Brand new HARBORCENTER opens for business

The state-of-the-art venue for the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey A-Pool World Championships has opened in Buffalo, New York, USA. 03 Nov 2014
Imagen
Harborcenter Buffalo 2015

The HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, New York, USA, will host the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships.

ⒸIPC
By IPC

The venue for the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey A-Pool World Championships – the HARBORCENTER - officially opened on Friday (31 October) in Buffalo, New York, kicking off a packed week of events.

With less than six months to go until Buffalo 2015, on Friday and Saturday (1 November), the HARORCENTER flung open its doors to fans for the first time for historic matches between Canisius College Golden Griffins and Ohio State Buckeyes.

The centre also launched its Cup youth hockey tournament series with under 16 and under 18 matches taking place on Friday and Sunday (2 November).

This week will see the Buffalo Sabres playing four home games and HARBORCENTER President John R. Koelmel is very excited by the prospect of having so much action in the months ahead.

“Our planned activities coupled with the Sabres playing four home games the week of November 2nd will immediately provide real evidence that HARBORCENTER and Canalside will become a year-round destination,” Koelmel said.

“While construction on the Marriott hotel and our retail space will continue in the months ahead, we’re very excited to now have the community and visitors from around the country experience the fabulous destination that so many have worked so hard to create and build. We’re ready to dazzle.”

From 24 April - 2 May 2015, Paralympic champions the USA, Russia, Canada, Czech Republic, Norway, Italy, Germany and Japan will line-up for sledge hockey at the new arena, which has two NHL-sized rinks.

Buffalo 2015 will mark the third time the IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships A-Pool will be held in the USA and comes after the US team became the first in history to win back-to-back Paralympic golds at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

Canada head to New York as the defending world champions and Sochi 2014 bronze medallists, whilst Russia will be looking to claim their own place in history after winning silver at the recent Paralympic Winter Games just five years after forming a team.