Spruce Grove Mayor Jeff Acker and Spruce Grove Saints owners Lindsey and Dan Leckelt participated in a ceremonial puck drop during the Saints game on December 19, where it was announced that the Saints will become the anchor tenant of the Civic Centre that is scheduled to be completed in early 2025.

The City of Spruce Grove and the Spruce Grove Saints are thrilled to announce they have reached an agreement in principle for the Junior “A” hockey club to remain in Spruce Grove and play out of the spectator arena which is currently under construction as part of the Civic Centre project.

As part of the agreement, both the Saints and the City will be making significant investments into the facility, supporting the needs of the hockey club as well as the community, while ensuring the overall game day experience for both fans and residents is maximized. Furthermore, the Saints will be responsible for the cost of any Saints-specific amenities that directly benefit the club.

“This is fantastic news for our community,” said Mayor Jeff Acker. “The Spruce Grove Saints are a huge part of our city – from their impressive skills on the ice to their contributions to various community groups – this agreement supports the continuation of this relationship. We’d like to thank their entire management and ownership team for working with the City to bring us to this point and we look forward to a successful and collaborative working relationship moving forward.”

Lindsey Leckelt, Managing Partner of the Saints Founders Group says, “Today is a landmark day for the Spruce Grove Saints and the City of Spruce Grove, as we continue to work together formalizing our Civic Centre partnership.”

Leckelt went on to add, “The Saints organization is thrilled to secure our long-term future in Spruce Grove. The city, fans and business community have continually proven to be one of the strongest supporters of Junior ‘A’ hockey in North America. The Civic Centre will only enhance that narrative and will help take the Saints organization to new heights. From increased in-game entertainment opportunities to team facility upgrades, the Saints will soon operate on a level playing field with the other top tier Junior ‘A’ markets in Canada. Access to national level events such as hosting a National Championship are now possible, while creating other exciting opportunities for this community for many years.”

Spruce Grove Mayor Jeff Acker and members of City Council, along with Spruce Grove Saints owners Lindsey and Dan Leckelt and players from the team visited the Civic Centre site on December 19. The City and the Spruce Grove Saints have reached an agreement in principle for the Junior “A” hockey club to remain in Spruce Grove and play out of the spectator arena which is currently under construction as part of the Civic Centre project.

In addition to the spectator arena, the Civic Centre will also include a community rink, a satellite location for the Spruce Grove Public Library, a black box theatre, an art gallery and dedicated program room, a community walking track, and the co-located Spruce Grove Transit Centre.

Construction work on the Civic Centre started in late 2022 and the building is expected to be completed near the end of 2024, opening to the public and user groups in early 2025. Until then, the Saints will continue operating and playing out of the Grant Fuhr Arena.