another ice rink, club or league, meaning families have a choice in where they choose to play.

BBSG owns or co-owns the following leagues:

• Atlantic Hockey Federation (AHF) – BBSG was a founding co-partner in 2020, alongside several others, including member clubs (Montgomery Ice Devils, NJ Bandits, NJ
  Rockets, Hollydell Hurricanes, and Team Philadelphia). AHF is a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier-II league, the mid-competitive tier (AA level) covering 8U through 18U with over 550 member-owned clubs across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. It also offers a lower A/B tier for 10U through 18U.
• Tier 1 Hockey Federation (THF) – BBSG created THF in 2022. It is the top competitive tier — AAA, USA Hockey Tier-I — for elite clubs nationally, spanning 9U to 18U with
  200+ teams.
• Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation (AGHF) – BBSG is a founding organizer of AGHF, and is a co-partner alongside member-owned clubs, similar to AHF. AGHF is the girls-
  specific Tier-II counterpart to AHF —covering 10U through 19U with 70+ teams, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic.

BBSG owns just 30% of teams in these leagues, and it has ensured that each league is represented fairly by all team leadership in its decision-making. BBSG is a minority on the Board of Directors of each of these leagues. In addition, each club signs a one-year agreement for their league and is free to transition to other leagues in the area at the end of each season. There is always another club, league or rink within 30 minutes of every BBSG rink.

No. Every market BBSG operates in has other rinks within a 30-minute drive, giving families the freedom to choose what fits them best. BBSG believes it prices its programs competitively or below nearby options to keep hockey accessible; while other clubs do not publish their pricing, BBSG believes that it would not be growing in states that are declining if its prices were above the competition. In addition, many of its programs allow kids to try and play hockey for little to no cost, like its Take a Shot at Hockey program.

BBSG looks for rinks that are at risk of closure due to significant financial or facility maintenance problems. It also looks at markets where the local community doesn't have enough ice to meet demand. In many cases, it is stepping in only after a rink has already closed or is months away from being sold for a non-hockey use like housing or storage.

Once BBSG acquires a rink, its starting point is always to work with the nonprofit clubs and house leagues already using the facility. Today, nonprofit clubs are the primary tenant at 20% of its rinks nationally – including 50% in Pittsburgh and 33% in Michigan. When those partnerships work, and most of them do, they continue operating at the rink much as they always have.

BBSG improves the game of hockey in four concrete ways:

• Improving facilities: In just the past three years BBSG has invested more than $20 million modernizing aging rinks with new ice plants, dehumidification, and life-safety systems so that kids have safe, reliable places to play.
• Ensuring access: Free and low-cost entry points like Take a Shot at Hockey and Learn to Play Hockey have removed cost as a barrier for thousands of first-time players. BBSG’s Foundation also provides financial aid and scholarships to assist families.
• Investing in development: BBSG invests in the entire hockey ecosystem – from a child’s first Learn to Play session through youth, junior, adult hockey, tournaments, and the technology and media that connect those experiences. BBSG staffs its programs with experienced, full-time professional coaches and certified staff, rather than relying on rotating volunteers, so players get consistent, high-quality instruction all season.
• Growing the game: Last season BBSG grew participation 9% (from 5,515 participants to 6,008) in its markets, even as participation declined in those same states. BBSG teams compete at the highest levels, including Mt. St. Charles, which has won multiple USA Hockey National Championships, and numerous other programs like the Flyers Elite, Seacoast and Team Maryland that have qualified for USA Hockey Nationals and compete in the best leagues and tournaments in the country. BBSG Junior Hockey teams have won league championships at each of the leagues in which they operate including the USHL, NAHL and NCDC.

In its facilities, BBSG invests heavily in maintenance and repairs that keep everyone safe both on the ice and throughout the rink. There can be a lot of hidden danger with ice rinks because of the equipment and technology required to keep the ice in good shape, and BBSG has individuals at every rink in charge of those safety precautions. BBSG has invested more than $20 million in its rinks combined in the past three years.

BBSG also strictly follows USA Hockey’s coaching and SafeSport training requirements, ensuring all coaches have the proper certification and background checks to be present at its rinks and as leaders of its teams.

BBSG doesn’t publish rink by rink investment data, but families can contact their rink’s general manager directly for information on their rink’s investment.

Each rink is run by a general manager, who is responsible for day-to-day operations and safety at that facility. BBSG regional operations’ leadership oversees clusters of rinks within a given area and provide oversight of the rink, its staff and programs. At the company level, hockey operations are led by BBSG's Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations, who are accountable for the quality of the youth hockey experience across its rinks.

Families are welcome to raise concerns with the rink general manager, and parents are always welcome to submit complaints to BBSG directly at info@blackbearsportsgroup.com. BBSG aims to acknowledge every concern within two business days. The goal is simple: every family should know who to contact and what to expect when they raise concerns.

Black Bear Sports Group recognizes that travel hockey often requires families to travel significant distances for league play, showcases, tournaments, and junior hockey camps. To help create a consistent and organized experience, BBSG utilizes stay-to-play policies in many of its travel hockey leagues and events, while other programs provide hotel services on an optional basis. BBSG's approach varies by program:

• AHF and AGHF offer hotel booking as a convenience for traveling families, but participation is not required.
• THF, NGHL, Defender Tournaments, and certain other travel events utilize stay-to-play policies designed around the specific needs of those leagues and events.
• Junior hockey camps, including those operated by the Youngstown Phantoms, also utilize stay-to-play to support player development programming throughout the camp.

When stay-to-play is used, BBSG follows the same general principles used throughout youth hockey and by USA Hockey. BBSG’s policies recognize that local teams should not be required to stay in hotels and, where applicable, provide a buyout option for teams that choose to make their own lodging arrangements.

Stay-to-play helps ensure that adequate hotel rooms are available for participating teams while creating a better overall event experience. Having teams together allows players and families to build relationships, simplifies travel planning, improves communication, and creates the community atmosphere that has long been part of travel hockey.

For junior hockey camps, the benefits extend beyond lodging. Youngstown Phantoms camps routinely attract 20–30 NCAA Division I scouts while identifying players for opportunities
throughout BBSG's junior hockey organizations. Keeping participants together allows coaches and staff to conduct evening video sessions, educational presentations, team meetings, and player development activities that would not be possible if players were scattered throughout the area.

Yes, of course! Parents are always welcome to record videos and take photos of their own child during games and practices. Capturing the most exciting moments is an important part of youth sports, and BBSG has never proposed taking that away.

The only restriction is livestreaming, broadcasting, simulcasting, or any other form of transmitting full games or practices. When it comes to transmitting games or practices, BBSG follows the same guidelines as USA Hockey, the official national governing body for ice hockey in the United States. USA Hockey’s broadcasting policy can be found on page 15-16 of its Tournament Guidebook. The purpose of this policy is to protect the safety and privacy of the players and to ensure that everyone on camera has given consent, especially young children and their parents.

USA Hockey rules impose a $1,000 fine on the offending party’s hockey club and removal of the offender from the venue. BBSG does not issue a fine, remove someone livestreaming from their
rinks or penalize a team or player for a violation of its streaming policy. If someone violates the policy, they will simply be asked to stop because it presents a safety risk and a violation of numerous laws4 to do so without the consent of participants.

BBSG is committed to making sure its policies are applied clearly, consistently, and respectfully across all rinks, so families can focus on enjoying the game.

4 States have varying laws regarding privacy, right of publicity (using likeness/image for commercial purposes without consent), one party/two party consent statutes regarding recording voices as well as specific state laws regarding parental consent for minors. Furthermore, the FTC enforced Children’s Online Privacy Protection act governs collecting/publishing personal information (including images/video) of children under 13, requiring verifiable parental consent.

Yes, absolutely. The only restriction is livestreaming, broadcasting, simulcasting, or any other form of transmitting full games or practices.

Yes, BBSG obtains the consent of all organizations or the participants directly. Adults sign for themselves and their children where appropriate. If BBSG does not have consent, it does not livestream those games.

Black Bear TV follows strict procedures that protect players and meet legal consent requirements which clubs, players and their parents sign when joining a league and/or team that is broadcast on Black Bear TV.

A parent streaming on their phone cannot ensure:

• Every child’s family has consented to where that stream is being broadcast
• The stream is secure
• The footage won’t be downloaded, redistributed, or misused by a third party
• Compliance with league, insurance, NIL, and privacy rules

Parents are encouraged and always welcome to record their own child.

Black Bear TV is the official streaming platform of Black Bear Sports Group, allowing families, friends, scouts, and fans to watch games live or on demand from participating BBSG and partner rinks. Powered by AI camera technology, Black Bear TV delivers high-definition game broadcasts with features designed specifically for hockey, including:

• Live and on-demand streaming
• AI-powered camera tracking
• Live statistics integration (where available)
• Automatic highlights and clipping tools
• Downloadable highlights and full-game replays (Premium plans)
• Viewing on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android devices

Black Bear TV broadcasts youth, scholastic, high school, college, adult, and USPHL junior hockey games, making it easy for families, college scouts, and fans to follow players from anywhere.

Black Bear TV offers single-game purchases, monthly subscriptions, annual subscriptions, and league-specific add-on packages, allowing families to choose the option that best fits their needs. Current plans and pricing are always available at https://blackbearsports.tv/packages.

Black Bear TV is competitively priced compared to other hockey streaming services. A Black Bear TV Basic annual subscription is $209.99, compared to LiveBarn's $239.40, while a Black Bear TV Premium annual subscription is $319.99, compared to LiveBarn's $323.40. Black Bear TV's annual Premium subscription also allows two people to watch simultaneously from different locations using the same account, effectively reducing the cost per user.

Compared to USA Hockey TV, which offers monthly plans beginning around $29.99 with higher-priced premium options, Black Bear TV provides a lower-cost entry point while also offering league-specific streaming packages such as USPHL+, giving fans the flexibility to subscribe only to the hockey they want to watch.

Black Bear TV continues to invest in new features that go beyond traditional game streaming, including AI-generated highlights, Time to Score live scoring integration, enhanced statistics, and additional digital content that create more value for players, families, coaches, and scouts. While other junior leagues such as the NAHL offer streaming for their own league games, Black Bear TV combines youth, scholastic, junior, adult, tournament, and league content into a single platform, allowing subscribers to follow players throughout their hockey journey.

Similar to BBSG's apparel program with Breakaway Sports, proceeds from Black Bear TV are reinvested into the rinks -- supporting facility improvements, keeping ice rental rates low, and holding club pricing at or below the rate of inflation. Both are part of a comprehensive strategy to save rinks that would otherwise close, keep hockey accessible to families, and grow the game.

No. Parents are free to share the clips they capture of their children on social media. The only restriction is livestreaming, broadcasting or simulcasting games or practices, which violates safety and privacy policies.

Breakaway Sports is BBSG's current apparel vendor for all BBSG teams and for several third party-run pro shops in BBSG-owned rinks. BBSG has a three-year contract with Breakaway, which is an independent small business located in Chatham, NJ. BBSG chose Breakaway after reviewing bids from several suppliers—including national brand-name suppliers—due to its below market rates, full customization ability, best-in-class quality and excellent customer service. BBSG will reopen the bidding process this fall to assess the market and ensure it receives the best pricing for its customers. A new agreement will be in place in time for the 2027-2028 season. BBSG is not an investor in Breakaway.

Due to the volume of apparel ordered, BBSG receives a royalty on that merchandise. Similar to the proceeds of Black Bear TV, that royalty revenue is then reinvested directly into BBSG’s rinks
and clubs. The royalty differs for each apparel item and is intended to ensure that the end price to the consumer matches market rates. By rebidding the contract every three years, competition between suppliers keeps pricing low.

BBSG takes a flexible approach regarding third party pro shops located inside its rinks to balance providing customers with easily accessible services, equipment and merchandise while keeping ice rental rates low and adequately investing in rink repair and maintenance. If a pro shop pays rent at a reasonable market rate, there is no requirement to sell Breakaway apparel. If the pro shop pays a below-market but acceptable rate, it is required to sell Breakaway apparel as part of its "team store" merchandise and BBSG receives a royalty. If the pro shop pays little to no rent, then Breakaway supplies all apparel items instead of that pro shop and BBSG receives a royalty.

This arrangement works well for the vast majority of BBSG rinks and resident pro shops. Because BBSG purchases rinks in significant disrepair and financial distress, it is important to adjust both historical operations and agreements to ensure that customers are spending money on the things they need inside the rink rather than with outside vendors so that the revenue can be reinvested in the rink and its owned clubs. It is simple math. Apparel, streaming, and pro shop arrangements are all part of the same strategy: generating the revenue needed to keep rinks open and hockey affordable.

BBSG's relationship with Breakaway is disclosed in all its contracts.

Foundry Adult Hockey League charges an annual $49 membership fee for players participating in Foundry leagues nationwide.

This membership replaces the need for a separate USA Hockey membership for Foundry participants and includes player insurance, along with benefits that are unique to the Foundry
platform.

Membership supports a growing national adult hockey experience, including:

• Insurance coverage for participation in Foundry leagues.
• Eligibility for the Foundry National Championship
• Team rankings and league standings.
• A connected network of Foundry leagues across multiple states.
• Future player benefits and member programs as the league continues to expand.

Foundry was created to bring together local adult leagues under one national brand while preserving the local league experience that players enjoy. By combining local competition with national events, rankings, and technology, Foundry provides opportunities and experiences that traditional independent adult leagues cannot offer.

BBSG purchased the Pittsburgh Ice Arena in 2021. At the time, the Pittsburgh Vipers was that arena’s house team, and the Vipers organization fed into two AA/AAA travel teams. Prior to BBSG ownership, the Vipers’ participation had declined 24% over the previous two years, and the rink was losing money at the rate of $100,000 per year, per their own filings with the IRS in their Form 990s. In fact, the Vipers were taking out loans to operate.

During the first two years of ownership, BBSG attempted to work with the Vipers to improve financial management and grow their program, but they refused to make the necessary changes. They also refused to explain their $250,000 per year of unexplained expenses. In those two years, Vipers’ participation dropped further – from 14 teams to 8, yet the $250,000 in unexplained annual expenses remained a constant.

To put the rink on stronger financial footing, BBSG started its own club – the Pittsburgh Huskies – and asked the Vipers to depart. The Vipers had three other non-BBSG rinks in the area to choose from but ceased operations instead. The other club operating from the Pittsburgh Ice Arena, the Pittsburgh Stars, remains a strong and valued tenant and partner.

The Kalamazoo rink was closed and about to be repurposed when BBSG purchased it. The rink’s financial distress and closure were in large part due to KOHA, according to their 990 filings, spending nearly $476,000 in combined salaries and other expenses in 2024-25 – more than ten times the typical Michigan youth hockey association, where the median annual expenditure on salaries and other expenses is roughly $33,000, according to 990 filings.

BBSG also learned later that KOHA is essentially a family business masquerading as a non-profit. Apparel purchases are directed to a company that is owned by the same family that operates KOHA. Their apparel costs per player were more than double the average BBSG cost per team.

BBSG tried to work with KOHA to help them financially restructure and invest that money in growth of the game initiatives. KOHA was uncooperative. To stop the rink from continuing to lose money, BBSG had no choice but to start its own economically sustainable club. KOHA had other nearby options and is still operating in Kalamazoo. BBSG is proud that 33% of its Michigan rinks have financially stable non-profit clubs as their primary occupant.

Both programs have stabilized. In Kalamazoo, the rink that was once on the verge of permanent closure is open today, with significant improvements, consistent professional coaching and reliable ice time for families in the community, and KOHA continues to operate nearby, giving families a choice of programs. In Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Ice Arena is no longer losing money, and is home to a financially stable club under BBSG, alongside the Pittsburgh Stars, a long-standing nonprofit tenant that continues to thrive as a valued partner. In both cases, BBSG’s focus has been the same: keep hockey rinks open, stabilize the finances, and make sure
families have consistent programming.