The Portland Pirates were ready to end their painful 39-loss season at their home rink, the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine, but scheduling conflicts forced the Phoenix Coyotes’ last-place AHL affiliate to play its home finale at a much smaller local practice rink instead.
The Pirates faced the St. John’s IceCaps on Saturday night at the MHG Ice Centre, which allowed just 550 fans to watch, compared to the usual average of over 2,000 at the Colisee.
The conflict arose after the Kora Shrine Circus booked the Colisee for the same date that the Pirates were slated to play their final home game, according to the Lewiston-Auburn Sun Journal.
All tickets purchased for the original venue were refunded, and all tickets purchased for MHG Ice Centre benefited the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. The Pirates fell to the IceCaps 5-4.
Check out the Pirates’ last-minute venue in the photos below.
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