Comcast Spectacor has reached an agreement with Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. for the sale of the Skate Zone in Atlantic City and two other Skate Zone ice rink locations in Northeast Phila., and Pennsauken.

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The sale is expected to go in to effect within 30 days. Financial terms of the deal are being kept confidential.

Black Bear describes themselves as a company "founded to purchase under-managed and under-performing ice rinks to bring professional management and badly needed capital to 20-30 year old rinks to save the facilities and provide a safe and fun environment for the local community".

According to a press release announcing the sale, Black Bear Sports Group  will now own and manage 22 rinks nationally including 15 in the tri-State area. The organization also owns a number of junior and youth hockey clubs and will acquire all hockey programming at the three Skate Zone locations.

At the junior level, Black Bear currently co-owns and manages the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, and owns the Maryland Black Bears of the NAHL and Team Maryland of the EHL.

The Skate Zone was built in the late 1990's on a section of the Bader Field site on the Black Horse Pike.

Former Philadelphia Flyers captain Keith Primeau, who initiated the talks with Comcast Spectacor, will be a minority owner in the acquisition and will spearhead the strategic vision of the three facilities.

The two-time NHL All Star transitioned to the business side of the sport after his playing career and is also currently President of Hockey Operations for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.

Primeau, a long-time South Jersey resident, has had decades of first-hand experience with the youth hockey market in the region and raised four children in the area including three sons who competed at every level and in these rinks.

Comcast Spectacor will continue to own and operate Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone at Voorhees and will continue to focus on managing this location as the world-class training facility for the Philadelphia Flyers.

A trip down retail memory lane in the Cardiff section of Egg Harbor Township

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