Janesville Jets Break Ground on New Arena

The North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) member team Janesville Jets have broken ground today on a new facility in Janesville, Wisconsin. 

The Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center (WSCC), which is projected to be a $23 million project, will serve the local Janesville communities. 

Since the Jets have become a member of the NAHL they have advanced hundreds of players to the next level, including the NCAA, ECHL, and AHL. The Jets currently reside at Janesville Ice Arena which was built in 1974. Janesville has made the Robertson Cup Playoffs ten times, and have played a major role in Janesville by giving back thousands of hours of community service to the area. 

“My partners and I put the first-ever Wisconsin-based NAHL franchise in Janesville 15 years ago with a simple three-part mission: 1. Develop and advance elite hockey players, 2. Teach our players to “give back” for their opportunity through regular community service, and 3. Provide affordable family entertainment in the community,” Janesville Jets President and Founder Bill McCoshen. “We were proud to be the first new business to locate in Janesville after the devastating closure of General Motors. We wanted to give Janesville something to cheer for through our team and our players.” 

The 130,000 square foot facility will become a natural economic driver for south central Wisconsin. The facility will play home to the NAHL’s Janesville Jets, become an impact through job creation, revitalization, and resource conservation while increasing property values and tax revenues. The WSCC will provide a revenue boost to local businesses and will create new activity and investment in Rock County and Wisconsin. 

“Today we are entering a new chapter in Jets franchise history,” McCoshen said. “The Woodman’s Center is the culmination of nearly seven years of effort by an incredible group of community, city, and business leaders. This project faced significant adversity at many junctures, but our steering committee adopted the motto we tell our players every season; trust the process! Nobody ever gave up on the dream. This is the beginning of something very special for Janesville and the Jets were proud to play a part in making it happen.”

“We couldn’t be more excited for Bill McCoshen, the Janesville Jets and the Janesville community,” NAHL President and Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld said. “ Bill has been a driving force on our Executive team since Janesville joined the league fifteen years ago and has contributed greatly to the incredible community effort to get this project over the line. We look forward to future NAHL games and events at the Woodman's Center.” 

To stay up-to-date on the Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center project, click here.