The History of Ice Rinks: All that You Need to Know

 

Hockey is not only a sport but a passion for people who feel it. When it is cold outside, hockey is played on ice rinks. A long list will appear online if we search for Expert ice rink construction in the USA. But from where did they come? Let's learn about the history of ice rinks.

From the sushi-serving confines of Toronto's Air Canada Centre to the frozen metal bleachers of your local arena and everywhere in between, ice rinks are where people of all ages and backgrounds can learn, watch, and cherish ice hockey.

These ice rinks remind you that all you need to enjoy the game is a patch of ice, a stick, a puck, and a net. Now, let's delve into the details and find out from where it all began.

Ice Rink – The Early Stage

Skating is thought to have originated in Finland approximately 3000 years ago. In the 13th or 14th century, the Dutch invented it by adding steel edges to ice skates.

The edges were sharpened on the bottom, a basic construction that has remained largely unchanged since then. The Dutch used skates on their extensive network of canals and waterways, and the activity was known to be enjoyed and used by many people throughout Europe.

While the ice rink has become synonymous with hockey, it was originally associated with another winter sport. 'Rink,' of Scottish origin, literally means 'course' and was used to describe the area where the game of curling was played.

Ice rinks were originally made of natural materials, such as a frozen body of water. However, technology took over with time and assisted the sport. Soon after the advent of cooling technology, artificial and indoor ice rinks were created.

Victoria Skating Rink - First Indoor Hockey Ice Rink

Curling and hockey variations have been played for many generations. But Expert ice rink construction in the USA was not always there. Even the playing area was not named. The contemporary indoor ice rink can be traced back to Montreal, where the maiden organized indoor game was played in 1875 at the Victoria Skating Rink.

The surface dimension of the rink was similar to those you will find today at an NHL rink (85 ft × 200 ft or 26 m × 61 m). However, the organizing committee of that first game was wise enough to replace the ball with a puck. It was done to protect spectators from flying objects instead of the boards.

It was the site of the nineteenth-century Montreal Winter Carnivals. The first Stanley Cup playoff games in 1894 was also played here. The rink is located in central Montreal. The Victoria Skating Rink was demolished in 1925, and a parking garage now occupies the site.

The early twentieth century saw the birth of professional hockey and the construction of several new ice rinks across North America. The most popular ones include the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto (1917-1931), Montreal Arena (1911-1918), and Aberdeen Pavilion in Ottawa.

 Aberdeen Pavilion is one of the world's oldest surviving indoor ice hockey venues. However, it has not hosted any games for many years.

The first Madison Square Garden in New York (1926 till1968), the Boston Garden (1928 till 1995), the Montreal Forum (1926 till 1996), Maple Leaf Gardens (1931till 1999), Chicago Stadium (1929 till 1994), and the Olympia in Detroit were the "Original 6" ice rinks that hosted professional hockey teams (1927till 1979).

These ancient cathedrals of hockey are no longer with us. But they were pilgrimage destinations for many hockey fans. Their memories live on despite being razed or converted into grocery stores.

Ice Rinks Today

There are currently 30 ice rinks in North America where NHL teams play. The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (1972) is the oldest of them, followed by Rexall Place in Edmonton  in the year 1974 and Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (1979).

The majority of NHL teams have rinks built in the 1990s or 2000s, with the most recent in Pittsburgh (Consol Energy Center), Newark (Prudential Center), and Winnipeg (MTS Centre – 2004). With a maximum capacity of 15,004, Winnipeg's arena is also the NHL's smallest, whereas Chicago's largest rink, the United Center, has a maximum capacity of 22,428.

If we talk about Europe, the continent also got its fair share of hockey rinks. The Bernthe Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, the Megasport Arena in Moscow, the O2 Arena in Prague, and the Post Finance Arena in Bern are the most popular ones.

Conclusion

What we see in the name of ice rinks keeps a long history. It dates back to 1857. But today, the sport has come a long way. We can easily put on google "Expert ice rink construction in the USA" to see how much progress has been made. With the progress in the sport from 1857 to 2022, we will conclude the history of ice rinks.