PLYMOUTH, Mich. – USA Hockey Arena and the Michigan High School Athletic Association have reached an agreement to host the Boys Ice Hockey State Finals at USA Hockey Arena for the next five years, starting with the 2018 Finals that will take place March 8-10, it was announced today.

"The MHSAA is excited to continue our longstanding partnership with USA Hockey Arena on keeping the MHSAA High School Hockey Championships in Plymouth," said MHSAA assistant director Cody Inglis. "We are happy to keep the finals in a great venue that has been updated to a first class arena facility by USA Hockey. The familiarity and geography of USA Hockey Arena to high school hockey fans and the dedicated USA Hockey Arena staff that have embraced the MHSAA to make this tournament special for student-athletes across the state, encouraged us to extend our agreement."

USA Hockey Arena has hosted the Boys Ice Hockey State Finals for the past 15 years (2003-2017) and the most recent agreement will ensure the event is held in Plymouth through 2022.

"We are ecstatic to extend our relationship with the MHSAA," said USA Hockey Arena general manager Mike Henry. "We have enjoyed hosting the top high school hockey teams in the state for the past 15 years and look forward to helping create more memorable hockey history in the future."

ABOUT USA HOCKEY ARENA: USA Hockey Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Plymouth Township, Michigan, opened in 1996. Originally known as the Compuware Sports Arena, it was renamed to USA Hockey Arena in 2015 when the USA Hockey Foundation purchased the arena. USA Hockey Arena encompasses approximately 190,000 square feet with one main seating level, private suites and press boxes. The creative design of the arena affords the opportunity to provide 3,504 seats for hockey games and 4,500 seats for concerts and other performances.

ABOUT THE MHSAA: The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,400 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.

For more information about USA Hockey Arena please contact: Kris Nolt (kris.nolt@usahockey.org)

For more information about the MHSAA please contact: Geoff Kimmerly (Geoff@mhsaa.com) or John Johnson (jjohnson@mhsaa.com)