Arenas and Financial Impact: I am not saying that the public should pony up $300 million or more every time an owner wants a new stadium. But ask the owners of businesses around NHL arenas if these facilities don't have an impact on the local economy.

The city of Detroit, for example, estimates that it receives $10 million in direct revenue from hockey games over the course of a season, from sources including parking, public transportation, concession sales at Joe Louis Arena and a surcharge on Red Wings tickets. And according to David Littmann, the chief economist for Comerica, a financial services company that has its headquarters in the city, the hockey season can pump as much as $85 million into the local economy.



And though Detroit will survive, said Albert Fields, the deputy chief operating officer for the city, many small businesses may not.

Again, this doesn't mean the public should finance every dollar of every arena. And building a new arena is no guarantee of an economic upturn. But at least some public money should be used, because these facilities do benefit the public and have some impact on the local economy.

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