Cross Insurance Arena/Center

The Portland-based hockey team is up for awards including Theme Night of the Year for January's "Minor League Sports Night" at the Cross Insurance Arena.

The minor league hockey team gave no reason for the departure of Adam Goldberg, who plans to step down at the end of May.

Researchers at the University of New England’s Center for Sport and Business Innovation released the findings in a 20-page economic impact report shared with Mainebiz.

The Portland Sea Dogs, Maine Celtics and Hearts of Pine all lease venues from the city, while the Maine Mariners are tenants of Cumberland County at the Cross Insurance Arena.

The Portland Sea Dogs, Maine Mariners, Maine Celtics and Portland Hearts of Pine are all year-round businesses with seasonal demands and pressure to win games and championships.

The team canceled two home games in Portland this weekend and warned that that additional games could be called off amid a players’ strike over the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with the ECHL minor league.

The Cross Insurance Arena has been home to professional hockey since it opened in 1977, hosting the original Mariners until 1992, then the Portland Pirates, then the current Mariners since 2018.

The Mariners, purchased last year by Dexter Paine, began their partnership with Boston and Providence, R.I., in 2021.

The proposed 66,000-square-foot venue, which requires approval by the city's Planning Board, would be located steps from the city-owned Merrill Auditorium. 

Royce Cross started at family-owned Cross Insurance in 1970, working alongside his father Woodrow Cross, and has since overseen significant growth.