Interesting Fact

[moose97]

Re: Interesting Fact

I'd be interested to find out the "true" number of Minnesota outdoor rinks. Bemidji has only 2 at the moment, with one of those in a park with a hockey rink and a skating rink. The other location has just a hockey rink - so, you could technically count that as three. In years past, Bemidji had as many as four locations, but budget cuts have limited the city to the current two...

[Runninwiththedogs]

Re: Interesting Fact

I'd be interested to find out the "true" number of Minnesota outdoor rinks. Bemidji has only 2 at the moment, with one of those in a park with a hockey rink and a skating rink. The other location has just a hockey rink - so, you could technically count that as three. In years past, Bemidji had as many as four locations, but budget cuts have limited the city to the current two...

Well, Canada probably had a freaking census to find out every last backyard rink they could.

[ericredaxe]

Re: Interesting Fact

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was in Brookline. I'm not sure if they actually have organized hockey there, or if it's even regulation size.

I played at one "outdoor" rink growing up. It was in Groton, and it had a chain-link fence around the outside and a roof, and the locker rooms were just trailers. But they got rid of it like 8 or 10 years ago and replaced it with a new indoor rink.

I'm with you though.... I can think of very few outdoor rinks in the area... I also wonder what they are using to define a "rink"? Does it have to be regulation size etc? Or would the "frog pond" on the common count as an outdoor rink? It is oddball shaped... but does have "boards" (sort of) and a zamboni...

[thebrain]

Re: Interesting Fact

Anyone remember who was the last High School in Minnesota to play outside? I remember reading about it in sports illustrated years ago.

Bagley-Fosston??

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagley,_Minnesota

On February 13, 1996, the Bagley varsity hockey team played their last game outdoors. They were the last Minnesota State High School League program to play outdoors. The A.F. Kaiser Arena was partially funded by a grant from the Mighty Ducks Community Ice Arena Grant Program.

[thebrain]

Re: Interesting Fact

My hometown, Maplewood, MN has nine...
http://www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=221

White Bear Lake has seven and North St. Paul has six...

48 in Minneapolis...
http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=677

St. Paul's.... http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=1399

[justlookin']

Re: Interesting Fact

During the USA v Canada junior game, a comparison of US and Canada was displayed...population, #players, etc. The most amazing figure was number of outdoor rinks: US 250 and Canada 11,000.

That figure is completely bogus, I would bet there are more than 250 outdoor rinks in northern New York alone.

[moose97]

Re: Interesting Fact

Bagley-Fosston??

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagley,_Minnesota

I can confirm that Indus had a natural ice rink (ice shelter with four walls and two large open garage door, no coolers) as recently as 1997-'98. I know because I broadcast a game from a press-box that was being constructed during the pre-game show, and my pen froze (as did just about every appendage)... Absolute coldest I've ever been in my life at that game (I'd say Jan or Feb 1998).

Indus has since dropped hockey as a sport, and they also got a Mighty Ducks grant to install chllers. Shame of it is, it all ended up as a waste, since the hockey team was supposed to be a ploy to get kids to transfer from either LOW or Int'l Falls to keep the tiny school going. It never happened, and the team disapeared, and the rink is now not used at all...

[state of hockey]

Re: Interesting Fact

Hell, there are at least five rinks here in Crapids, and this is NOT a hockey town.

Edit: The city operates seven. A few years ago there were 17!!

[xwildfan]

Re: Interesting Fact

I thought the number of US outdoor rinks a bit under-reported. I'll try and email the NHL Network and see where they got this figure. Not sure if the folks at USA Hockey have any idea how many outdoor rinks exist.

[Slap Shot]

Re: Interesting Fact

You ever play on an outdoor rink? It's awesome. While I admittedly didn't play real hockey (played boot hockey), the outdoor rink was where it was at. Frigid cold, the air burning your lungs as you played, starry skies, etc.

And even the bad things: shovelling the snow off the ice between "periods" during snowfall, lugging out the nets for the game(s), the smelly warming house after the game, etc.

I miss it.

Love the way you brought back some great memories, Brent. Nothing gets me going better than taking my kids to Central Park here in BP for some sledding on the hill followed by some skating on the two outdoor rinks. I remember in Deephaven walking to Thorpe Park dressed for the weather with my stick over my back and skates on my stick and skating until my parents would get me when the night was over.

[Goon]

Re: Interesting Fact

That is a load of crap. USA Hockey can't count or something. I'd guess Minnesota, without counting the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Area has 250 outdoor rinks.

That number seems a little low since I know of two outdoor rinks within walking distance of my house in Grand Forks, ND and there are probably 10 in the EGF and Grand Forks area alone.

[Goon]

Re: Interesting Fact

I can confirm that Indus had a natural ice rink (ice shelter with four walls and two large open garage door, no coolers) as recently as 1997-'98. I know because I broadcast a game from a press-box that was being constructed during the pre-game show, and my pen froze (as did just about every appendage)... Absolute coldest I've ever been in my life at that game (I'd say Jan or Feb 1998).

Indus has since dropped hockey as a sport, and they also got a Mighty Ducks grant to install chllers. Shame of it is, it all ended up as a waste, since the hockey team was supposed to be a ploy to get kids to transfer from either LOW or Int'l Falls to keep the tiny school going. It never happened, and the team disapeared, and the rink is now not used at all...

I thought that Indus played a majority of their games in International Falls at Bronco Arena?

[The Rube]

Re: Interesting Fact

That number seems a little low since I know of two outdoor rinks within walking distance of my house in Grand Forks, ND and there are probably 10 in the EGF and Grand Forks area alone.

MNS was thinking more along the lines of 15-20 in the GF/Fargo area at the BARE minimum.

And judging by the previous stats provided by the brain, there's prob 250+ in the metro area of the Twin Cities alone.

/Canadian bias

[moose97]

Re: Interesting Fact

I thought that Indus played a majority of their games in International Falls at Bronco Arena?

When I worked at KGHS/KSDM International Falls, Indus HS did a lot of advertising with us (like I said - trying to draw students to Indus from I Falls - the selling points being sports and smaller class size), and as a favor, our owner told them we would broadcast one of their home games (at the time, we basically did only Bronco games with the occasional Littlefork-Big Falls game thrown in when we had the time). So, Roger Jerome, the sports director and I drove over on a freezing night to broadcast Indus vs. Kittson Central. Here's the rest of the story:

We showed up about an hour before game time, and the school had built a press box just for this game, seeing as it was going to be broadcast on the radio. It was all volunteer labor and materials, but done nicely. Well, we get there, and the entrance is about head hight - at least 6 feet off the ground. Roger and I can't figure how we're gonna climb into this thing. Finally, we find a garbage can, turn it over and crawl up into the box. No door, it's at least -30...

Now, we start our broadcast. All of a sudden, about six or eight guys show up and ask how we got into the press box - this is about 15 minutes before game time. We told them about the garbage can, and they laugh. One brings out some lumber, and they start to build a set of stairs! All through the pre-game show, you can hear hammers pounding in the background...

So, finally, the game starts. My pen has already frozen, and I can't write down anything. Goals, penalties, shots, nothing. Two hours seems to last forever as I can't feel my fingers or toes.

We quickly wrap-up the broadcast with the shortest post-game show I've ever done, and we walk down stairs that didn't exist before the game out of the pressbox to get to the car for the drive back to the Falls as quickly as possible. FWIW, I remember that Kittson beat Indus 9-1, and KCC has not had what you would call a "good" team in quite a while...