Black Bear Sports Group Acquires 30th Ice Arena

Deep Freeze Ice Arena will be the Official Practice and Training Facility of the United States Hockey League Youngstown Phantoms 

Boardman, Ohio – An affiliate of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. (“Black Bear”) has acquired the Deep Freeze Ice Arena in Boardman, Ohio. The Arena features one Olympic ice sheet, the Extreme Air Trampoline Park and will be the official practice and training facility of the United States Hockey League’s Youngstown Phantoms, which is co-owned by Black Bear.

“We are excited to continue our Western PA/Ohio market expansion with the addition of the Deep Freeze Ice Arena,” said Murry N. Gunty, Founder and CEO of Black Bear. “This is a natural extension of our Youngstown Phantoms brand. Our team in Western PA/Ohio has a proven track record of effectively reaching into the community and providing affordable family entertainment that promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyles and together with the team from Extreme Air Trampoline Park, the Deep Freeze will be no exception.

“The Youngstown Phantoms have been a part of Mahoning Valley tradition and the United States Hockey League (USHL), the country’s top junior hockey league, since the 2009 season and previously were a member of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for six seasons,” Black Bear Junior Hockey President Andrew Goldman stated. “With ownership of Deep Freeze, we can further invest in the Phantoms’ future including creation of a world class fitness facility and unlimited access to practice ice.”

About Deep Freeze Ice Arena - Deep Freeze Ice Arena is the Official practice facility of the Youngstown Phantoms and Home of Extreme Air Trampoline Park. Deep Freeze Ice Arena, owned by Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. is an ice facility located on McClurg Road in Youngstown, Ohio. The arena measures 90,000 square feet where you will find unique ice hockey, figure skating, and other programs. The facility includes one Olympic-sized ice rink operating year-round. The ice rink is complimented by a concession area as well as two meeting/party rooms that support a variety of corporate and community functions as well as group outings & field trips. Deep Freeze Ice Arena’s surface provides for a host of programs, program drop ins, leagues, and themed events. The facility is home to many user groups along with a variety of on-site businesses including Extreme Air Trampoline Park.

About Black Bear Sports Group - Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. is a privately held company formed by Murry Gunty and Blackstreet Capital Holdings, LLC in 2015 that seeks investments in sports and entertainment facilities, teams and youth sports events. Black Bear focuses on ice arenas in metropolitan areas with compelling demographics, a National Hockey League club presence, and arenas with existing youth hockey clubs. The largest owner/operator of ice rinks in North America, Black Bear’s footprint totals 30 facilities across the United States with 55 sheets of indoor ice, 5 indoor turf fields/non-ice surfaces, 23 youth hockey clubs, 6 hockey leagues & tournament businesses (Atlantic Hockey Federation, Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation, Tier 1 Hockey Federation, National Girls Hockey League, Defender Hockey Tournaments, Foundry Adult Hockey) and 4 Junior “A” hockey franchises in the United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League, United States Premier Hockey League NCDC and Eastern Hockey League. For more, go to www.blackbearsportsgroup.com. 

About the Youngstown Phantoms -The Youngstown Phantoms are a member of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The USHL is the country’s top junior hockey league, classified as Tier I. Prior to the 2009 season, the Phantoms were a member of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for six seasons. The Phantoms have seen over 150 players commit to NCAA Division I schools, and 29 Phantom Players have been drafted into the NHL. Multiple alumni have signed NHL contracts including Brett Murray, Scott Mayfield, Jiri Sekac, Andrej Sustr, Nathan Walker and Kyle Connor. The Youngstown Phantoms are co-owned by Bruce Zoldan and Murry Gunty. Mr. Zoldan is the Founder and CEO of Phantom Fireworks, America’s largest fireworks company. Mr. Gunty is the Founder and CEO of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. The Phantoms produce top talent on and off the ice. Phantoms’ players are very active in the Mahoning Valley and can be found giving back on a regular basis from reading in schools, assisting in soup kitchens, or teaching youth hockey players.