In recent years, ice rinks all over the Midwest have been shut down due to the enormous amount of money needed to make mandatory repairs. The necessary sum for repairs can reach up to millions of dollars, initially putting the needs of the cities above the ice rinks, leaving the facilities to close. The loss of ice rinks leaves cities without the opportunity to pursue ice sports.
Ice skating and ice hockey are two ice sports that generate the most revenue for ice rinks. As rinks close, these teams are left with no ice and have to find new rinks that result in farther travel.
In a market research report updated in August of 2024, the high demand for ice skating generated revenue across the U.S. The research also found that as figure skating’s popularity waned, there was a growth in interest for ice hockey. Whether it be for ice hockey skating lessons or ticket sales, this attracts customers also boosting revenue for ice rinks.
In Dayton, Ohio, the Kettering Ice Arena’s future will be determined this year as a part of a study with parks and recreation. The rink houses multiple city hockey organizations and it would range from $10 to $15 million to demolish or repair the facility. As the ice rink is a part of parks and recreation, the plan for future improvements would rely on the study conducted with residents, city officials, staff and community groups to develop goals for programs and services for the Kettering Ice Arena’s future.
Parks and recreation facilities such as the Kettering Ice Arena bring sports fan’s dreams to life. Children and adults who watch ice hockey or figure skating on TV want to get on the ice and experience skating for themselves. Without ice rinks, sports fans such as these won’t be the next Wayne Gretzky or Michelle Kwan if they don’t have the resources, such as an ice rink, in their cities.
In Delaware, the Centre Ice Rink is set to close in May. Eric Eldrige, the vice president of 120-member the Delmarva Raptors Youth Ice Hockey program, was informed of the rink’s closure in a conference call last month. “We were blindsided,” Eldrige said to Delaware Online. “It’s very frustrating that there wasn’t even a conversation, and the different groups weren’t given the opportunity to… find investors, go to legislators, ask for funding.”
Ice rinks being home to many programs such as, youth, adult and veteran skating programs feel the loss of losing a home arena, especially in an instance where they wish more could have been done prior to the announcement of a permanent closure.
Bird Ice Arena had a temporary closure for the entirety of the 2024 fall semester, making teams fall behind. In an article by The Post, the synchronized skating team as well as the OU men’s hockey team had to relocate practices as the rink had been closed for months longer than anticipated.
The rink closed unexpectedly due to accommodating equipment repairs that had to do with ice maintenance. Due to the closure, the men’s hockey team had to cancel games or relocate them to the opposing team’s home venue. The synchronized skating team told The Post that the ice closure put the team behind in preparation for the season by months.
As Bird Arena was shut down for longer than anticipated, fans, coaches and athletes were committed to showing up for their teams yet due to the timing of it all, plans for both teams’ respective seasons struggled.
Rinks keep cities engaged in ice sports. With the growth in interest in ice hockey and skating, residents want to put on the skates themselves and get on the ice. Repairs and maintenance to ice rinks are not a small feat, costing hundreds of dollars. However, if there is a way to get in front of repairs and catch them early on, ice communities would not have to suffer the end result of a temporary or permanent closure of the facility.
Daphne Graeter is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Daphne know by emailing her at dg422421@ohio.edu.
