Evansville officials have approved a five-year lease with a new minor league hockey team.
The Redevelopment Commission unanimously approved the deal, which officials say is almost identical to the one rejected by IceMen owner Ron Geary.
New team owner Mike Hall tells WNIN that the deal is fine for him. He says the cost of running a team in the Southern Professional Hockey League is less than that of an ECHL team, like the IceMen.
Evansville will charge the new team $1,000 per game to play at the Ford Center. The team will retain most advertising rights, while the city keeps concession revenue.
Hall says he’s not ready to announce the name of the new team, but he says the fans have spoken and there's an "overwhelming winner." Hall is waiting until the current hockey season ends.
Metro Development Director Kelly Coures says the five-year deal will keep the new team in Evansville. He says the city will take over if the team owner drops out.