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SPA's rink is a craphole. My son had a game there tonight and I couldn't believe the rink. It was in terrible condition. The zamboni boards don't shut right, so there is a 2 inch gap between boards, so pucks thrown deep in the zone tend to bounce right back at the player dumping it in. Right under that was a 2 foot long gash that went down to the cement according to my son. Each corner of the ice rink was a good 3-4 inches higher (icewise) than the rest of the rink (think bowl shaped). They do provide a heating element for the fans, although it is only by the entrance to the rink and nowhere near the stands. And while I know many rinks go with the particle board locker rooms, but it just added to the ambiance of this rink. I hope I never go back...

well the banked corners help you maintain your speed through them!

New arenas cost an arm and a leg...maybe you could borrow them a Sparlimb

sinbin006 wrote:New arenas cost an arm and a leg...maybe you could borrow them a Sparlimb

I have played there before and they only thing I could actually find wrong with the place was the terrible locker rooms. Nothing to wrong with the ice. Zamboni doors may be a little bit off, but come on so are half the older rinks in Minnesota anyway. Is that the only rink you have ever seen a bad bounce at?

The high corners is called poor ice maintenance.... They need to edge the corners to lower them and cut more on the first and second pass. I applied there for a job a year and a half ago. As far as the doors, the age and again maintenance is needed. Ours are old and they open and close fine...

the ice at spa varies. at the begginning of each season, its pretty nice, but towards the holidays, the rink managers take the day off and don't maintain it.

I completely agree, at the beginning of the season the ice is pretty decent, but by this time of the year the rink managers, who i know are complete morons, decide that taking care of the ice just means zamboniing after each ice time.

The zamboni doors are awful, for years they have been the cause of the "spartan bounce" becasue spa would shoot it along the boards, the goalie would go behind the net to stop the puck but the puck would hit the gap in the doors and bounce into the slot for an easy tap in goal. Not to mention the far boards, which until a few weeks ago were at about an 75 degree slant.

But with all that said spa is in the process of building a new 2 sheet rink with Hamline, and there have been talks about the wild getting in the deal too for a new practice facility.

No rink in the state tops the second rink at Columbia Ice Arena in Fridley. Absolute pos. Any one know if its still standing? Lol seriously I heard the super rink bought it and was having it torn down.

Closed this year.

Quit complaining and be happy you aren't outside.

And please do not reply with....the rink is such garbage we might as well be playing outside.

what rink and in what city is the initial poster referring to?

MNsGreatest#2 wrote:No rink in the state tops the second rink at Columbia Ice Arena in Fridley. Absolute pos.

+1 good riddance although I do have a fun Mite memory there.

CarGuy wrote:what rink and in what city is the initial poster referring to?

St Paul Academy I believe but I could be wrong...

to all who hates Drake, How does your on campus ice arena compare?

Did he happen to mention the locker rooms? they have two decent locker rooms, and then in the far side of the rink there are two plywood boxes, no roof, hardly a bench, and not enough room for more then 8 guys, but that might have just been the summer for the 4 on 4 league

wpsafan1 wrote:to all who hates Drake, How does your on campus ice arena compare?

Apple Valley's on campus attached rink is awesome. STA's is across the street and that isnt half bad either considering its almost brand new...

I've always thought that Drake was among the worst metro HS rinks, and from what I've been told, the ice itself has actually gotten worse over the last 5 or 6 years.

SPA's rink is a dump, but i would rather play there any day over the colesium. now that place is a peice. hot as hell, slow ice, zero atmoshpere unless you are a AA school in a rival game or sections. the crowd is atleast 20 feet away... the place is made to store farm animals not a rink, we should keep it that way.

Again... I haven't played there in quite a while, but I've heard that the Coliseum is much better since the MIAC left. It doesn't get used half as much so the ice stays in pretty good shape. I went to quite a few games there last season, and it still is very warm there... not half as bad as Breck though.

As far as the crowd being far away, it never really bothered me - in fact, I kind of liked it that way as a player. You just always hear a dull buzz - you can't hear too much from individuals, and I liked playing at one of the biggest places in the state (although at the time, Johnson drew more than about 75 people per game).

ice is horrible... always.
i play there all home games, no atmoshpere doesnt even feel like anyone is there, you could have like 100 people there and you wouldnt notice. its a joke of a rink. Stick to big occasions like sections or AA rival games, just please stay away from hosting small private schools who are class A

chiefofmedicine wrote:ice is horrible... always.
i play there all home games, no atmoshpere doesnt even feel like anyone is there, you could have like 100 people there and you wouldnt notice. its a joke of a rink. Stick to big occasions like sections or AA rival games, just please stay away from hosting small private schools who are class A

what school do you go to?

mch wrote:

chiefofmedicine wrote:ice is horrible... always.
i play there all home games, no atmoshpere doesnt even feel like anyone is there, you could have like 100 people there and you wouldnt notice. its a joke of a rink. Stick to big occasions like sections or AA rival games, just please stay away from hosting small private schools who are class A

what school do you go to?

Has to be Como or the Saints.

well i must admit the ice was a lot better then it was a couple years ago... and i think it'd be better to play at a smaller venue since less fans come to games there, more like a small town rink like park rapids' or silver bays.
and neither

It's Sad for me to hear that Columbia might not be around much longer.
hopefully it is just being refurbished and expanded.

I still remember my very first indoor practice there - I thought I was in the big leagues. I remember all the fun open skates as a youth.

had my first kiss there underneath the bleachers

ahh yes the memories of hockey at Columbia