Vail Yeti hockey team’s final game at Dobson Ice Arena is Saturday
Madison Rahhal/Courtesy photo
The Vail Yeti will wrap up its final season in Dobson as we know it on Saturday in a matchup against the Scottsdale Desert Dogs.
It will be the second of a two-part series that started Friday with another matchup against the Desert Dogs.
Dobson Ice Arena will then undergo a major remodel starting this spring, with the price tag expected to land north of $50 million. When the arena reopens in the winter of 2026-27, there’s no guarantee it will still be called Dobson, so the Yeti are celebrating Saturday as the team’s last game in Dobson as we know it.
For the team’s final season in Dobson, an extra special calendar was planned, in which the Yeti enjoyed 21 home games against teams from across the country. In one notable event, the Yeti played against the Empty Netters Podcast team, leaving host Dan Powers with a broken rib after pair of games in January.
Team owner Kyle Forte says he’s excited about what the future will bring for the Vail ice arena, which will be expanded to accommodate more fans and will have larger locker rooms and more bathrooms for visitors.
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But next season could also be an opportunity for the Yeti, Forte said, if the team ends up playing its games at the Town of Eagle Pool and Ice Rink.
“I see it as an opportunity for us to make fans out of the people from Eagle who aren’t making the journey to Vail right now,” Forte said.
The Eagle Pool and Ice Rink will only accommodate 400 fans, as opposed to the approximately 1,400 that Dobson can host, so it will be a challenge in terms of selling tickets, Forte said.
“Having 1,000 less people might be painful, but in a weird way, it’s going to make it more exclusive,” he said.
Yeti tickets are $15 if purchased in advance and $20 at the door. Games often sell out and a long line usually forms for those waiting to enter the arena, so getting there early and purchasing tickets in advance is always recommended. Saturday’s puck drop is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.; tickets are available for pre-purchase at VailYetiHockey.com.
