Financial terms for arena used by Medicine Hat Tigers reached last year: team

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – The Medicine Hat Tigers say financial terms for leasing the Canalta Centre where the Western Hockey League team plays were settled last June.

The team says on its website that the city and arena operator SMG Management have been trying to claw back what was agreed upon ever since.

The city served the team with an eviction notice on Thursday to vacate the new arena by April 7, because of the lack of a long-term lease.

The team says it is frustrated with attempts to finalize a long-term agreement and has asked the league for negotiating assistance.

It says a contract was signed as recently as last week, but the city and SMG decided to make changes again.

WHL Commissioner Ron Robison said Friday the Tigers reached out to the league for some help in getting the issues resolved.

“The Tigers are an integral part of this community, they’re going to remain an integral part of the community,” Robison said Friday.

“We’ve never contemplated moving the franchise. The city has built a world-class facility and we just need to come to terms on the lease agreement. It’s take much longer than we anticipated, but I’m optimistic we’re going to get something.”

The Tigers say they paid rent in good faith, but revenues owed to the team have not been relayed by SMG.

“The Medicine Hat Tigers have been dealing with SMG almost daily for months to finalize this deal,” the team said.

“On a conference call last week, both parties agreed to the final issues,” it said. “However, once again the city and SMG decided … not to honour what was agreed to earlier that week, a trend that has become too common in these negotiations.”

Mayor Ted Clugston has said there were temporary agreements in place, but they expired on March 24. He also said the city has a responsibility to the taxpayers that built the arena.

(CJCY)

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version had the WHL.