Gjurich: Arena will be viable

EBENSBURG - Cambria County commissioners are calling the Johnstown Chiefs exit at season's end a loss for the region.

But they expect the Cambria County War Memorial Arena will more than hold its own without the ECHL team, a longtime tenant.

Commissioner Milan Gjurich said Friday that the county is optimistic that new manager SMG Worldwide and the county's War Memorial Authority will keep the facility active and viable. While he said the Chiefs' presence guaranteed a minimum of 36 booked nights a season, the arena has been busy the past year with other events, including concerts and other shows.

Within the next month, country star Leann Rimes, the Harlem Globetrotters, Christian rockers Skillet and TobyMac, and a Queen tribute band will all make stops.

"SMG has a lot of expertise in marketing these arenas - and it shows," Gjurich said. "If the Chiefs are gone the positive side is that it will free up 36 dates over the winter months for shows we might've had to turn down."

A deal was finalized this week to move the Chiefs to Greenville, S.C. The ECHL approved the move, and a deal was secured for the team to play for five years at the city's Bi-Lo Center.

The move occurred after another season of financial losses - and low attendance numbers, according to team owner Neil Smith. A longtime fan of the city's local hockey history, Smith pressed for years for someone in the local community to step into ownership or a shared deal.

Gjurich left the possibility open that arena operators could look at other options to bring in another hockey club, "But as far as the caliber, who could say?" he asked.

"There's a lot of variables - what would we be looking at, would it be supported," he said. "But I know SMG and the authority will explore all their options."

Mirror Staff Writer David Hurst is at 946-7457.