BOARDMAN, Ohio - A Boardman ice rink under new ownership is getting a much needed facelift by the families who use it the most.

The sale of Ice Zone was finalized on Friday. The new owners, who also own Extreme Air Trampoline Park next door, plan to reopen to facility as The Deep Freeze.

"If youth hockey is doing well and Extreme Air is doing well,  the kids are getting out, they're getting their exercise, they're bringing their families out. It's the stuff that you want to have happening in a community," said Co-Owner Matthew McGregor.

The change in ownership didn't go as smoothly as some expected. The owners said they've ordered new skates and purchased a new Zamboni.

Several kids and parents from the Phantom Youth Hockey Association spent Friday donating skates and helping out.

"There's a lot of areas that need some work that have been neglected over the years and families are excited to have the new ownership. They just want to come out and have a hand in building this back up," said Bill Oyler, a coach of the youth hockey association.

"Without an ice rink there is no where to play for an ice team," said Youth Hockey Player Gavin Rambo. "Without this place, the team I play for might not even have a place to play."

The goal is to be fully operational by next week. But for open skate this weekend, if you donate an old pair of skates, the new owners said you can jump next door at Extreme Air for free.

The now former owner of Ice Zone is Valley Businessman Bruce Zoldan. His company released a statement shortly before 21 News at 6.

You can read the full statement below:

This is a sad day for Bruce Zoldan and the management team at the Ice Zone in Boardman.
After 20 years, Mr. Zoldan and the team have closed the operations of the Ice Zone, Ltd. and thenew owners of the building will be operating an ice skating facility under a new name.

This was not the way Mr. Zoldan envisioned welcoming in New Year’s 2018. Mr. Zoldan and
the operating team had every reason to believe that they would continue to operate the Ice Zone under a lease with the new building owners. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The new owners bought the building, but did not purchase the ongoing Ice Zone, Ltd. business, nor any of the equipment, Zamboni, ice skates, refrigerant or other items owned by and used in the Ice Zone, Ltd. business operation.

One of the members of the new ownership group has been quoted as saying some of the conditions of the Ice Zone in the lease negotiations were “untenable.” We believe that the new ownership group made commercially unreasonable demands in the lease negotiations and negotiated in bad faith.

One of the ice skating parents quoted in the media said that the operations will be better off under the new management. This gentleman obviously did not understand that Mr. Zoldan personally underwrote losses at the Ice Zone of approximately $400,000.00 annually.

Mr. Zoldan continued to underwrite the Ice Zone losses because he believed the Ice Zone operations offered a “quality of life” experience for the youngsters and adults who participated in hockey leagues, learn to skate programs, figure skating, and general open skating sessions.

Before Mr. Zoldan is vilified by the new owners of the building or the community, considerationshould be given to the millions of dollars Mr. Zoldan paid out over 20 years to support the operations of the Ice Zone for the community. Over the years, Mr. Zoldan had partners in the Ice Zone operation, but he was the only one to consistently subsidize the operation and keep the facility operational for the community.

All of the Ice Zone, Ltd.’s ice skating property and equipment was offered to the new owners of the building. It is now available in the open market.

Mr. Zoldan and the management team appreciate the support of the community over the years and wish the new owners luck in their operations of the skating facility.