Warren County, in partnership with the city of Middletown, is close to inking a deal to build an arena to anchor the project, said county Commissioner Shannon Jones.
“We’re currently in negotiations with United States Hockey League for a developmental hockey league and team,” she said.
The investment of one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds allowed the county to leverage around $200 million: just under $100 million for the facility and an estimated $100 million in surrounding economic development activity, Jones said, that will bring sales tax revenue and as many as 400,000 new visitors annually to the area.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The county used $3.5 million in ARPA to assist with development items such as the feasibility study and architectural work, said county Administrator Martin Russell. The city used ARPA funds toward site infrastructure.
“Middletown would be a terrific location for a USHL team,” said Glenn Hefferan, league president and commissioner. “We are very deep into conversations and have letters of interest that we’ve signed and shared with the port authority and an ownership group.”
The USHL is an amateur athlete development league and is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. It has 16 teams in two conferences in Midwest and Great Plains states, including the Youngstown Phantoms in Ohio, with players between the ages of 16 and 20.
“Over the last five seasons we’ve had 197 players drafted into the NHL and more than half of Division I college hockey is made up of USHL hockey players,” Hefferan said.
In the 2024 NHL draft, 10 of the 32 first-round picks came from the USHL, including the No. 1 overall. The league says it had 195 of its former players on NHL rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season (an average of about six on each team). Among them are 10 Columbus Blue Jackets players, including some of their best – Zach Werenski and Adam Fantilli.
Middletown is one of 12 markets of interest, including another further away in Ohio, for expansion teams.
“The location works out, it’s far enough away from a big city but close enough that we expect it to have wide fan support,” Hefferan said.
The league has had 16 teams since 2010. Although Hefferan did not say how many teams will be added, he said it’s time for expansion and that it’s possible both sites in Ohio will be chosen.
“The NHL has actually asked us to expand,” he said. “And when they ask you, you kind of follow along.”
Construction on the event center will hopefully begin this summer, Martin said. It will have three multipurpose pads with one a more traditional arena seating approximately 3,500 seats for ice sports, basketball or graduation ceremonies. For concerts, there can be around 5,000 seats depending on how the stage is configured.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“This new facility appears to meet all of our requirements in terms of seating and being able to support a junior team operation,” Hefferan said.
A typical team has 25 players and 10 to 15 staff members, from coaches to front office employees in addition to scouts.
Before any agreement can be finalized, construction would have to start on the arena and the USHL board of directors must approve it, he said.
“We’re pretty far down the line. Our goal would be to have an announcement before the summer is up,” he said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
About the Author
