The Economic Impact of Local Hockey and Curling Programs on Lake County, Minnesota

Abstract

The Two Harbors Youth Hockey Association (THYHA) and Silver Bay Youth Hockey (SBYH) are the governing organizations of youth hockey in the cities of Two Harbors and Silver Bay, respectively. Children ages six through 14 are eligible to participate in the two organizations. The sport of curling—both recreational and competitive—is offered to the community by the Two Harbors Curling Club (THCC). The Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics was contacted by Lovin’ Lake County—the county’s official marketing organization—to conduct a study on the economic impacts of the THYHA organization, SBYHA organization, and Two Harbors Curling Club and the economic benefits that they provide through their operations and tournaments to Lake County. For this report, Lake County hockey and curling includes all THYHA’s and SBYHA’s youth games and tournaments, the North Shore Storm high school hockey program (which uses both the Lake County and Rukavina arenas), and THCC’s weekly leagues, bonspiels (curling tournaments), and rentals.