LEWISTON – The new operators of the Colisee want to put the Hanna Montana crowd on ice.

Next Friday, Oct. 24, the arena plans to open exclusively for 12- to 16-year-olds for “Friday Teen Night.” If it goes well, workers hope to make it a weekly event, keeping the arena busy when the Maineiacs are out of town.

“We always have people asking, ‘When can we skate?'” said Jim Mercier, the Colisee’s box office manager. “We’re trying to answer the question.”

Since taking over this summer, arena operators Firland Management Inc. have refocused the Colisee, putting less emphasis on its capability to host concerts and more on its ice.

With the new hockey season, the facility began opening for afternoon pickup games and Sunday afternoon open skating sessions.

The Friday night skate is meant to be part of that effort.

Plans call for the venue to open for two hours, from 8 to 10 p.m. Concessions and the pro shop will open. Mercier is also hoping to bring in local radio stations to create theme nights, as they lower a disco ball and dim the lights.

“We’re going to go ahead and turn the music up,” Mercier said.

He also promised a safe environment.

Ideally, parents will be able to drop kids off at the door at the start without worry. The arena will hire security to augment the Colisee staff that will already be on hand, Mercier said. Kids will be encouraged to stay put until they have a ride home.

Firland has done the same thing at two other arenas. In both cases, they became confident once the sessions caught on.

The price will be $5 to get in and $3 to rent a pair of skates for the night.

“The kids don’t have much to do,” Mercier said. Most at that age hang out at friends’ homes or go to the movies.

“We’re trying to give kids and their parents another option,” he said.