Apart from the convenience, Jason said he’s impressed with the facilities on hand. “The locker rooms don’t smell as bad as the Chelsea Piers,” he explained. His buddy, 9-year-old Davis Bebon, agreed. “Yeah, [it’s] not so smelly,” he said, nodding vigorously.
Helping new generations of hockey players find a place to practice was the goal behind the rink, according to developer Erik Ekstein.
“When I was a kid, I played up in Westchester, New York, and there weren’t really any places to practice hockey, so when we had this property, we figured we would make a rink,” Ekstein said.
Thirty adult teams and 15 youth teams currently practice at the 34,000-square foot facility, and the rink is also available for use by local high school teams, intramural leagues and private lessons.
The general public is invited to skate for several hours each afternoon, drawing an estimated 200 people a day.
On Nov. 20, the pavilion roped in N.Y. Ranger defenseman Michael Del Zotto to make an appearance, adding to Jason and Davis' excitement.
Even as the boys waited for the Rangers star, 14-year-old Elly Karras continued with her figure skating classes.
“This rink is great. It is well maintained, and the staff is friendly,” said Elly’s mom, Elise Karras.
Her friend Jacqueline Quinn, whose 8-year-old daughter takes lessons at the rink, agreed, calling the facility “brilliant.”
But for Jason’s nanny, it is not all fun and games. “In Chelsea Piers, if you feel cold, you could go out, get a coffee, get something to eat,” complained Luz Riveros, “but here there is nothing — no hot chocolate, no coffee.”
“The Air Hockey table doesn’t work,” Jason added. “There is no puck.” He added that there are no balls for the basketball hoop behind the rink.
Despite the young hockey players’ complaints, they agreed that the rink has saved them time commuting and is a place to have fun.
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