MHG Ice Centre looking forward to future plans

SACO — It’s an often heard wisecrack.

How can hockey make you a millionaire?

Start out with two million.

Ron Cain seems determined to either prove that premise or blow it out of the rink.

Either way, Cain, a Kennebunk resident, is having fun putting his money where his heart is.

“Listen,” said Cain, “you don’t make money with hockey rinks. You just don’t. I’m doing it because it’s a passion. What’s the old saying? You’ve got more money than brains.

Cain had enough gray matter to squirrel away his fortune in the integrated logistics industry.

Sound exciting, huh?

Not as exciting as a three-on-one breakaway.

So two years ago, Cain and fellow pucks nut Marc Anthoine purchased the MHG Ice Centre, which opened as the second indoor ice facility in York County in 2007.

Since then, Cain has set establishing the sprawling, single sheet facility as a hot house of hockey activity.

The primary tenant has been the Portland Junior Pirates program, whose teams range from the squirt level up to Tier III junior.

The program is directed by former Portland Pirate Brad Church, and boasts fellow former pros Jeff Libby and Kent Hulst among its coaching staff.

Earlier this month, the PJP U-16s finished third at the USA Hockey National championships near Washington, D.C.

All together, Cain said the Junior Pirates include nearly 400 boys and girls, about double the total of two years ago.

“From top to bottom,” Cain, said, “the program is really coming along. It’s great watching it.”

In 2009, the Ice Centre opened a full service dry land training facility, and houses sports medicine specialists Orthepedic Associates, and the Parisi Speed School.

And that’s as much activity as one rink can handle.

But it’s not nearly as much enough to suit Cain.

That, in part, is why Cain purchased a significant stake in the AHL Pirates last year.

With the Pirates seeking to firm up a full time training center, Cain’s involvement with the Pirates were a natural fit.

Plans call for the Pirates to set up shop in Saco, giving the club a full service training and practice venue.

Or perhaps something even bigger than that ”“ namely a 5,000 seat AHL venue ”“ if the citizens of Cumberland County fail to approve a $28 million bond issue in November to fund badly needed renovations to the aging Portland arena.

“We are fully committed to the Civic Center renovation,” Cain said. “But having said that, we still have to keep our options open.”

Whether the Civic Center bond issue passes or not, he first option involves the construction of a second sheet adjecent to the first one, built to NHL/AHL dimensions.

Shovels are scheduled to hit the ground in September on what would be a 1,500-2,000 seat arena project, with costs ranging ”“ depending on bells and whistles ”“ $2-$5 million.

If Cain has his way, there will be enough money left over to put in an extra sheet for curling.

(”It’s like bowling on ice,” said Cain, a curling enthusiast. “Any age can play it.”)”

That additional hockey sheet will give Cain, who recently purchased a stake in the European-based Selects Hockey, the ability to host a full schedule of youth and junior hockey events, such as development schools, camps and showcases.

“In order to do that,” said Cain, “the second sheet is a must. Actually, we have the potential to bring in tournaments that could use six sheets. That’s where you go (elsewhere) and say, ”˜okay’, we need some ice time. That’s certainly doable. The only thing I worry about is having enough hotel rooms.”

Suffice to say that such rink construction projects as this and UNE’s $20 million Harold Alfond Athletics Complex (now under construction) could hit the local economy ”“ favorably ”“ like a 100 m.p.h. Mark Mancari slap shot.

“With the economy where it is,” said Will Armitage, President of the Biddeford-Saco Area Economic Development Corporation, “any opportunity to have construction projects like this are beneficial. Just because those trades job keep people employed. And it has a multiplier effect of people spending money and paying bills. That’s important at this stage.”

The County’s inventory of ice time is set to double, but as Armitage sees it, even that might not be enough to satisfy the demand.

“I don’t see a competition with BIA (Biddeford Ice Arena),” he said. “But there are opportunities. I don’t think that the second sheet at MHG will take business away from BIA. I think they can supplement and support each other. I get the impression that there is so much demand out there ”“ and clearly, it’s anecdotal evidence ”“ that adding another sheet is going to jeopardize any other rink.”

Armitage added that the long term local benefit would be in the ancillary tourist income generated by events held by all the rinks.

“The expectation is that MHG wouldn’t be doing this,” Armitage said, “if they didn’t think they could pay for it, and support it. Clearly in their business model, they see the advantages of doing it. They wouldn’t be doing it if they didn’t think they could make some money off of it.

“Profit isn’t a bad word.”

While the bottom line is the bottom line, it’s not the final line.

At least not in Cain’s mind.

That one is drawn, one skate stroke at a time, by the kids who pull on the Junior Pirate Black and Red.

“They have a dream,” he said, “and they want to pursue the dream. We’ll never tell them that they can’t.

“Shoot. I’m a product of going against all that advice myself.”

Next: Big plans for Big Blue.

— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com or follow on Twitter @DanHickling.