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Mighty Ducks Grant Program

James Metzen Mighty Ducks Ice Arena Grant Program

The James Metzen Mighty Ducks Grant Program has a dual mission: 1) To  provide financial assistance to Minnesota communities in eliminating the use of R-22 systems in ice arena refrigeration and 2) Improve indoor air quality in ice arenas. 

The production of R-22 was banned by the EPA in 2020. This program is to assist communities in the replacement of ice-making systems in existing public facilities that use R-22 as a refrigerant with systems that use an alternative non-ozone-depleting refrigerant.

Grants for Indoor air quality improvements are intended to renovate or replace heating, ventilating, and/or air conditioning systems in existing indoor ice arenas whose ice resurfacing and ice edging equipment are not powered by electricity in order to reduce concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide to protect the health of Minnesota youth athletes, patrons, and staff.

Program Information

Eliminating R-22 Refrigerant: Direct Systems

Communities may apply for up to $500,000 per arena to replace an existing R-22 direct refrigeration system with a minimum one-to-one dollar match from non-state sources. 

Eliminating R-22 Refrigerant: Indirect Systems

Communities may apply for up to $250,000 per rink to replace an existing R-22 indirect refrigeration system with a minimum one-to-one dollar match from non-state sources.

Improving Indoor Air Quality

Communities may apply for up to $25,000 per arena for the replacement, renovation, or addition of automated systems controls for HVAC systems to improve indoor air quality and reduce energy costs. 

The Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC) announced a grant opportunity for the 2025 James Metzen Mighty Ducks Ice Arena Grant Program. The program provides financial assistance to Minnesota communities to improve indoor air quality in ice arenas and to eliminate the use of R-22 systems in ice arena refrigeration.  The 2025 grant program was funded by an appropriation of $1 million in the state bonding bill.

This project is financed by state general obligation bonds. The public entity (LGU) that will receive the grant must possess a qualifying ownership interest in the capital project and meet requirements set forth by State of Minnesota Capital Grants Manual. A step-by-step guide that describes what grantees need be eligible to receive state capital grant payments is available in the link below (in green).  

A complete application will include:

  1. Application form
  2. Resolution of LGU
  3. Source of Use of Funds Worksheet
  4. Responses addressing the Tasks outlined in the Required Tasks & Guidelines Document linked below

Links to all four required documents are below in green. For technical assistance, contact MASC at [email protected]

Submission Deadline: Friday, August 29, 2025 no later than 5:00 p.m. CT. 

Please submit an electronic copy to [email protected]. Optional: hard copies may be mailed to:

Attn: MASC- Mighty Ducks
1750 105th Ave. NE
Blaine, MN 55449

If mailing a hard copy, please notify MASC when mailed.

Grant History

The Mighty Ducks Ice Arena Grant Program was initiated in response to a shortage of available time on ice arenas in all regions of Minnesota.  It was a time of significant growth in all ice sports, but especially girls’ ice hockey.  The community was already facing a shortage of ice time even without a growing group of female hockey players, but their arrival on the Minnesota sports landscape made the issue even more pressing.  Instead of battling head-to-head against an already entrenched male hockey establishment, the MASC pioneered an innovative solution to resolve the shortage and provide greater access for girls to play hockey: help construct additional ice facilities.  Thus, the Mighty Ducks Ice Arena Grant Program was born.

 

View the complete grant award history here.
The grant program is authorized by Minnesota Statute 240A.09.
To view the Minnesota Reference Library report on the Mighty Ducks program – Click Here

Questions?  Contact us.

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