Utica Comets to host 2018 AHL all-star game, facility renovations continue

It marks the second time in four years that the newly renamed Adirondack Bank Center at Utica Memorial Auditorium will host the event, having also hosted the 2015 event.

The Upper Mohawk Valley Auditorium Authority and Adirondack Bank on Wednesday announced a 10-year, “multi-million dollar” agreement to amend the name of the Utica venue.

The Onondaga County War Memorial Arena at Oncenter hosted the game in 2016, so an upstate New York venue will host the AHL all-star game for the third time in the last four years.

Turning Stone Resort Casino will be the presenting sponsor of the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic, which is scheduled for Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, 2018, the Utica Comets said in a separate news release issued Thursday.

The skills competition and the all-star challenge are scheduled at the newly renovated Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in downtown Utica; all other events during the all-star event will happen at Turning Stone Resort Casino in nearby Verona, the team added.

“For nearly four years, the Utica Comets have attracted thousands of hockey fans to the area’s downtown, supporting local businesses and spurring economic activity that is felt across the entire region,” Cuomo said in his office’s news release. “New York is committed to ensuring that the Aud remains a top destination, and thanks to the state’s $10.5 million investment to expand the facility and the AHL’s commitment to host the all-star game in Utica in 2018, the Aud will continue to drive growth in the Mohawk Valley for years to come.”

The Aud is short for Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Facility renovations

In 2012, New York began investing in the renovation and “modernization” of the 4,000-seat Utica Memorial Auditorium, which was “critical” to the Comets’ decision to move to Utica.

The state’s latest investment in the Aud supports the construction of a 21,000-square-foot expansion with $10.5 million, which “will help attract more visitors to the city’s downtown and support businesses throughout the region,” Cuomo’s office said.

The project, which is underway with completion expected by mid-October, will bring the Utica Memorial Auditorium up to current standards for ADA, fire alarms, sprinklers, and women’s restrooms, as well as provide permanent office space for both current and future employees. ADA is short for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The “overarching” goal of the expansion project is to make modifications and expand upon the 58-year-old auditorium in order to “elevate the building to 21st-century standards,” Cuomo’s office said.

State spending has supported the “enhancement” of the Aud to meet professional hockey standards, while improving the facility for Utica College’s hockey teams and fans, according to Cuomo’s office.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com