The Prince George Spruce Kings have asked city council to consider a budget request to replace the score clock at Kopar Memorial Arena.
The BC Hockey League team is proposing that the money to pay for the upgrade, estimated at $400,000, would come out of the unfunded capital plan and is urging council to make that a priority item before the 2026 capital plan is finalized.
“This upgrade is essential for ensuring compliance with the standards set by the British Columbia Hockey League and enhancing the experience for players, fans, and officials alike,” said Spruce Kings general manager Mike Hawes, in his May 26 letter to council.
“It is also crucial as we need to find new ways to generate revenue that ensures the continued operation and success of our organization. The current score clock is outdated and lacks the necessary video replay capabilities required by the BCHL. The league mandates that all teams have video replay capabilities in their arenas to ensure fair play and accurate decision-making during games.”
The Civic Core Plan for downtown Prince George includes the eventual replacement of the 67-year-old Kopar arena and Hawes says the scoreboard could be relocated to the new rink once it is built, or to Kin 1.
The Spruce Kings have played in the building formerly known as the Prince George Coliseum since the team formed in 1972.
Hawes says the community-owned team’s operating budget skyrocketed with the ever-rising cost of hotel rooms, meals, fuel, and equipment and a new score clock with video capabilities would allow the club to increase its advertising revenues.
He said it costs close to $750,000 per season to operate the team, which, due its location, has the league’s highest travel costs. The Spruce Kings will be on the road for 42 nights of hotel stays in the 2025-26 season, by far the most in the 21-team league.
“For us to continue to survive, despite the success of our lotteries, we need to find new revenue sources because the cost of doing business in junior hockey is going up every year,” said Hawes.
“In the division we play in we’re down in the Lower Mainland all the time and you can’t get a room for under $150 a night, so essentially hotel costs in the last decade have doubled, and meal costs are through the roof.”
He said a new clock would also help the city attract other events to rink.
Hawes sent his letter to all council members and Mayor Simon Yu.
”I’ve had some positive feedback from council regarding it, they’ve asked some pretty good questions,” said Hawes. “I certainly think they understand the need for it and I think, hopefully, most of them would be in favour of it.”
