As the 2004–05 ECHL season approached, Victoria's new arena, the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, was not going to be ready by the start of the season. In response, the ECHL scheduled the Salmon Kings to begin their inaugural season with a 14-game road trip. This was still not enough time for the arena to be completed, and the Salmon Kings were forced to secure ice time in the Bear Mountain Arena in the suburban community of Colwood, which had been constructed for the junior 'A' Victoria Salsa and the Victoria Shamrocks box lacrosse teams.