The Brandon Wheat Kings have announced a new agreement with the Keystone Centre.
The Brandon Wheat Kings and the Keystone Centre have put the finishing touches on a new multi-year lease agreement.
Spanning another 10 seasons, the new deal (to which financial terms were not disclosed) will keep the Wheat Kings playing their home games out of Westoba Place at the Keystone Centre.
“We are thrilled to have been able to reach a new agreement with the Keystone Centre for the next ten years,’ Wheat Kings owner Jared Jacobson said in a statement.
“With this new deal, we provide stability for our franchise and while at the same time enhancing the experience of our fans and supporters. We look forward to partnering with the Keystone Centre to make those plans a reality.”
To go along with that news, the facility will also undergo significant changes over the course of the next year. Of the many improvements made public, the most noticeable will be that of the venue seating.
Although not beginning work on the project until the conclusion of the 2023-24 Western Hockey League season, plans are in place to strip Westoba of its 5,102 seats and put in brand-new, 'luxury' seating for its spectators.
Currently using fixed-back seats from the old Winnipeg Arena, the Keystone Centre will see new seating installed that features modern sizing with spacious leg and elbowroom to go along with arm rests and cup holders - something the transplanted Winnipeg Arena chairs did not.
With the new seats will be a new arena capacity, slightly lower than the 5,102 that Westoba Place currently seats to allow for the more spacious layout.
Also new for the 2024-25 season will be a new dehumidifier and air conditioning unit. Cash-friendly options will also be put in place, while the Keystone Centre improves its accessibility for fans with mobility issues.
“Our fans are the best in the league, and they deserve the best possible experience when they come to the rink,” Jacobson added. “We know our fans will love the product we put on the ice in the years to come, and we want them to love the gameday experience too. That means giving them a comfortable place to watch from.”
Having concluded the 2023-24 WHL preseason in strong fashion on Saturday (4-0-0), the Wheat Kings will begin regular season play on Friday, September 22, when the Connor Bedard-less Regina Pats make their way to Brandon to open the year. The home team has a quick turnaround, however, as it travels to Moose Jaw for a Saturday evening test against the Warriors in the second game of a season-opening back-to-back.