The Alberni Valley Bulldogs will be playing the second round of the BC Hockey League playoffs in Nanaimo, due to refrigeration issues at the Alberni Valley Multiplex.
The Bulldogs announced on Wednesday, April 16 that their playoff series against the Chilliwack Chiefs will be temporarily relocated to Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo.
On Sunday, April 13, a technical issue was discovered with the Alberni Valley Multiplex ice plant, which is the refrigeration system responsible for creating and maintaining the ice surfaces in the facility. Out of an abundance of caution, the City of Port Alberni shut down the ice plant, closed the facility and called Fraser Valley Refrigeration, its certified contracted technician, to assess the system.
The city now says that a leak has been detected in the ice plant's chiller and the system has been taken out of operation.
With the Alberni Valley Bulldogs still in playoff contention, the loss of ice means that playoff games cannot be played on home ice. Instead, the Bulldogs have secured ice at the Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo and will continue their playoff run in that facility.
鈥淲e鈥檝e built something special with this group, and our fans have been behind us every step of the way,鈥� said Joe Martin, head coach and general manager of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. 鈥淎lthough we鈥檙e disappointed, we won鈥檛 be playing in Port Alberni, we鈥檙e committed to making the Frank Crane Arena feel like home 鈥� and we know our fans will help us bring that Bulldogs atmosphere to Nanaimo.鈥�
The Bulldogs organization says it is working to ensure a "smooth transition" for fans, including extended box office hours, group ticket packages and transportation options that will help Bulldogs fans "fill the Frank" next week.
The 台湾MM裸聊室 Conference semi-finals start in Chilliwack this weekend, with Game 1 scheduled for Friday, April 18 and Game 2 set for Saturday, April 19.
Games 3 and 4 will take place in Nanaimo on Tuesday, April 22 and Wednesday, April 23. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. Tickets for the Nanaimo games can be purchased at the Alberni Valley Multiplex, online at or at the Frank Crane Arena on game nights.
The city says the exact cause of the chiller leak has not be discovered. The city is working with Fraser Valley Refrigeration and Technical Safety BC to determine next steps.
鈥淭he City of Port Alberni is sorry for the inconvenience this service interruption has caused," said Mike Fox, city CAO. "We thank those affected for their patience and understanding as we work to develop a long-range strategy that will get ice back in the multiplex.鈥�
