Black Bear Sports Group affiliate, Black Bear, said March 11 it acquired Howell Ice Arena in Howell. The Monmouth County-based ice skating rink features two ice sheets, a snack bar and a pro shop. Over 500 local youth and high school hockey players use the Arena as their home ice rink. Black Bear, the largest owner/operator of ice rinks in the U.S., was founded by CEO Murry Gunty in 2015. Howell Ice Arena was the ninth ice rink acquisition by Black Bear in New Jersey to date.
“We are excited to add another ice arena in the Jersey Shore region to our portfolio,” said Murry Gunty, Founder and CEO of Black Bear. “We now have the foundation to create one of the strongest Tier II clubs in the state as well as the ability to develop a first class organization that plays AAA level competition that finally serves the needs of our families in that part of New Jersey.”
Black Bear owns and operates the Jersey Shore Arena in Wall, and operates the Jersey Shore Wildcats youth hockey club, member of the New Jersey Youth Hockey League. Black Bear recently announced the formation of the Atlantic Hockey Federation (“AHF”), a new Tier-II hockey showcase league in the Mid-Atlantic in which the Wildcats will participate.
“With our Jersey Shore Arena three-rink facility just five miles away, we expect to accommodate all of our existing customer’s needs and deliver higher quality programming to the community with the two rinks working together,” said Ryan Scott, Vice President of Black Bear. ”We expect to build on the strong foundation of figure skating and hockey at Howell Ice Arena and bring more tournaments and competitions to the area, including AHF showcases next season.”
