Hobey Baker Memorial Rink is a 2,092-seat hockey arena and home to the Princeton University Tigers men's and women's ice hockey teams as well as the venue for club and intramural hockey teams, intramural broomball, figure skating and recreational skating. Capacity: 5,333 seating for Hockey games. As a result of the articles that Adam has sent us . Boxing legends Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Lewis and Marvin Hagler all had bouts within its walls even the great Muhammad Ali trained in its gym. It may not have extravagant food choices like sushi or health food, but every college hockey fan should come here. Kirrane Rink at Larz Anderson Park. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com. This rivalry, known as The Battle for the Gold Pan, is one of the oldest and most played in college hockey. With one entire side of the rink (except for the overhanging balcony with a few hundred club seats) designated as student seating, and Michigans excellent band getting the entire crowd fired up, there is plenty of school spirit in the air. Former UND defenseman Matt Smaby, who plays a physical game, said he had to make adjustments going from the NHL to the big rinks in Germany, where he won back-to-back championships. In 1959, PAW wrote about a strange new animal, the Zamboni. Also, college hockey has become a more prominent path to the NHL, setting records nearly annually for alums in the league. It made an impression: When she asked the kids to help name the familys new goldendoodle puppy, they chose Hobey.. It goes without saying that Lynah is a hostile environment for visiting squads and perhaps accounts for Big Red winning 70 percent of its games since Lyna opened its doors. Im pretty sure that some of you may disagree with some of the rinks I included, or, even more likely, you think I left some off that should have made the cut. Opened in 1959, its wooden bleachers seat 2,000 fans but sellout games are rare, except on occasions when the Raiders nemesis, the Cornell Big Red, is playing against them. Dee Stadium, also called The Dee, is located on the same site as the Amphidrome, which is regarded as the birthplace of professional hockey, and is the seventh oldest indoor ice rink in the world. Originally called Boston Arena, the building has hosted a broad spectrum of events: political rallies for figures such as Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy; boxing matches featuring Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Marvin Hagler; and, professional wrestling, rock concerts, and more. Simply put, its because of the fans. Both the mens and womens teams have been strong for the last few years, and that makes seeing a game at Matthews more fun, but really, this arena should be a must for any college hockey fan. College hockey's biggest games are all played on NHL sheets now, too. Many of Moores favorite Baker memories are not of game nights, though. Designed by Eero Saarinen, the same architect responsible for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Ingalls Rink holds the distinction of being one of the few skating rinks to be included in the pages of Architectural Digest magazine. It has hosted a slew of hockey historical games including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Mens Hockey Division in the 1960s; and the womens division in later years. No longer were colleges trying to recruit and develop players with the Olympics in mind. The Staples Center had to change from a Kings ice hockey rink to a Lakers basketball court to a Clippers basketball court and back over the course of less than a week. City: Burlington, Vermont So, coaches say it's important to have teams that can play on both types of rinks. Hockey and the NHL were fine then, but it sure helped college hockey, because a lot of those kids were college hockey players on that team. "I think it was a buzz that it would create more creativity and more puck skills," said Rick Comley, the longtime college hockey coach who was at Northern Michigan when its Olympic rink was built. Comley, who served as head coach of teams with both NHL and Olympic ice sheets, said he thought it was harder to go from a small sheet to a big one. This tweet from one of Cornells many hockey blogs sums up the intimidation factor of the one of the great old hockey arenas. In addition to being a Physical Education Professor, J. Howard Starr served as coach from 1932 until 1950. The 1990s and the 2000s saw the addition of at least 10 state of the art movie theaters- including a 65-foot wide ultra screen. However, I am going to miss some of the old barns. Jason Spezza, Darren McCarty, Al Iafrate also played in Belleville. I guess this list should be best on the east coast? One major reason the Islanders will be leaving Nassau County is Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray. Public Skating Schedule Groups of 15 or more may receive a discount on public skating admissions and skate rentals. Location: Brown University On the lower level, just six rows of seats surround the playing surface, so no spectator is more than about 20 feet from the ice. Address: 250 University Drive, University Park PA 16802. "In our game right now, the more you can make yourself flexible as a group, the better off you're going to be," Hastings said. Saints games at the 3200-seat Appleton draw good crowds, even though St. Lawrences enrollment is only about 2400, and the population of Canton is less than 7,000. The program also has produced a large number of NHL players; some current ones include Kyle Connor, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, and Max Pacioretty. However, that was said in 1972. The answer to Dukes Cameron Crazies, intimidation is the name of the game in Lynah, and fans are known to welcome visiting teams by pelting them with everything from fish (Harvard Crimson) to Colgate toothpaste boxes (Colgate Raiders). Murray who is clearly not a fan of hockey saw the site the Islanders play on as a potential to make more money for the county than the Islanders did. Stepping on the ice from the tunnel is always a great feeling, she says. UND has already played eight games this season on Olympic sheets-the most since it joined the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2013. This outdoor public skating rink in North Conway sits just in front of the train station in the center of the village. It also has yellow industrial beams that arch above the scoreboard and fit the teams color scheme nicely. Last sweep? Theres very few bad seats in the place, said Revello, who now runs the New York sports magazine, NYSportScene. Some are old-school barns, others massive three-bowl arenas. Located in the city of Denver, this school offers . University Bag Policy. When the building was first opened, then NHL commissioner Clarence Campbell called the arena magnificent.. Over the next two decades, Olympic rinks became one of college hockey's hottest trends. But Im guessing that even now, Cornells best tool to win over recruits is simply to have them come to Lynah Rink for a game and imagine playing in that environment. Bench seating for 600, the hallways and walkways are more than little narrow. He added that Copps Coliseum is too big, but Belleville would need a 4,000 seat arena in order to get an OHL team. The original wooden bleachers and distinctive wooden ceiling give it a Swiss ski lodge vibe. I think with something like college hockey rinks, which are much more unique than professional arenas, theres bound to be differences of opinion. Fans have already been trying to get the league to bring a team back. Its first game was played on Dec. 29, 1902, between the Portage Lakes Hockey Club and the University of Toronto in front of 5,000 spectators. St. This is true even though the mens team has struggled mightily in recent years, and the womens team has fallen to the middle of the pack in the last few years too. After Anchorage's Sullivan Arena became the first, St. Minnesota and Minnesota State soon followed. Capacity: 5,704. Northeastern bought the arena in 1979 and renamed it after an alumnus who funded its renovation a few years later. When the Bulldogs play arch-rival Harvard or neighbor Quinnipiac, its downright electric. There have been un-supported reports of a Sydney rink on Pitt Street in the late 1870s-early 1880s, which research has not been able to corroborate. Prior to its construction, the team played on an outdoor rink rebuilt every winter on the campus grounds. The Saddledome is one of the oldest arenas in the NHL, but there are few places in the league where you can enjoy a more exciting atmosphere. Your email address will not be published. The Islanders franchise is on the upswing, but it will be a shame that the fans in Long Island will have to travel to Brooklyn to enjoy it. Location: Boston. This page is for the venues that have housed the great teams and great games, both past and present. Top 10 Oldest Hockey Programs in Women's Division 3. The hockey fan now has state-of-the-art seats, a wide array of fancy and healthy food selections, craft beers and all the amenities such as WiFi and other modern-day conveniences. But I would recommend visiting Vermont and Quinnipiac. We often associate that role with rinks on the Canadian prairies, or in the upper Midwest of the U.S., but I think its true in other places too. Roller Skating Surfaces: 1. A Guide To Hockey-Related Gifts For The Holidays (2020 Edition), Famous Hockey Father And Son Combos (Happy Fathers Day), Keep It Real: My True Hockey Sticks Review (2021 Edition), A Guide To Hockey-Related Gifts For The Holidays (2020 Edition), Review Of The New Bauer Supreme Skates (2020), Recommended Hockey Stickhandling Training Tools (For Off-Ice), A Fathers Day Post About Hockey And Dads, Go With The Flow Great Hockey Hairstyles. I hear you, and all I can do is basically repeat what I said in response to Dons comment below my preferences in college rink styles happen to be for older and smaller. We know what you're thinking: A nyone can flood a field and call it an ice rink. Speaking of best seats, The Guts unusual seating configuration in which majority of the seats are behind both goals is useful for Vermont Catamount fans, as it makes the visiting teams goalies vulnerable to the endless taunts, jeers, and thunderous roars raining from behind them. Like going to a baseball game at Fenway or Wrigley, you feel like youre in a cathedral of the sport. Hockey draws a lot of local fans along with students, and while the crowds might not be as loud as at some schools, they are knowledgeable and very loyal. You can . Anyway, I appreciate the comment, and maybe Ill have to do another best arenas post someday focused on schools in the Midwest and West! ESPNs Barry Melrose waxed poetically about the place as one of the best old hockey arenas. However, supporters are pointing to the dramatic turnaround of their former regional rival, the Kingston Frontenacs, after the building of the K-Rock Centre. This is a list of arenas that currently serve as the home venue for NCAA Division I college ice hockey teams. Capacity: 4,666 seating for Hockey games, 5,066 seating for Basketball games. The building opened with a game between the Princeton varsity and Bakers former teammates from the St. Nicholas Hockey Club. The team will be without OHL hockey for the first time since the early 80s. NHL arenas are cookie-cutter, but college hockey rinks have that variety that I love about baseball fields. In Michigan's case, the building has a history dating back to 1923, but it was primarily a basketball arena before it was converted into a hockey rink in the 1970s. The Houston Field House used to be a US Navy warehouse. But without a rink on campus, his Princeton teams played their home games in Manhattan. I want to visit more college rinks, and doing the research for this post has helped me narrow down which ones are at the top of my hit list. Swift 73, who later wrote about that season for Sports Illustrated his first byline in a 32-year career at the magazine says interest in the team grew as the losses piled up: We were very much like the old Mets.. Matthews Arena has been around for over 100 years, the oldest arena still in use for hockey. The energetic and talented Cornell band is a big part of the action, too. Two years older than Fenway Park, the Matthews Arena is where the Boston Bruins made their debut. That will be a standard NHL sheet. Plus, take advantage of free . . Hobey Baker Memorial Rink - Princeton University Known as the oldest NCAA arena used for solely ice hockey still in use today. I love hearing what makes a rink stand out to somebody else, and maybe I or other readers will be inspired to take a road trip. The hockey programs at Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Tufts and, of course, Northeastern all had their . The wooden bleachers, which seat 3500, follow the same contour and are perfectly symmetrical around the rink. Only two were true NHL sheets (Clarkson and Mercyhurst). UKIAH Skate City Roller Center, 2146 S State St, Ukiah. Watch your favorite athletes and teams from your phone, computer, tablet or TV. This rink was dedicated to the longest serving Hockey coach of Colgate University. I guess some of the fans are holding onto unrealistic open-ended return, Revello said. The dimensions originate from the size of the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. There's a lot of history in Boston, so Northeastern's Matthews Arena might not seem old compared to Fanueil Hall or Old North Church, but when it comes to hockey arenas, Matthews is ancient. "We decided to go with an Olympic-sized ice sheet. The Olympic-sized ice sheets have always been-and still are-prevalent in Europe and international hockey. Game Time. Chicago. Old Barns and New Complexes Highlight the List, I wrote about the best college hockey uniforms. photo source: decc.org. The wider ice sheet would have multiple benefits: It would give players more time and space to increase creativity; it would allow the school to pitch recruits that they could train to be the next Olympians; and it could potentially help Anchorage in a bid to host a future Winter Olympics. It got a major renovation in 2010, which included upgrades for teams (locker rooms, training room, strength and conditioning facility, lounge areas) and spectators (restrooms, concessions, and a heritage area showcasing Yales long hockey history). Capacity: 3,200 seating for Hockey games. make this a very enjoyable place to watch a game. Fun Facts About NHL Teams & Arenas. Cara Morey, head coach of the womens hockey team, often talks with recruits whove never seen the tiger-adorned wooden doors, stone walls, and exposed steel rafters of Baker Rink, the historic home of Princeton hockey. We see that you have javascript disabled. Live Stats NEC Front Row Photo Galleries Press Clippings RSS Feeds Social Media Directory Merrimack Athletics Complex Lawler Rink Hammel Court Blue Line Club & Luxury Suites Gallant Arena Andover YMCA Duane Stadium Martone . That was always the case in Europe. He has served as an assistant coach at St. You might hear the music before you even see the illuminated outdoor rink at the corner of Saint-Catherine Street and Clark! Christiansen, the head coach of the Alaska Anchorage men's hockey team, brought two pillars of the city's hockey community-Harry McDonald and Dempsey Anderson-to inform mayor George Sullivan that the ice surface was scheduled to be smaller than regulation. When its 2,100 seats are filled for games against the Tigers rivals or the programs annual Blackout Baker night (when fans dress in black and students receive free T-shirts), it reminds Morey of junior hockey rinks in her native Canada, where whole towns come out to see their teams play. Apparently, hockey has been played in this prep school since its inception in . Some programs sell recruits on the fact that they'll be developing on the same sized ice sheets they'll use in the pros. Aviator Hockey offers a wide array of Youth In-House Recreational Leagues, How to Play Developmental (ATOMs), Travel Hockey Program (Aviator Hockey Club) Tier 1-'AAA' and Tier 2-'AA' as well as Tier 3-'A' & Adult Recreational Hockey Leagues as well as Adult Learn to Play. Others may soon find a way to adjust their rink sizes as the era of Olympic rinks in college hockey seems to be over. A year after he was hired at Minnesota State in 2012, the Verizon Center was set to undergo major renovations. Maybe Ill get nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The arena has a distinct feel as a spectator. "If you're going into Western Michigan, you better be able to play heavy or they're going to get a hold of you. I dont know if it was nostalgia or if I just didnt connect the way I used to with old place. I think for defensemen, gap control and D-zone coverage is a little bit different.". This month, the mens and womens teams will celebrate its centennial with a pair of doubleheaders against Harvard and Dartmouth Jan. 6 and 7. Location: Cornell University The Lynah Faithful, as they are known, have a well-earned reputation for being as loud and passionate as any fan base in the country. Located at the south end of Grant Street, the wooden building possessed an ice surface of 75' x 150'. The nation's second-oldest college hockey arena behind Matthews Arena at Northeastern University and just two years older than Hobey Baker Rink at Princeton has housed the Continentals since 1921. Sometimes a shiny new college arena can feel a little bland, like a generic minor league rink. Formerly known as the Boston Arena, the Matthews Arena holds the distinction of being The Oldest Hockey Rink in the United States. This historic athletic palace was supposed to open on December 25, 1909 but delays in construction pushed back the opening a year later in April. The first indoor hockey in skating rink to be built on the Mesabi Iron Range was constructed at Eveleth by Andy O'Hare of Winnipeg in the fall of 1902. Location: Yale University 9. The arena opened in spring 2016, and received plenty of use before the expansion Golden Knights began play last fall and has since emerged as a fine hockey venue. First up is Cornells Lynah Rink. The Isles have seen a lot of success and failures over the years. The official facility page for the Merrimack College Warriors . It's a completely different game for goalies and defensemen. And privately, hockey officials at New Hampshire and Northern Michigan have talked about a desire to shrink their ice sheets. It opened in March 1996, and has since hosted the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, as . The rinks namesake, Hobey Baker 1914, was Princetons first hockey star, earning a reputation as the one you could not take your eyes off, according to Tim Rappleye, author of the 2018 biography Hobey Baker: Upon Further Review. Another nice thing about Compton is that there are actually two sheets of ice; in addition to the main rink (named the Charles W. Lefty Smith Jr. Rink, after Notre Dames first hockey coach), theres also an Olympic-sized sheet used for community programs, public skating, preparation for when Notre Dame has a road game on a larger sheet, etc. Now, without further ado, from the remaining 55 teams in the nation, here are the 10 arenas that Id like to visit. Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. "All of your angles are different and you can easily get off your angles. At least at the college level, those are more typical in the East. After a great run from 2009 to 2016 with six NCAA tournament appearances in eight years, including a national championship in 2013, the mens team has hovered around .500 for the past several seasons. Cloud State was next. Founded in 1912, it is one of the oldest skating clubs in the United States, and a founding member of U.S. But it's something that was debating and discussed quite extensively when we had the option to change, because we had to tear up our floor and get a new ice plant. Community Rink Phone Number: 814-865-4102. "There's so much room and they are so different. Regardless, youll be watching high-level hockey in a quintessential old barn, while surrounded by knowledgeable, die-hard fans. NHL arenas are cookie-cutter, but college hockey rinks have that variety that I love about baseball fields. Year opened: 1923 Year opened: 1959 It underwent a $23.5 million renovation in 2009. "I'd say it's too bad when the NHL built all these new rinks, it's too bad they didn't build them 90 feet-giving it five more feet because guys are so much bigger now. In Europe, it really depends on the game. UND is one of the fortunate programs that has the ability to practice on either rink size in its home building. Tickets must be purchased in advance at either Pegula Ice Arena or by phone at 814-865-4102. Location: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Northeastern has sent a handful of players to the NHL over the years, from old-timers like Chris Nilan to active players like Zach Aston-Reese, Adam Gaudette, Josh Manson, and Jamie Oleksiak, among others. . It seats 4500, mostly in chair-backed seats; additional standing-room space puts the total capacity at 5,022. Despite being an older building, Yost is an enjoyable place for spectators to take in a game thanks to several renovations andimprovements: a video board, more premium seating, lighting and sound system upgrades, a roomier concourse, and more. The other five NCHC teams all play on NHL sheets but do not practice on Olympic rinks before playing games on the big sheet (Omaha used to practice on an Olympic rink in town under Blais, but hasn't under first-year coach Mike Gabinet).