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Mariners fans at Cross Insurance Arena cheer during a 2023 game. The team and Cumberland County agreed to a five-year lease extension on Tuesday. (Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer)

The Maine Mariners will continue to play at Cross Insurance Arena through at least the 2029-30 season after the team and Cumberland County agreed to a five-year lease extension, the team announced Tuesday.

The Mariners have played at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland for all seven years of their existence.

Maine plays in the ECHL and is the second-tier affiliate of the Boston Bruins. The Mariners and Bruins reached a three-year extension on their affiliate agreement earlier this month.

he Mariners averaged 4,521 fans per game last season, continuing a steady rise in attendance in recent seasons for the franchise, which played its first season in 2018-19. According to the website HockeyDB.com, Maine’s average attendance has risen from 2,998 in 2018-19.

“Today is a landmark day for our organization as we proudly secure our home at the Cross Insurance Arena for the next five seasons,” said Mariners owner and governor Dexter Paine in a statement. “This arena has been the heart of hockey in Portland for decades, and we are honored to keep building on that tradition.

Cross Insurance Arena, formerly known as the Cumberland County Civic Center, was previously the home of the original Maine Mariners from 1977-92 and the Portland Pirates (1993-2016), both AHL franchises.

The Mariners open the 2025-26 season on Oct. 18, on the road against the Worcester Railers. They play their home opener the following day against Reading.