Merlis Belsher Place
Merlis Belsher Place is an arena located at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is the current home of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men and women's hockey teams, as well as the Saskatoon Contacts and Saskatoon Stars of the Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association. History In 2016, the University of Saskatchewan announced plans to build a new athletics facility to replace the 90 year-old Rutherford Arena. Originally budgeted to cost $41 million, the University sought to raise the necessary funds through its Home Ice Campaign, which sought donations and fundraising opportunities from alumni, minor hockey associations, and the City of Saskatoon. The arena was named in honour of Merlis Belsher, an alumnus of the University's College of Law, following a donation of $12.25 million to the Campaign. Construction on the facility officially began on April 28, 2017 with a ground-breaking ceremony. The arena was completed in time for the beginning of the 2018-19 Huskies season, with the women's team hosting the first game in the arena's history on October 5, 2018. Facilities Merlis Belsher Place was designed to replace several aging facilities at the University of Saskatchewan. As part of an agreement with the City of Saskatoon,