Worst Hockey Rinks to Play In

[smalltownhockey21]

Minnetonka has some pretty lame rinks...I know the bottom one I believe that is almost like a practice rink...I played there a few times, it always smelled like fish....

[gerryodrowski]

Minnetonka bubble - ice falling from the ceiling.

Fairgrounds Coliseum - dingy, smelly, horrible atmosphere.

[Nodak Sioux]

I think they may have improved it now but 10 years ago it was horrible, I agree. When you went up the stairs to the bleachers you had to really be paying attention to the game because at that point the glass was only about 3 ft high.

I know the girls coach in northfield and 1.2 million was put into renovations. It is much more comfortable temperature wise in there but locker rooms are tiny. They added a dehumidifier that really helped the temp and the quality of the ice. Sad to think that this one sheet has to house an entire youth association, both high school programs and men's and women's college programs.

If there is a need for a 2nd sheet of ice, Northfield is the place no doubt. St Olaf still hasn't build a rink? I'm surprised they don't do a cooperative effort with Carlton, maybe Carlton doesn't have a team?

You are completley right. Northfield has the worst rink in the state by far. You can maybe fit 8 players in a single locker room.

[gretzguy]

With all the late season stalagmites, Osseo West can be down right dangerous.

[#4]

The older rink in Cloquet prior to the roof renovation.

The glass was notched for low ceiling support beams, players bench had only one door, the press box over the penalty box was forehead high and the locker rooms were horrible.

Osseo West goes with Cloquet at the bottom of the list.

[Just_Another_Fan]

The older rink in Cloquet prior to the roof renovation.

The glass was notched for low ceiling support beams, players bench had only one door, the press box over the penalty box was forehead high and the locker rooms were horrible.

Osseo West goes with Cloquet at the bottom of the list.

I totally forgot about old cloquet! When I was a squirt i had to jump those boards due to the one door. The boards were super high and we basically had to skate full steam and hurl ourselves over the boards. Our parents thought it was the funniest thing they ever saw.

[MNHockeyFan]

Most here are way too young to remember, but Albert Lea used to have a rink that was literally squeezed into an old barn. The ice surface, at best, was half the size of a regular rink, both way shorter and way narrower. The blue lines were only 30-35 feet from the goal so any shot from the point was a "quality scoring chance".

Also to make maximum use of the limited space in the barn the corners were just that - corners - so a puck going around the boards would take all kinds of weird bounces and usually end up in the middle some place. Since this was Albert Lea's home rink, they of course knew all of the places to angle the puck and be in a position to receive it. It was like pinball on ice where skating skills became secondary.

[PoniesDad45]

Pine Valley rink in Cloquet (the old one).

Colder inside than out and the weirdest bleachers I've ever seen!

[PoniesDad45]

Most here are way too young to remember, but Albert Lea used to have a rink that was literally squeezed into an old barn. The ice surface, at best, was half the size of a regular rink, both way shorter and way narrower. The blue lines were only 30-35 feet from the goal so any shot from the point was a "quality scoring chance".

Also to make maximum use of the limited space in the barn the corners were just that - corners - so a puck going around the boards would take all kinds of weird bounces and usually end up in the middle some place. Since this was Albert Lea's home rink, they of course knew all of the places to angle the puck and be in a position to receive it. It was like pinball on ice where skating skills became secondary.

Heh, that sounds awesome

[rangefan]

Not a huge fan of miners memorial building in virginia

[hockeydad]

My guess there is a few bad rinks I have not been in, but the Northfield rink was not very good.

I think they may have improved it now but 10 years ago it was horrible, I agree. When you went up the stairs to the bleachers you had to really be paying attention to the game because at that point the glass was only about 3 ft high.

I know the girls coach in northfield and 1.2 million was put into renovations. It is much more comfortable temperature wise in there but locker rooms are tiny. They added a dehumidifier that really helped the temp and the quality of the ice. Sad to think that this one sheet has to house an entire youth association, both high school programs and men's and women's college programs.

The 1.2 million would have been better spent as seed money toward a new rink. The benches are so small, the varsity can barely fit on it... the backup goalie has to sit on a folding chair. And the locker rooms are so small even a squirt team of 13 players has trouble moving around in there. Most of the improvements were to the entrance... at least they have a workable concession stand now, but does anyone remember the french fry vending machine they used to ahve there? Between varsity adn JV games I'd duck out across the parking lot to the burger king that was tehre . before someone firebombed it... I think it's a Wendy's now.

[HockeyMN1]

The rink in Hallock. If you're there, you're in Hallock.

[hollywoodsmom]

The rink in Hallock. If you're there, you're in Hallock.

Exactly. And your no where else. Coldest place on earth and at it feels like you've driven to the end of the world. WOW. Who could forget those basement lockerrooms - scary.

[clutterbuck22]

They need to do something with the ice at the Rec Center, especially in the corner when you first come in. Anyone know if it's easy to fix that?

[HockeyMN1]

The rink in Hallock. If you're there, you're in Hallock.

Exactly. And your no where else. Coldest place on earth and at it feels like you've driven to the end of the world. WOW. Who could forget those basement lockerrooms - scary.

The nostalgia wears off pretty quick when it's -40.

[bender09]

warroad the marvin gardens worst rink ever made.

[getontheline]

White Bear Lake community rink- worst i can recall

[blindref]

1. Windom: Horse barn, volleyball net on sides, baseball fence on ends
2. Old Minnetonka bubble: Alaska, with plywood
3. Moundsview: Cold, dark boards are three feet thick. Ref room in lobby.
4. Old Buffalo: Cold, bad ice, phone booth locker rooms with old lazy boys and couches
5. Osseo West
6. Old Breck: No hockey rink should be yellow
7. Northfield: Dump with non OSHA approved Zamboni
8. Sauk Rapids: Before remodel, just plain brual
9. Hopkins
10. Columbia

[fromdanorth]

Not a huge fan of miners memorial building in virginia

must be a Virginia hater or haven't played or watched in very many rinks

[DmanDad1980]

Most here are way too young to remember, but Albert Lea used to have a rink that was literally squeezed into an old barn. The ice surface, at best, was half the size of a regular rink, both way shorter and way narrower. The blue lines were only 30-35 feet from the goal so any shot from the point was a "quality scoring chance".

Also to make maximum use of the limited space in the barn the corners were just that - corners - so a puck going around the boards would take all kinds of weird bounces and usually end up in the middle some place. Since this was Albert Lea's home rink, they of course knew all of the places to angle the puck and be in a position to receive it. It was like pinball on ice where skating skills became secondary.

When we visited to play AL, locker rooms were actually former animal pens, complete with pieces of straw in the corners and certain farm animal excrement aromas still lingering...

Ah the good old days of peewees and bantams...

[DmanDad1980]

I know the girls coach in northfield and 1.2 million was put into renovations. It is much more comfortable temperature wise in there but locker rooms are tiny. They added a dehumidifier that really helped the temp and the quality of the ice. Sad to think that this one sheet has to house an entire youth association, both high school programs and men's and women's college programs.

If there is a need for a 2nd sheet of ice, Northfield is the place no doubt. St Olaf still hasn't build a rink? I'm surprised they don't do a cooperative effort with Carlton, maybe Carlton doesn't have a team?

You are completley right. Northfield has the worst rink in the state by far. You can maybe fit 8 players in a single locker room.

Opened in 1975... The day it opened it was the worst rink in MN...
Complete w/ all the following:
- glove and jersey snaring cage surrounding the end boards, leaving many a player helplessly hanging until either a glove is left in the wire, or a ref came over to detangle...
- a Tenant (Zamboni off brand) resurfacing machine that each time the ice was done, made more one player sick from carbon monoxide asphyxiation...
- locker rooms made to accomodate an intimate dinner for 2, rather than 20 high school putting gear and skates on...
- stands which allowed adoring crowds/fans the opportunity to reach out and touch a player as they skated by on the ice...

St. Olaf has approached the City of Northfield about building a shared ice facility and were told no. Olaf has also been trying to gain donors to build their own facility next the Sports Complex up on the hill... Carleton does not have a MIAC Men's Hockey team, but has a club team, although I beleive that Carleton has been thinking about a women's MIAC hockey team in the last few years...

[no-fly-bys]

Remember the Bubble in IGH. Pucks were always hitting the ceiling. I know it got moved out to Tartan with Wakotas old score board. Is it still there?

[keepyourheadup]

The Northfield situation is really too bad, the hockey board has been working for at least 15 years to try and get something done and by and large have gotten no where. This community has a very difficult time supporting youth hockey. A number of years ago the board purchased the lumber and constructed a set of boards for an outdoor rink as there where zero outdoor rinks. The city at first refused to accept the gift and only after the town of Dundas agreed to find a spot did Northfield knuckle under and allow the rink to be set up. A local hockey booster even had to make a late night raid of one of the abandoned warming houses in town and drag it to the rink with his own equipment, evidently the city felt a warming house was a luxury the kids could do without. Its only my opinion but it seems the city has made up its mind to wait for one of the colleges in town to pull the trigger. The bright side is, should Carlton decide to add women's hockey they'd have a rink up in no time. They have a ton of money!

[Northhcky]

For those of you that came up to the Duluth area to play youth hockey it has to be a tossup between Cloquet's "barn" and Fryberger "freezeberger" and the Peterson arena that burned down.
In a previous post someone mentioned Proctor. It ALWAYS seems colder in there than outside. Ice covering the walls is not uncommon lol.

[defense]

For those of you that came up to the Duluth area to play youth hockey it has to be a tossup between Cloquet's "barn" and Fryberger "freezeberger" and the Peterson arena that burned down.
In a previous post someone mentioned Proctor. It ALWAYS seems colder in there than outside. Ice covering the walls is not uncommon lol.

Are you honestly worried about ice on the walls in a hockey arena???