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How We Find Arenas on the Frontiers of Hockey in 2020

The RinkAtlas arena database has about 4,700 indoor arenas, pavilions, park rinks, and similar ice skating facilities located throughout North America. I’ve been building RinkAtlas since 2006. One of the things that I feel sets RinkAtlas apart is the quest to find arenas on the frontiers of hockey. Many of these places are located in isolated areas of Canada, in or near First Nations reserves.

Following Friends Who Visit New or Remote Arenas

I have a number of friends who visit new arenas and mention them on social media. One example is my friend Joé Juneau, the retired NHL player. Joé and I were students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute together before he became a professional athlete. Since he retired, Joé founded Programme de Développement Hockey École (PDHÉ), or Hockey School Development Program, which ties participation in ice hockey to success in school. He has implemented PDHÉ in several underserved areas of Québec and Atlantic Canada.

Today, Joé told his social media friends about his recent work in Natashquan, Québec. This is a 12 hour car ride east of Québec City, probably closer to St. John’s, Newfoundland than to Québec City.

Aréna Brad-Shimun in Natashquan, Québec
Aréna Brad-Shimun in Natashquan, Québec [photo by Joé Juneau]
I watch Joé’s social media posts, and try to figure out which arenas he is visiting if he doesn’t mention the arena by name. In one of the photos he posted, there was a small sign that read “Aréna Brad-Shimun”. That arena is not currently in either Google Maps or Apple Maps databases of places. I searched for the arena by name in a search engine, and I found Aréna Brad-Shimun’s Facebook page.

Finding a GPS Location for an Arena that Isn’t Listed by the Major Map Applications

Aréna Brad-Shimun’s Facebook page doesn’t show a street address but it does have a map on it. When that occurs, I look for the building on a satellite photo if one exists for the area, drop a pin on the arena’s approximate location, and get the GPS coordinates of the arena.

Apple Maps Locating Aréna Brad-Shimun
Apple Maps satellite image for Aréna Brad-Shimun
Google Maps Locating Aréna Brad-Shimun
Google Maps satellite image for Aréna Brad-Shimun

In this case, the Apple Maps satellite image is a lot clearer than the Google Maps satellite image. (Kudos to Apple.) This may be the result of Apple’s recent upgrades to Apple Maps, or the time of year when the satellite photos were taken. But historically, Google has had better satellite photos especially in remote areas like this one.

We care about GPS coordinates for arenas listed in RinkAtlas because our database is an independent point of interest database, specific to hockey arenas. We especially care when we are dealing with an arena in a remote area, where the street address doesn’t provide much location assistance.

The new RinkAtlas listing for Aréna Brad-Shimun is truly a product of the effort to find arenas on the frontiers of hockey.

RinkAtlas Research into Closed Arenas in Southern California

Over the years, the Southern California area has experienced tremendous turnover as old single-sheet ice arenas have opened and closed in many different locations.

Our goal at RinkAtlas is to document all of the places where ice hockey is being and has been played throughout North America. We have a project to document all of the closed arenas we can find. These are buildings that used to be hockey arenas and are used for a different purpose, or buildings that were demolished and other buildings were built in their places.

Obviously a ton of research into former Southern California ice arenas was done by Joseph (Joe) Nix one his Bygone Rinks web page. We are beginning with a list of arenas that he mentioned on Bygone Rinks, and adding information that we find in our own research.

Here is a list of arenas that we are aware of in the Southern California area that are not currently in the RinkAtlas directory because we have not completed research on them. The list is in alphabetical order, and any information we have about the arena is listed below its name:

  • Bakersfield Ice Chalet
  • Bakersfield Ice Palace
  • Big Bear Lake Rink
  • Camp Seeley Winter Carnival, San Bernardino Mountains
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • City Skate of Palm Desert
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Conejo Valley Ice Skating Center, Newbury Park
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Culver City Arena
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Culver City Roller Rink, which had a possible ice rink, Washington Place between Venice and Washington Blvd
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Culver City Studio Rink, reportedly at 5575 Sepulveda Blvd
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • El Cajon Arena, El Cajon
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Fresno Skating Rinks, a series of places
    • according to http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Glacier Falls Ice Arena, Anaheim
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Glacier Gardens, San Diego
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • House of Ice, La Mesa
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Ice Capades Chalet, Brea
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Ice Capades Chalet, Santa Monica
    • Set for Sylvester Stallone – Talia Shire skating scene in “Rocky”
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
    • Set for “Rockford Files”, Episode: “Feeding Frenzy”
    • http://rockfordfilesfilminglocations.blogspot.com/2013/01/need-help-identifying-this-filming.html
  • Ice Castle International Training Center, Lake Arrowhead-Blue Jay
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Ice Chalet, Costa Mesa
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Ice Garden, Cathedral City
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Ice Garden, La Quinta
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Icon Skating Center, Sylmar
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Ice Skating Palace, Los Angeles
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Irvine Ice Arena
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Klondike, Costa Mesa
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Lake Murray Boulevard Arena, La Mesa
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Melody Ice Gardens, Lancaster
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Mission Valley Ice Arena
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • North Hills Iceoplex, North Hills
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Norwalk Ice Arena
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Orange Belt Ice Gardens, Riverside
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Olympic Ice Gardens, Riverside
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Outdoor Ice Gardens, Big Bear Lake
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Pacific Beach Studio Rink, Pacific Beach
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Palais du Glace / Winter Garden, Los Angeles
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Pan Pacific Auditorium, Los Angeles
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Pasadena Winter Garden, Pasadena
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Polarink, Long Beach
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Polar Palace, La Habra
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Polar Palace, Los Angeles
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Santa Barbara Ice Patch, Santa Barbara
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Mack Sennett Studio Ice Rink, Los Angeles
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Schramm’s / Valley Gardens, North Hollywood
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Skate Zone, Huntington Beach
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Valley Ice Skating Center, Tarzana
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Vic Tanny’s Gym Ice Rink, San Diego
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Vic Tanny’s Gym Ice Rink, Santa Barbara
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Topanga Plaza Rink, Canoga Park
    • http://josephnix.com/scalrin1.html
  • Tropical Ice Gardens aka Westwood Palace of Ice, Los Angeles
    • “… once upon a time, when UCLA’s roots were barely sinking into the grounds of a blossoming area called Westwood, there was an outdoor skating rink open year-round for pros and amateurs alike.
      In October of 1938, Angelenos were anxiously awaiting the opening of what was billed as “one of the biggest sport and amusement enterprises in Los Angeles annals,” (Huge). Three hundred men were employed to work through the night to build the Tropical Ice Gardens, which would seat 10,000 spectators and accommodate 2000 ice skaters on its outdoor rink. The endeavor aimed to “bring to Westwood Village a corner of St. Moritz, with buildings creating an exact replica of an Alpine village, set in surroundings of stately palm trees and hibiscus….”
    • https://laist.com/2009/02/21/laistory_tropical_ice_gardens.php
  • Westbrook Ice Arena, Garden Grove
  • West Covina Ice Arena
  • Westminster Ice Palace, Westminster

Thanks to the RinkAtlas community members for their help in researching these arenas.

  • Frank DiMarco
  • Mike McDevitt

RinkAtlas Research into Closed Arenas in the Philadelphia Area

RinkAtlas is doing research into closed arenas in the Philadelphia area. Over the years, the Philadelphia area has experienced tremendous turnover as old single-sheet ice arenas have closed and multi-sheet arenas have opened to replace them.

Our goal at RinkAtlas is to document all of the places where ice hockey is being and has been played throughout North America. We have a project to document all of the closed arenas we can find. These are buildings that used to be hockey arenas and are used for a different purpose, or buildings that were demolished and other buildings were built in their places.

Here is a list of arenas that we are aware of in the Philadelphia area that are not currently in the RinkAtlas directory because we have not completed research on them. The list is in alphabetical order, and any information we have about the arena is listed below its name:

  • Boulevard Ice Rink
  • Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ
    • Added on January 10, 2019
  • Grundy Rink in Bristol, PA
      • $750,000 was donated by the Grundy Foundation in 1975 for the construction of an ice rink. (Source: Grundy Foundation Philanthropy.)
      • The location was described as “on Jefferson Avenue” in a Facebook post from Jimmer Ellis,  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2470789059804701/permalink/2471956823021258/
      • Grundy Foundation says that first Grundy Rink was destroyed by fire in 1995.
      • Grundy Foundation purchased former carpet mill, demolished it, and used it as a site to build the new arena, at a reported cost of $500,000. (Source: Grundy Foundation Philanthropy.)
      • Grundy Foundation donated $1.755 million to build the new two-sheet Grundy Arena on the site of the old carpet mill in 1997. (Source: Grundy Foundation Philanthropy.)
      • Will follow up with Grundy Foundation to confirm exact location of old Grundy Rink.
Wreckage of Old Grundy Arena in Bristol, PA
Wreckage of Old Grundy Arena in Bristol, PA. (Credit: Jimmer Ellis on Facebook)

 

  • Ice Palace
    • The Ice Palace is now the Palace Roller Rink on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia.
  • Melody Brook Ice Skating Center in Colmar, PA
    • Photo added on January 17, 2019
  • Philadelphia Arena
    • “With Orton’s prodding, a local entrepreneur built a new Ice Palace on Market Street between 45th and 46th streets as a multi-use facility and the first hockey game was played on 14 February 1921. It would later be renamed the Philadelphia Arena and serve as Penn’s hockey team’s home until 1968.”—from A letter: 115 years of ice hockey at Penn
  • Skateland Rink
  • The Skating Place
    • According to Andy Abramson: “…just south of Cottman on Roosevelt blvd. was called The Skating Place when it closed in the late 70s(?). It was also a bowling alley and there was a small amusement park next store.”
  • Upper Merion YMCA
    • According to Andy Abramson, the building used to be on the location of the Upper Merion Community Center.
  • Valley Forge Sports Garden
  • West Park Ice Palace
    • “In December 1897, however, the West Park Ice Palace at 52nd and Jefferson finally opened, giving the team a home. The program thrived until the end of the 1901 season when the Ice Palace burned down in a mysterious fire. It would be 20 years before a new arena replaced it.”— from A letter: 115 years of ice hockey at Penn
  • Westtown Rink

Reference Material

Christopher Cifone posted a photo of this page from the 1974-1975 Westown Hockey Association (Quakers) yearbook in a post on the South Eastern Pennsylvania High School Hockey History Group on Facebook. It probably isn’t an understatement to say that this is the Rosetta Stone for closed ice arenas in the Philadelphia area.

Philadelphia Area Hockey Arenas in 1974-1975
Philadelphia Area Hockey Arenas in 1974-1975, compiled by Bill Rowland

Contributors

Thanks to the RinkAtlas community members from Philadelphia and originally from Philadelphia for their help in researching many of these arenas:

  • Andy Abramson
  • Christopher Cifone
  • Jimmer Ellis
  • Mike McDevitt
  • Rich Pisanick
  • Max Putter

Ontario Arena Directory Completed!

We completed the Ontario arena directory today. Over 900 arenas and park rinks were added to the RinkAtlas database.

We completed our arena directory for Ontario today!

RinkAtlas.com now covers over 900 arenas and park rinks in Ontario, from Kenora in the west to Hawkesbury in the east. We also have over 1,000 arenas and park rinks listed in Quebec & the Maritimes.

Next we’re building a complete directory of arenas in Manitoba.

RinkAtlas Directory Complete for New Brunswick

We completed the arena directory for New Brunswick today.  There are 95 arenas in New Brunswick and 2 closed arenas that some websites still show as if they are open.

RinkAtlas now has all of the indoor arenas in the Maritimes in its database.  This includes every arena in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

We’re now moving on to work on the directory for the Québec.

RinkAtlas Adds Three Community Rinks in Philadelphia to Our Database

Once in a while, RinkAtlas discovers new rinks that never made it into our database of U.S. ice facilities. Today we discovered three rinks nearby in Philadelphia that don’t appear in most rink directories:

We found these rinks because of an announcement by The Philadelphia Flyers and The City of Philadelphia that The Ed Snider Hockey Foundation will take over hockey programs at these rinks originally slated for closure due to anticipated city budget cuts.

The Ed Snider Hockey Foundation is one of the things that makes The City of Philadelphia a great city. It helps underserved youth in this area learn how to play hockey while instilling life-enhancing values such as teamwork, positive self-esteem, the importance of hard work, and respect for themselves and their teammates.

We’re glad that The ESHF and The City of Philadelphia made this deal. It’s a win-win situation. We’re also glad to put three more Philadelphia area rinks on the map.

RinkAtlas Adds Rinks from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League

After a long layoff from database additions, I’m pleased to announce that the RinkAtlas database now includes all of the arenas in The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). This is the Manitoba-based member league of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.

We can now move on to the leagues in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia to complete our Canadian Junior Hockey rink database.

RinkAtlas Adds the Rinks from the Ontario Provincial, Northern Ontario, and Superior International Junior Hockey Leagues

I’m pleased to announce that the RinkAtlas database now includes all of the arenas in The Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (OPJHL or OHA), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Superior International Junior Hockey League. These are the Ontario-based member leagues of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.

We previously added The Maritime Junior A Hockey League and Ligne de Hockey Junior AAA du Quebec to our database at this level of Juniors. See RinkAtlas Adds the Rinks from MJAHL, LHJAAAQ, and QMJHL for more information.

We can now move on to the leagues in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia to complete our Canadian Junior Hockey rink database.