Sudbury Arena policy change closes door on tradition of intermission beers

For decades, when the Sudbury Wolves left the ice, it would be game-on for the staff at the Townehouse Tavern across the street.

According to operations manager Paul Loewenberg, he was a bartender in seasons past, and had to rush to serve hundreds of thirsty hockey fans.

"We would usually have staff over there who would come running back over '90 seconds left in the period!' and we'd all get ready," he said.

"The bar would fill in four minutes, people would drink one beer and then walk back over to the game."

But this season, that tradition, which was repeated at several bars within walking distance of Sudbury Arena, has melted into history due to a new no exit policy at the arena, which means if you leave, you can't come back in.

Officials with the Canadian major junior hockey franchise, along with the City of Greater Sudbury made the decision at the beginning of the 2016-2017 Ontario Hockey League season, according to Andrew Dale, thevice-president of marketing and business development for the Sudbury Wolves.

"It's a small part of a big picture in creating an experience that people can trust," said Dale.

"The market is moving in this direction," he said, referring to many professional sports teams also bringing in similar policies along with others across the OHL.

So far, though, the Wolves northern Ontario rivals in Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay are not among them.

Dale said improving safety and offering a more "professional experience," was part of the decision rather than increasing beer sales inside the Sudbury Arena.

"We're bringing down afew thousand people every game and we welcome our neighbours to host them prior to the game, welcome them to host after the game and while the game is on we want our sponsors to have the chance to have those fans engaged," said Dale.

Loewenberg said while the Townehouse is missing that intermission crowd, which had been dwindling in the decade or so since the arena started selling beer, they are doing better pre-game dinner business.

Amanda Zurkowski, who writes under the Twitter handle WolvesInsider and comments on games during Eastlink television broadcasts, said the tradition is "definitely something that's missed," among some Wolves fans, but hasn't heard much grumbling about it and neither has the club.

"I'd say that there were questions, but you know, there haven't been any questions lately and I'd say people are satisfied with the changes we're making," said Dale.