I’m back . . . took a few months away from blogging to play pond hockey, hockey, ball hockey, hardball, fastball and coach kids baseball. Temporarily abandoned the blog and did some live blogging, which we’ll continue this year with some Nipissing Lakers OUA and NOJHL junior games.
But anyway . . .
When the ice is out at the Gardens and you play summer hockey at Pete Palangio Arena, you really notice it. I really noticed it again during North Bay Trappers midget tryouts tonight.
THE ICE SURFACE IS TOO SMALL.
The ice surface at Pete Palangio and West Ferris Arena is 180 feet by 80 feet. (Memorial Gardens is 190-by-90). The size of the ice surfaces have been the same for decades. But today’s players are faster, bigger and stronger. The top 15-to-17-year-olds are forced to try and shoe-horn their ability into an unsuitable playing surface.
A 15-year-old in 1984 wearing Cooper-alls and wet, moulded Micron skates from Canadian Tire might have been fine, probably had all the time in the world to thread a pass to a linemate streaking down the opposite wing or take four extra strides and wind up with a big slap shot at the blueline like Guy Lafleur.
But he didn’t move as fast as today’s 15-year-old with the $600 ultra-light skates and ultra-light equipment. The game is faster, the players are faster, the gaps are closed quicker. I’d guess today’s players move 5 to 10 per cent faster than players a generation ago.
But there’s no room out there. Which means less opportunity for skill and finesse and more physical contact; which means changing the style of your game, and adapting the team’s game to suit the ice surface. Maybe not so much a problem at Sudbury’s Olympic-sized Countryside Arena or Sault Ste. Marie’s new Essar Centre, or the best barn in Northern Ontario, The Mac.
The new Trappers regime is well aware of what shoe-horning today’s top midget players does to the game, so they will play their first four home games at Memorial Gardens. But because the Trappers are expected to cover the CIty of North Bay’s extravagant costs when they schedule games there, moving to the Gardens permanently might not be in the works if they don’t have the financial means.
But the Trappers shouldn’t be playing at West Ferris Arena. Hate to say it, but someone’s going to get hurt.
The City of North Bay has a lot on its plate when it comes to facilities, with a proposed new multi-field complex in the works. But as the game of hockey progresses, the size of the available playing surfaces should be taken into consideration at some point.
Good to hear from you Kenny, it’s been a while. Just checking out the Major League Baseball standings this morning and I thought of you. Tigers first in the AL Central, Jays fourth in the AL East. Off to Birch Run today and then over to Detroit tomorrow afternoon to watch Tigers play Seattle. I’ll have an $8.25 Miller Lite on tap for you. Probably see you in the Bay this fall with my girls high school basketball team. Take care. — RR.
p.s. Best barn in Northern Ontario is the Memorial Community Centre in Blind River.
p.s. Looking forward to the live Blogs of NOJHL games this season. That was a great idea you had for the playoffs last season. Looking forward to it again.
Ha ha!
it was a long season , and the early showing ( over achievment) proved to be unsustainable, and therefore RR , gets to win anothyer bet
You are right about the rinks Pagz, we need a new rink , multiplex more so than the fields being introduced, in my opinion, although , of course , it would cost more.
Every rink ( gardens included ) need to be expanded, reno’d etc.., and an extra pond or two or three would definately help in the very limited ice available. More people would rent when the only options are not 10 30 pm etc..,
Saw Tigers and Seattle at Comerica in 2005, seated 12 rows behind Pudge . . . a classic pitching battle between Mike Maroth and Gil Meche, a 10-7 barnburner . . . Placido Polanco was just coming into his own under the tutelage of manager Alan Trammell. . . Slugging flash-in-the-pan Chris Shelton hit a dinger under the tutelage of gimpy hitting coach Kirk Gibson. . .
Pagz had a sip of his Miller Lite and then stood up in his seat and proclaimed “Less Filling!” Then some clown one section over had a sip and stood up and said “Tastes Great!”
Soon after, all of Comerica got involved.
One sip and you stood up in your seat? Thought you could handle Miller Lite better than that.
NB does not currently have a mayor and council that places a priority on the importance of hockey or hockey facilities. I will not say that they have not done a good job while in office as there are numerous visible signs of progress throughout the community and they are proceeding with the multi-field complex but improvements to hockey facilities are not likely to advance until there is a change of thinking at the top.
I know the best rink discussion is all based on preferences but I had the leisure of having both the Mac and the Jus Jordan Arena as my home rinks and I can’t even begin to describe how much better the Igloo is. From dressing rooms to ice to fan seating, the Igloo truly is the best rink in Northern Ontario. Again, just my opinion.
The Barn in South Porcupine was deadly…….
If it was based on the ice surface alone, Sudbury’s Countryside always suited Pagz’ type of game, lots of room to wheel out there, but nowhere to hang your towel when you’re in the shower. But at least the can had doors unlike Bell Grove and Carmichael. . .
My personal favourite barns in Northern Ontario:
1) McIntyre history, atmosphere and cool Zamboni guys
2) McCLelland in Copper Cliff many dressing room characters got their start here
3) Memorial Gardens North Bay still an old-school feeling, cool Zamboni guys, but the ice is often soft
4) Haileybury the old 54’s dressing room downstairs under the stands in a shrine; always a great place to play
5) Powassan nice wide surface, always cold, and room for a Saturday night dance upstairs
6) The Centre Temiscaming best tournament town, always a good atmosphere, lots of poutine and Export
7) Countryside plenty of room to play the game, clean dressing rooms.
Jus Jordan good ice, nice having a curling club next door, too.
9) John Rhodes should rank higher on the list, but haven’t played there in a few years; good sports bar/restaurant upstairs
10) Walden (Davies) good rink, too bad the dressing rooms are so small
Honourable mention Kirkland Lake, Garson, New Liskeard, Archie Dillon Sportsplex, The Barn, Astorville.
Worst barns Barrydowne (closed), Cambrian (closing), Chelmsford, Confederation (Timmins), Whitney.
Best ball hockey arenas West Ferris, Carmichael, Mountjoy
Best ice surface for me…,;
Mattawa , always hard , rarely in rough shape
The ice surface is good in Mattawa for sure. for ice surface Notre-dame du nord on the quebec is also good and always hard. Damm it’s cold in there.
Yeah that’s about the first time i’ve ever heard the Mac being rated above the Jus Jordan Arena. few in Timmins even try to debate that. The Igloo, apart from the Essar and Sudbury gardens is the only rink in the north with a complete bowl of seats. 1 of only 5 hanging centre ice score clocks in northern ontario. players benches on opposite sides of the rinks, . she’’s obviously not as big as the Essar, the NB garden or the Sudbury gardens, but it’s 1600 capacity is plenty for a community of 5000. Not a bad seat in the house(no iron trusses blocking the vision for any seat.) and one of the best features of it all is it’s the only arena that i know of that was built by the citizens of the community as a volunteer project. I recall the arena having it’s 50th anniversary a few years back, i wouldn’t be surprised to see it make to 100. she’s in great shape.
Kewl Zamboni guys? i don’t think anyone could debate that the Jus Jordan Arena had the best looking zamboni driver in probably the province up until a couple of years ago. if you didn’t go to the Curling rink for a beer during the intermission, you stayed seated and watched that blond drive in circles lol i know Nukker knows what i’m talking about.
Other rinks i enjoyed playing in were the old Englehart barn. teams marching down those stairs (to the end FENCING, not glass) opposite from each other were great. Thier new rink is nice too.
New liskeard was fun when palying the Cubs.
a story ive heard was the band Kiss played at the Jus way back, ive heard it a couple times. It kinda reminds me of the Estevan Bruins rink in sask. The Mac is a classic barn,if it had the bowl seating it would be Top End .
There’s likely very few who remember the old King St. arena in NB that was replaced by MG. I was a young kid in the mid 50’s when I attended a few events there just before it closed. I recall one or two hockey games and some summer wrestling there. It was a long building covered in sheet aluminum type siding and if I remember right, mesh fencing around the rink not glass – and man was it cold in there. The Gardens was like a palace compared to the old one but time marches on and the Gardens has since been passed by all the other rinks in the OHL except the Sudbury Arena and the vintage barn the Ice Dogs use.