In Edmonton, Kent & Gerein note Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach “signalled Tuesday that money from a provincial infrastructure fund might help pay” for the Oilers’ proposed downtown arena. Stelmach said that the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, which “provides cities, towns and counties with cash for construction projects, could be increased for the whole province depending on the financial situation.” The move could fill in a C$100M shortfall in the arena's proposed C$450M budget, which is “one of the major obstacles to completing a deal” with Oilers Owner Daryl Katz. Stelmach said that “any decision on the amount of money that could be coming will have to wait until results are available for the first quarter of the province's fiscal year, which ended June 30” (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 7/27).
HOST WITH THE MOST? Penguins VP/Communications Tom McMillan yesterday said that the team “has applied to play host to the 2012 NHL draft.” In Pittsburgh, Shelly Anderson reports it is “believed Pittsburgh is likely to be awarded the event.” McMillan said that the Penguins “consistently have expressed an interest in bringing large events” to the Consol Energy Center, which opened 11 months ago. That “also would include at some point the NHL All-Star Game, which will be in Ottawa in January 2012.” Non-NHL national events scheduled for Consol Energy Center “include second- and third-round games of the men's NCAA basketball tournament next March and the NCAA hockey Frozen Four in 2013” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/27).
WAITING GAME: A FERGUS FALLS DAILY JOURNAL editorial stated Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton “was correct in suggesting” that the stadium deal for the Vikings “can, and should, wait.” The state legislature “is in no mood to approve funding at this time,” and while Dayton and other leaders “have said they support a Vikings’ stadium, certainly not everyone in the Legislature does.” The editorial: “We believe a new stadium should be built. But it only seems appropriate to wait at least a year” (FERGUS FALLS DAILY JOURNAL, 7/25).
WHAT'S IN A NAME? In Oklahoma City, Berry Tramel wrote the new name for the Thunder’s arena is “a little disappointing,” and Chesapeake Energy Arena “is a mouthful.” But Chesapeake’s naming-rights deal “is more a statement of its public commitment to Oklahoma and OKC,” and it is “impressive on many fronts” (NEWSOK.com, 7/23).
