Butler County will have a major role in the professional sports world, if a joint plan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and UPMC — to build a first-of-its-kind hockey-only training, practice and sports medicine facility — is developed.

With Cranberry Township’s attractiveness because of its location and quality of life — both from a residential and business standpoint — and local leaders’ demonstrated ability to surmount obstacles, there is reason for optimism that the UPMC-Pens proposal will become a reality.

For Butler County, the proposal is a big deal. It’s a bigger deal for the Pens and hospital network, whose teamwork in this venture could lead to major inroads in the treatment of hockey injuries, especially concussions.

Albert Wright, who oversees UPMC’s sports medicine programs and facilities, said the Butler County facility would be used to expand the hospital’s pioneering programs in diagnosing and treating concussions, an injury receiving attention not only in the National Hockey League but also in the National Football League.

Cranberry already is home to a world-class facility, Westinghouse Electric Co.’s new headquarters complex. The plan on the drawing board for the Pens and UPMC has world-class potential, because of the impact it could have on all levels of hockey.

Meanwhile, the facility also would be open to athletes in other sports as well.

“We’ll take care of everyone from professional athletes to the weekend warrior,” Wright said.

The 150,000-square-foot facility, targeted for land UPMC is buying off Route 228 near the Westinghouse complex, would be targeted to open in the summer of 2014. A rink that would be part of the facility would become the Penguins’ main practice facility when Consol Energy Center isn’t available.

The Cranberry rink, which would replace the team’s practice facility at the Iceoplex at Southpointe in Washington County, also would be used for the team’s training camp each year and for the development camp for NHL prospects.

UPMC would build and own the facility, whose estimated cost has yet to be determined. The Penguins would lease the ice rink and related facilities from the hospital.

Once the facility opens, Cranberry’s name would become recognizable in the hockey world, not as a game destination, but for something as important as the action on the ice.

Beyond the sports-related opportunity for the county, there will be tax advantages for Cranberry, county government and the Seneca Valley School District. The parts of the facility leased by the Penguins will be taxable.

The proposed facility represents another argument for ending foot-dragging over improving Route 228 from Cranberry to Route 8. In part, that’s because the new rink, when not being used by the Penguins, will be open to the public for skating and other events. A Pittsburgh newspaper listed some of the uses as youth, high school and college hockey games; hockey camps; skating classes; and learn-to-play programs.

The rink also will be the home of the new Penguins-sponsored Elite youth hockey program.

Township officials will determine whether the proposed site is proper for what is being proposed. If there is a way to have the facility conform with what would be in close proximity to it, Cranberry, by virtue of its past successes, has the ability to do what’s necessary to get that done.

Good news is a regular product emanating from Cranberry. It can be presumed that scoring this success would open additional doors for the township and county — doors until now never envisioned or possible, including on the specialized-medicine front.