Feature Story

This is how you grow hockey

 

By Wally Shaver

Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

 

It is one of the best ideas I have seen come down the pipeline in many years. Any city in the state and any youth hockey association clamoring for more ice time should follow the lead the city of St. Paul has set.

I’ve used this space several times in the past to discuss this topic and had many conversations with legendary coach Herb Brooks about it as well. The answer to fulfilling hockey’s growing demands for more ice time makes so much common sense, I’ve never for the life of me figured out why city leaders and youth hockey boards couldn’t see this for themselves. 

The answer to just about any communities’ ice needs is outdoor refrigerated ice sheets. 

As you read this, two outdoor refrigerated rinks are being built, both on St. Paul’s east side where Herb Brooks grew up. Phalen Park, Brooks’ home ice, and North Dale will be the first two of three sheets to be built – the third will open next hockey season in the Highland area. 

In my opinion, the most terrific aspect of this development is the fact that the three rinks will cost about $300,000 each. Nowadays, you can’t touch an indoor arena of one sheet for less than $3 million. Talk about cost effectiveness and value for investment – this is a home run for hockey in St. Paul. 

You can thank a pair of Mayor Colemans for the resurgence of hockey in our capital city. It was Mayor Norm Coleman who spearheaded the efforts to get pro hockey back in the market with the Wild and Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul ten years ago. Now, Mayor Chris Coleman (no relation) has raised the banner at the grass-roots level to revitalize youth hockey in St. Paul.

St. Paul has addressed an issue that for whatever reason cannot be overlooked: usage of typical outdoor rinks (non-refrigerated) has become a bigger question mark than a Marian Gaborik healed groin. Outdoor ice is undependable because our recent weather patterns are unpredictable.

Whether you believe in global warming, humans contributing to the problem or just a natural cycle of planetary evolution, the facts speak clearly: the weather is warmer longer into the fall, affecting when outdoor ice is ready.

“It used to be early December was the average for outdoor ice to be ready,” said Jim McDonough, one of seven members of the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners. “But for the last six years, it has been well into late December. Our goal has always been to have the ice ready by Christmas vacation, but it just isn’t ready. It’s not from lack of effort; we’ve put the resources into it. Last year, outdoor ice wasn’t ready until Jan. 12. It’s been 15 years since we had skateable ice in November.”

So, with the lack of winter weather and wanting to broaden hockey participation on St. Paul’s east side, the city did their due diligence. “We’ve been met with amazing support. Naturally, some questions were raised due to total budget concerns of St. Paul. These issues were addressed. The operation costs are very well planned,” added McDonough.

“For example, we already have a budget for making outdoor ice. Some of our existing outdoor rinks are uneven. That means we have to apply huge amounts of water to get a level surface. With the new rinks, we can get by with under an inch of water and less maintenance.”

These rinks will be built with funding from the Neighborhood STAR grant program and a joint effort between the city of St. Paul and the Herb Brooks Foundation to raise private funding, which will represent about one third of the costs. 

Bob Smith of the St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department explained the construction process. “We’re pouring concrete bases, then putting the cooling coils on top, followed by a sand coating.  The upfront costs would have been greater if we imbedded the coils in the concrete. We’ll use wooden boards and chain link fence above them. These will be more useful, will last longer, will be less expensive and will help with vandalism issues. Our overall maintenance costs will be reduced. We’ll flood the ice with a pull-behind resurfacer attached to a tractor.”

Here is what I think is the best part.  Cost to skate on these new rinks is free. Yep, free. Typical indoor rinks cost $180 an hour to rent. “Open skating will be a priority. We’ll have some hockey association use but open hockey is primary,” said Smith.

McDonough, a former Phalen youth player and current mite program coordinator added, “the approach from Mayor Coleman was that if gyms can offer free basketball pickup games, why not do it for hockey? The city provides pools, gyms and parks for a variety of activities at no cost for St. Paul residents.  This is a step to meet the needs of hockey as well.”

“I can’t tell you the number of times every day we’d have kids calling to see if we had outdoor ice. There simply is no dependability on ice these days. Now, kids and coaches will know they have ice.”

The new outdoor rinks will have ice for five months, November through March. Most indoor rinks have their ice in for five to six months and some are year-round facilities.

In hockey-crazy Canada, the nation’s largest city of Toronto has 60 indoor hockey arenas. They also have 49 outdoor refrigerated rinks. If it can work there, it certainly can here. The only problem is, our youth hockey associations and city governments have to be more fiscally responsible and stop the craving for a ‘want’ of an indoor arena and instead, fulfill the ‘need’ of providing quality, dependable ice. We don’t need Taj Mahals when all we need is ice.

And how will this help grow hockey?  Simple. Indoor quality ice for free outdoors – they’ll be flocking there like geese getting ready to head south. “We’re looking at broadening hockey on the east side,” said McDonough. “We feel this will grow hockey at the mite and introductory levels. Because it’s dependable, we’ll get more kids. They’ll then bring their friends and get them into rink rat hockey. We also feel this will help with the minority population because in the summer, all we’ll do is remove the sand and pipes and kids can play inline hockey. When winter comes around, some of these kids will give ice hockey a try.”

Don’t worry about outdoor temperatures and don’t be a wuss. Get your butt outside and play some pick-up hockey. Like mom always said, the fresh air will do you good. So will a good old-fashioned game of pick-up hockey. This is a smart investment.

 

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