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In a February 25 announcement, the company said it plans to invest millions into upgrades, including ice plant improvements, dehumidification systems, and facility renovations. The tone of the release was optimistic. New ownership. Fresh capital. Long-term commitment to hockey in West Michigan.
That is the headline.
The real question families are asking quietly in the stands is simpler:
When private equity buys community assets, do prices go up?
Black Bear operates dozens of facilities across the country. In other markets where private equity-backed operators have acquired rinks, the pattern has often followed a familiar rhythm:
Capital improvements are announced.
Infrastructure is upgraded.
Then rates are restructured.
In several markets after acquisitions, local youth programs have reported increases in hourly ice rates ranging between 15 percent and 35 percent over time, particularly after major facility investments. Tournament hosting fees, club ice contracts, and required service bundles have also shifted under centralized ownership models.
To be clear, improvements cost money. Ice plants are expensive. Dehumidification systems are not cheap. Aging buildings require capital that many locally operated facilities simply do not have access to.
Private equity solves that problem quickly.
But private equity also expects returns.
Youth hockey is already one of the most expensive sports in West Michigan. Between travel, equipment, team fees, and ice time, families can spend thousands per year per player. Even modest percentage increases compound quickly.
Black Bear has not announced any rate increases in Holland or Hudsonville.
Yet if you look at the playbook nationally, families are not wrong to ask the question early.
One of the first things families notice when rink ownership changes is policy.
At several privately operated rinks nationwide, contracts have restricted filming during events. In some cases, initial language prohibited recording altogether before being revised after parent pushback. The pattern has often settled into a compromise: recording is allowed, livestreaming is not.
Across youth sports, centralized streaming platforms have become a growing revenue layer. Independent livestreaming from the stands is limited, while official streaming services operate under company control, often tied to subscription fees.
Hockey rinks in West Michigan have never been just commercial real estate investments. They are social anchors. They are early mornings and late nights. They are high school rivalries and learn-to-skate classes.
Private equity does not erase that culture.
But it does shift the lens through which the facility is managed.
The question is not whether improvements will happen. They likely will.
The question is whether families will quietly absorb higher costs over the next few seasons as part of that transformation.
If national trends are any indicator, price adjustments after capital upgrades are common under private equity ownership models.
West Michigan families would be wise to pay attention early, ask direct questions about long-term rate strategy, and stay engaged in how contracts evolve.
Eric McKee is a lifetime resident of West Michigan. Married with two energetic boys, he spends his days balancing work with dad life. Also, a firm believer that Almond St. Claus Windmill Cookies are the ultimate snack (and maybe a little too good).
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