Westpac Stadium won't seek compensation despite rink collapse cancelling ice hockey match
Disappointed fans leave Westpac Stadium following the cancellation of the Ice Hockey Classic between the United States and Canada on Sunday.
Westpac Stadium will not chase promoters of Sunday's cancelled ice hockey match for any reimbursement despite laying blame for the fiasco squarely at the feet of organisers.
The Ice Hockey Classic exhibition match between the USA and Canada was scrapped on Sunday afternoon after one plastic side wall of the temporary rink blew over shortly before the game.
There were also issues creating the icein the days before the game, after a pipe burst.
The match was eventually cancelled after one side of the temporary rink blew over shortly before puck drop.
While promoters TEG Live and TLA Worldwide will lose the most from the failed exercise - they need to refund about 10,000 tickets - stadium chief executive Shane Harmon said there would also be a "significant" cost to the stadium as it had to pay about 200 event staff.
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It was not insured for the event, owned by non-profit organisation Stopconcussion.
Wellington ice hockey fans disappointed the ice hockey classic between USA and Canada at Westpac stadium was cancelled due to bad weather however accept that it's just 'one of those Wellington things'.
"I'm not going to throw anyone under a bus, but it really comes down to the rink," Harmon said when asked why the event failed.
"We were given assurances by the experts that this rink would be ready, and it clearly wasn't on Saturday. And then obviously Mother Nature took its course on Sunday.
"But we were assured at each stage by the experts that we would have a playable rink."
Westpac Stadium is hosting an ice hockey match between Canada and the USA.
He was miffed the rink was not able to stand up to the Wellington wind, given the promoters had organised many outdoor matches all around the world.
"We thought they had adequate experience there to deliver for us.
"Yes, it was windy on Sunday, but we've hosted lots of events in windier conditions than that.
From left, Canadian supporters Kirsty and Mike Peticlerc, and Teresa and Paul McQuinlan arrive for the game.
"For any outdoor rink, wherever it is anywhere in the world, it's going to have to be able to withstand some level of bad weather."
MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said Sunday was "not a particularly strong wind day for Wellington", although the stadium was quite exposed.
North to northwest winds gusted up to 70kmh at Wellington Airport around the scheduled time of the match.
Joanne McKinstry, left, with son Liam, 5, and her sister Kate Coles. Keen ice hockey fan Liam is sporting a Pittsburgh Penguins top.
"It was windy but there were no wind warnings in place and we were a long way off that sort of [warning] level."
Some food would have been wasted on Sunday but a lot of it was prepared fresh and would not have been made, Harmon said.
The players' accommodation on their six-game tour of Australia and New Zealand was being paid for by the promoters.
A concept design for the proposed indoor arena that was earmarked for Wellington.
A TEG spokesperson said the production crew had vast experience with building outdoor ice rinks.
"Even with the forecast weather conditions, the production crew was confident the infrastructure would cope, but this turned out not to be the case due to the very strong winds."
Several options were considered to save the game but the match was cancelled in the interests of player safety.
Spectator Nadia Foskett told Stuff there was still a lot of water on the ice as the players were warming up before puck drop on Sunday, and that it would have been impossible to play.
Foskett said she was a massive ice hockey fan incredibly excited for the event but the handling of it was "utterly appalling".
"My issue is the fact that they've blamed the Wellington wind for having to cancel the event on Sunday when it was clear when we arrived at around 11.45am that the ice was in no condition for skating."
But Harmon said promoters assured him that while there was water on the surface, it would have been playable.
Angered Christchurch ticket holder Alyssa Wright said the schedule change from Saturday cost her and her travel companion $2500 in flight ticket changes and accommodation.
Meanwhile, Wellington Mayor Justin Lester said the city's proposed new indoor arena would be able to host ice hockey matches when it was built.
The stadium would be of a similar size and capacity to Auckland's Spark Arena, where the teams played their first match of the tour on Friday.
While Westpac Stadium had proven itself to be a versatile venue, hosting "more events than was ever imagined when it was designed" Wreda marketing and destination development manager David Perks said an indoor arena would take the gamble out of holding events outdoors.
"To be fair we haven't been thinking 'oh this is an opportunity for ice hockey' but from our point of view is that an indoor arena would bring more of a variety of events to Wellington."
Construction of the arena is not expected to start until about 2025.
- Stuff
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