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Something I've been sharing with the kid a lot lately is my memories of BIG weekend pick-up games at various MN outdoor rinks.

Recalling (even during a busy hockey season) a time where kids would show up to have fun on their day off or even if they had organized hockey later in the day.

Many fond memories of a city boy going up to visit family on the Iron Range for Christmas and hitting to the local rinks with your cousins. The etiquette always seemed to be the same whether you were in the Cities or on the boarder of Canada.

Throwing sticks in the middle, pucks to the shins, a stray slapshot to the mellon in shoot arounds, slashed fingers, occasional high sticks, frost bite (but still tossing off the jacket), the clank of the chain link goal, frozen snot... those were the days!!!

Even today it's nice to see "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Please share your thoughts on favorite past and current outdoor venues that boast of 'epic' pick-up games. I'd love for the kid to see some crowded parks with some nice end-to-end action. I will dust off my Christian aluminum stick... the teenager will bring his plastic Bauer toy made in China!

Interstate 694

I694 is choppy in spots, nice concrete boards - but the game is too slow (even for me)

Haven't been there in a while but Running Park in Bloomington used to be the "place to play" some of the best Christmas Break pickup games would include anyone from squirts to pros...

The new outdoor sheet in Stillwater at the Rec Center is pretty nice.
Huge

Even today it's nice to see "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

I don't really see that. Overall, I think there are fewer outdoor rinks with ice, and fewer kids where there is ice. It is a sad sight to drive by the warming house, cold and empty, with the lightpoles all around, dark, some even with neglected boards up, but no ice.

Westwood Park in Bloomington has two nice rinks and a staffed warming house. It also has a recreational rink that is maintained.

Lights are on until 9 most nights.

Erickson Park in Roesmount! Real nets and you can turn the lights on whenever you want! we have had some great games till the early mornings during christmas breaks!!

If you havent been there i would try and get there some night! Two rinks and a warming house if you have smaller kids!

I live in St Louis Park, but the best outdoor ice is in Edina hands down. My son and I skate at Weber Park (Morningside) 42nd Street just west of France Ave. Best ice in the cities!!!!

Besides having the best ice, kids form Edina, Southwest, Washburn, and St Louis Park skate there regularly, which makes for some great pick-up hockey.

I'm loving the Rosemount concept. This is what I remember as a kid... hit the lights and play when you want.

Are there any more rinks like this left in the state?

Taconite Rink by far the best outdoor rink in Minnesota.

northwoods oldtimer wrote:Taconite Rink by far the best outdoor rink in Minnesota.

As a real rink rat I am proud to say that I have played at the Taconite rink with guys like Ace Lawson Vern Radke and other legends from that area...... also played Boot at the Locker Room in Coleraine... tough to beat the ice but it is a bit like playing in the middle of the middle ages up there.... Not many teeth...

headsup wrote:I'm loving the Rosemount concept. This is what I remember as a kid... hit the lights and play when you want.

Are there any more rinks like this left in the state?

One outdoor rink in our town has a warming house. When it is dinner time, the flunky who sits in there on the citie's payroll locks it up for an hour......so he can have a break from the worn out easy chair he is sitting in...say nothing of having the lights on when you want. The other outdoor rink in town has a warming house....that sits locked up and empty, the lights are on timers and they go out at 9 or 10. I always wondered what the heck was wrong with having the stupid little shack of a warming house open always and leaving the lights on..... No, that type of atmosphere does not happen in my town.

Not many teeth

Dog, I agree one never can tell what will come crawling out of the swamp at -20 degrees. Interesting varmints have been known to play some shinny at the best damn outdoor hockey rink in Minnesota. If you live to tell about it you are accepted into the fold, teeth and all.

Klapperich in Wayzata!

northwoods oldtimer wrote:

Not many teeth

Dog, I agree one never can tell what will come crawling out of the swamp at -20 degrees. Interesting varmints have been known to play some shinny at the best damn outdoor hockey rink in Minnesota. If you live to tell about it you are accepted into the fold, teeth and all.

That is what the pond is all about...getting accepted. I remember hacking and slashig my way into the outdoor click and after the big guys let you in it was like getting jumpped into the mob.. You got a nick name like ace or booger or Dog or corn head.. what ever.. it was a right of passage. Do kids still shell out the nick names? ( might be a good topic for a thread Best pond nick names)I know on the Range no-one new you by your real name if you were anybody. I remember picking a young kid on my pond team everytime he was at the rink. Turned out he went on to win a Hobey Baker.. I would like to think I had a small part to do with that.

Do kids still shell out the nick names?

Sad to say my guess is no. They are too controlled by an adult world which just sucks for the kids.
I will see what my old brain can come up with for nicknames, it has been so long: Ace, Doc, Bucky, Ice Pick, Spook, Sludge, Stinky, Critter, Tuner
Probably a mix from a lot of different rinks.

northwoods oldtimer wrote:

Do kids still shell out the nick names?

Sad to say my guess is no. They are too controlled by an adult world which just sucks for the kids.
I will see what my old brain can come up with for nicknames, it has been so long: Ace, Doc, Bucky, Ice Pick, Spook, Sludge, Stinky, Critter, Tuner
Probably a mix from a lot of different rinks.

I envy you guys. I know some mention there is a decreasing number of them up there but atleast you still have a bunch of them. We don't have a single outdoor in our town and the nearest one is about 15 miles up the highway in the enxt town. Needless to say it's tough for a 9 year old to make his way to a good outdoor rink when there isn't one in his own town. I have tried my best to give my boys some off the pond hockey feel by putting in a small outdoor patch of ice in our back yard. It's only about 20' x 34', so it's nothing special, but my two boys and my daughter enjoy it and some of the neighborhood kids come and skate with them on it. I actually went out and played with them on it last night and we had an absolute blast, we even had fun shoveling the snow off of it. Made me remember how much fun I used to have playing outdoor hockey when I was younger (we had an outdoor rink in the town I grew up in). We played for a little over an hour until my wife called us all into to have supper. I actually saw my boys having the most fun I've seen them have playing hockey in a long time and my oldest (he's 9), was trying moves and being creative etc.... the type of stuff that I never have seen him try at squirt practice. There is alot to be said for some good old fashion pond hockey so to speak.

I have been working with my community to put in an outdoor rink. Turns out we have boards and everything that are sitting stagnant in some city shed (they used to have one they put up for years but when we got an actual rink it went by the way side I guess). Looks like it won't happen this year but I think I made some headway, and I seem to have the backing of the high school coach, and the powers that be have lead me to believe there is an excellent chance we could have it up next year, which I think would be great.

northwoods oldtimer wrote:

Do kids still shell out the nick names?

Sad to say my guess is no. They are too controlled by an adult world which just sucks for the kids.
I will see what my old brain can come up with for nicknames, it has been so long: Ace, Doc, Bucky, Ice Pick, Spook, Sludge, Stinky, Critter, Tuner
Probably a mix from a lot of different rinks.

Tuner Madson.. great blast from the past.. how bout Toad, Mouse, Scooter and Pup... all from that era...all Indians and played at the same rink. My favorite that never played hockey alll that much....Squiddy...

I thought this article might be appropriate to post here, given the topic being discussed.

http://host.madison.com/sports/college/ ... 002e0.html

Some decent names still available for today's generation:
Dirk Dangler
Suck-hole
Wi-fi (son of Hi-fi)
Roundy (no corners)
Turd Ferguson (the floater)

JSR keep up the great work and get that rink built. Your kids will love you all that much more for the outdoor rink you made them.

Great nicknames from the past dogeatdog1. Got my front teeth knocked out by a guy named 'buck oh'.
They are kind of coming back little by little. I recall one of the nicest guys I ever met his nick name was the "pocket rocket" what a helluva nickname

headsup wrote:Some decent names still available for today's generation:
Dirk Dangler
Suck-hole
Wi-fi (son of Hi-fi)
Roundy (no corners)
Turd Ferguson (the floater)

How bout X-brocks
or PS2 "Play Slow too"

I like it...

Few more from Da Ranger rinks...
Wang
beefy
jibo
wahoo
Played in Virginia with Smiley and Bucko...
like you ol timer they keep comin to the top of my mind

Hermantown - we went up from the Cities to their last year. Fantastic - you can see for yourself during Hockey Day in MN later this month.

defense wrote:

headsup wrote:I'm loving the Rosemount concept. This is what I remember as a kid... hit the lights and play when you want.

Are there any more rinks like this left in the state?

One outdoor rink in our town has a warming house. When it is dinner time, the flunky who sits in there on the citie's payroll locks it up for an hour......so he can have a break from the worn out easy chair he is sitting in...say nothing of having the lights on when you want. The other outdoor rink in town has a warming house....that sits locked up and empty, the lights are on timers and they go out at 9 or 10. I always wondered what the heck was wrong with having the stupid little shack of a warming house open always and leaving the lights on..... No, that type of atmosphere does not happen in my town.

Sounds like Little Falls Outdoor Rinks