Worst Hockey Rinks to Play In

council member retired · Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:57 pm

[quote="DmanDad1980"][quote="Nodak Sioux"][quote="WB6162"][quote="northshore guy"][quote="WB6162"][quote="hockey74"]My guess there is a few bad rinks I have not been in, but the Northfield rink was not very good.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

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?[/quote]
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.[/quote]

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...[/quote]

ok so this maybe the winning post ( above ) not mine.. but northfield while what is said above is true, maybe brutal for the locals whom see it every day, but us folks 40 minutes, 30 minutes or 20 minutes up the road love going to Northfield. And the dumping rink adds to the experience. Probably contains, how do college teams play here. I like Northfield's rink as visitor, but you did forget the metal extrusion in the benches. Each bench as a medal piece coming into the seating area up to the roof.. Beauty is you can only see 2/3 of the ice, duck under, good, see the other 1/3. But let's be honest many of coaches don't duck, then they don't see the rest of the game, let alone third of the rink.

Reggie · Post by **Reggie** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:23 am

Northsider · Post by **Northsider** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 10:47 am

The White Bear County Arena. God I hate that place, but atleast White Bear fans don't got to watch varsity games there.

I feel sorry for Mounds View fans.

sportsguy29 · Post by **sportsguy29** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:38 pm

5.) Northfield

4.) Crookston

3.) Old Forest Lake

2.) Phalen

1.) Shoreview (Mounds View)

Honorable Mention: Any Bubble (Old IGH-Now at Tartan, Old Shakopee), The Super Rink (What is this, a movie theater?), Osseo (old), Many Inner-City Rinks, and Wakota (Lights are weird).

youngbloodjr3 · Post by **youngbloodjr3** » Sat Jan 16, 2010 5:52 pm

I agree old forest lake was pretty bad.

hibbing7a · Post by **hibbing7a** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:29 am

hermantown is a really cold rink. it would be warmer to watch them play outside!

wingman · Post by **wingman** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:51 pm

The worst hockey rink in the metro, which is now long gone, was without question the Golden Valley Arena. I beleive Breck owns it now and hopefully has changed/modified the rink. They used to have one side of the rink boards touching the Concrete Block wall across from the players benches. That whole side, the length of the rink, also had boards that were roughly 5 feet tall to the top of the boards. Approximately 'neck high'. There wasn't a game I watched where a player didn't get hit along those boards and go down. It was a miracle that no one ever got seriously hurt there. There was no give, just SOLID, concrete. I would bet anything that many a player lost the use of their shoulders there. It was also small, probably the smallest I ever saw, and hotter than the hottest rink I ever played in. Anyways, just thought I would share that with all. Basically, the rest of the rinks I have been in throughout MN, just all had character and were fun to play in.

Skill Stick · Post by **Skill Stick** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:56 pm

Windom hands down! It's a barn that is used during the summer. No privacy of the locker rooms. Bad place to even be walking around in. Bad ice and extremely cold! Also sleepy eye, fairmont, northfield, and dodge county.

F14 · Post by **F14** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:35 am

1) VMIA by Mpls Henry - Not terrible, but totally out of place in NW Mpls.

2) NE Ice Arena on Central - Only 10-15 years old but it seems like a red-headed step child that has been locked in the closet.

I laugh that Totino Grace has there JV practice there every day.

muckandgrind · Post by **muckandgrind** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:47 am

Worst rinks:

- Biff Adams (St Paul)
- Harding
- Shoreview
- Minnehaha Academy

If Columbia Arena were still open...then Columbia #2 would be THE worst arena in the state.....hands down.

fivehole628 · Post by **fivehole628** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 3:17 pm

Before a little remodeling (new bleachers and warming area), the Delano Ice Box.
I used to work there, my toes would be numb after the first hour...

mn miracle man · Post by **mn miracle man** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:35 pm

sportsguy29 wrote:5.) Northfield

4.) Crookston

3.) Old Forest Lake

2.) Phalen

1.) Shoreview (Mounds View)

Honorable Mention: Any Bubble (Old IGH-Now at Tartan, Old Shakopee), The Super Rink (What is this, a movie theater?), Osseo (old), Many Inner-City Rinks, and Wakota (Lights are weird).

Crookston is set to open a beautiful brand new 3 sheet facility on January 30th called the Sports Center. Two youth rinks and a main event arena seating approx 1200-1500 people. The old barn right next to old civic center was one of my least favorite rinks to play in, as is the rink up in Hallock. Walking upstairs to the rink, and of course it would be warmer playing on the adjacent outdoor rink than indoors.

hibbing7a · Post by **hibbing7a** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:25 pm

virginia is bad to watch from. there really proud of their first state appreance sign in 2005, and it blocks part of the scorboard on the visitors side. there whole 8 banners of school history hang from the ceiling

nickmon3 · Post by **nickmon3** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:09 pm

hibbing7a wrote:virginia is bad to watch from. there really proud of their first state appreance sign in 2005, and it blocks part of the scorboard on the visitors side. there whole 8 banners of school history hang from the ceiling

And the sad thing is they are proud of that

Reggie Dunlop · Post by **Reggie Dunlop** » Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:18 pm

Proctor....Terrible lighting, cold as it can get, extremely low ceiling, some of the worst ice I have ever seen.

ANY Ramsey County rink, Biff Adams, OJ, West Side, Shoreview, White Bear County....etc

Bemidji....who wants to drive that far to play in that dump of a rink

Wakota...whats with the yellow lights?

new2coachin · Post by **new2coachin** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:35 am

The arena in Benson ranks near the top. Cold arena due to its size, very little seating for spectators, and depending on the temp. outside, water drips all over the place causing icy areas for the spectators in the walking area and in the bleachers.

defense · Post by **defense** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:23 pm

new2coachin wrote:The arena in Benson ranks near the top. Cold arena due to its size, very little seating for spectators, and depending on the temp. outside, water drips all over the place causing icy areas for the spectators in the walking area and in the bleachers.

That's right, I think the one time I played there the ice was pretty rough because of that, does that sound right??

GreekChurch · Post by **GreekChurch** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:34 pm

Although the Ramsey county ice rinks fom Harding to White Bear, Biff Adams Etc. have terrible locker rooms , seating, and are cold as hell. The one thing they do have is good ice. You never find slow ice at those arenas.

nickmon3 · Post by **nickmon3** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:42 pm

hibbing7a wrote:hermantown is a really cold rink. it would be warmer to watch them play outside!

Agreed

SargeyWargey09 · Post by **SargeyWargey09** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:10 am

Fryberger in Duluth- complete pile for a rink

Civic in EGF- Bad memories there

Im not sure on the name, but the arena Orono plays in- Hate It!!

Gardens in Warroad- Mind Bottling

upnorthhockey1 · Post by **upnorthhockey1** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 8:52 am

Mariucci in March

nungitchida · Post by **nungitchida** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:35 pm

[quote="bender09"]warroad the marvin gardens worst rink ever made.[/quote]
are you kidding me? that arena is like a 5 star motel compared to all the other motel sixes in the state

muckandgrind · Post by **muckandgrind** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:53 pm

GreekChurch wrote:Although the Ramsey county ice rinks fom Harding to White Bear, Biff Adams Etc. have terrible locker rooms , seating, and are cold as hell. The one thing they do have is good ice. You never find slow ice at those arenas.

Try skating at Shoreview in early November...it's like skating in beach sand. Been like that for years.

2darink10 · Post by **2darink10** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:02 pm

hawkhockey wrote:the old rink at shattuck. extremely dark, tiny benches, locker rooms are tiny.

tricky eh. jp parise designed those locker rooms for that reason. teams hate it. theyre psyched out before the game even begins.

also.. theres two rows of benches. i have no idea what your talking about... small benches..

haha

hawkhockey · Post by **hawkhockey** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 11:12 pm

2darink10 wrote:
hawkhockey wrote:the old rink at shattuck. extremely dark, tiny benches, locker rooms are tiny.
tricky eh. jp parise designed those locker rooms for that reason. teams hate it. theyre psyched out before the game even begins.
also.. theres two rows of benches. i have no idea what your talking about... small benches.. haha

ha. its been a few years since ive been there. but when i played there i remember sitting in the first row of benches and having your knees touch the boards.