Oldest rink in the Pittsburgh area?

[ron_duguays_hair]

Morehouse said today on Madden that their were 6 (indoor?) rinks before Mario in the Pittsburgh area. What are they? What is the oldest rink in the area?

My guesses:

1. Ice Connection (my home barn)
2. Rostraver
3. Southside Rink (RIP)
4. Greensburg
5. War Memorial (don't know if this counts)
6. Kittaning (awful rink)

....Monroeville Mall?

Oldest: Ice Connection or Rostraver

[MRandall25]

If they're saying 6 in history, then don't forget Duquesne Gardens

[ron_duguays_hair]

If they're saying 6 in history, then don't forget Duquesne Gardens

at the time of marios arrival.

[tjand72]

Beaver County Ice Arena opened in the mid '70's.

Mount Lebanon opened around the same time.

[cheesesteakwithegg]

What about the one in Monroeville? I think it was on Miracle Mile...

[columbia]

I think the rink in Mt Lebanon opened in the 70s.

[ron_duguays_hair]

Good call on the Lebo rink (which is closest to me)

[Dickie Dunn]

What about the one in Monroeville? I think it was on Miracle Mile...

Golden Mile. Completely awful rink. From what I can remember, they removed the rink from Monroeville Mall, moved it down the street, put a roof over it, called it a hockey rink.

Was a big fan of Ice Connection. The place was a dump but the ice was fantastic.

Neville on the South Side is probably the worst rink I ever stepped foot in. The Penguins used to practice there back in the day. The walls had numerous player signatures on them.

[meow]

I remember playing a game on the Neville Rink on the South Side with a construction barrell in the neutral zone. The roof had a leak and the water dripping on the ice melted the ice down to the concrete below. The next year, my back-up goalie and three or four other teammates passed out because of the Zamboni fumes. I also couldn't climb the stairs from the locker room to the rink because of my goalie gear so my coach had to carry me. Good times.

[relantel]

i think the statement was how many rinks existed in 1984, which would nix the old carbarn. (Which itself isn't to be forgotten, as it is said that Pittsburgh was the birth of the artificial ice hockey surface)

[ajh2298]

I used to work at the Neville South Side Ice/Dek Rinks other than getting the free rink time and free entry fees in the dek leagues it really sucked working there.

Also how about the mini-icerink they had inside the Bridgeville Rollerplex would that count?

[Fire0nice228]

What about the one in Monroeville? I think it was on Miracle Mile...

Golden Mile. Completely awful rink.

Was a big fan of Ice Connection. The place was a dump but the ice was fantastic.
.

Golden Mile WAS terrible. I once played in a rink in WV that was like a barn and to step from the bench door down to the ice level was like a solid foot drop. It was weird. And it was like 2 degrees in the whole building the entire time locker rooms and all.

When I played in highschool Ice Connection ws my home rink (knoch and BV Dawgs). Loved that rink. The ice was always pretty decent, I like it a little soft, and the boards, my god, you could get flat out smeared and those things had so much give that you'd just bounce right back. Made a huge noise every time too. Hate the huge gap the zamboni doors had, broke two sticks getting the blade stuck in the gap

[JS©]

How old is the Airport Rink?

[The Snapshot]

Lakeview in Butler? How old was that one?

[mac5155]

Rostraver opened in 1965.

[tjand72]

How old is the Airport Rink?

It can't be more than 20-25 years old.

[Dickie Dunn]

I once played in a rink in WV that was like a barn and to step from the bench door down to the ice level was like a solid foot drop. It was weird. And it was like 2 degrees in the whole building the entire time locker rooms and all.

Ah yes, the Morgantown barn. That place sucked. The rink up in Lawrence County (home of the Lawrence County Lightning, who always sucked) was the same kind of set up. Inside of a barn, freezing cold, locker rooms that you couldn't fit the entire team in.

I remember playing a game on the Neville Rink on the South Side with a construction barrell in the neutral zone. The roof had a leak and the water dripping on the ice melted the ice down to the concrete below. The next year, my back-up goalie and three or four other teammates passed out because of the Zamboni fumes. I also couldn't climb the stairs from the locker room to the rink because of my goalie gear so my coach had to carry me. Good times.

Neville Rink is the source of so many nostalgic stories for me. Some of my favorites:

- Our varsity team had their game end in a 2-2 tie after the second period because the zamboni broke down at center ice, dumped all its water, and melted the neutral zone.

- The locking system for the zamboni door was a bolt that would slide into the wood of the boards it connected to. A kid got checked into the seam between the boards a little too hard, causing the bolt to break through the wood and the door to fly open. Game was delayed half an hour while they figured out how to fix it.

- Towards the end of the rink's existance they started having Friday night raves on the ice surface. We were the first game the following morning and were treated to puke frozen to the ice and syringes in the neutral zone.

I've always thought of Rostraver as the most dangerous rink in the area. Boards backed by concrete is just asking for someone to get injured.

As a sidenote, the coolest rinks I've ever played in are the 1932 and 1980 Olympic rinks in Lake Placid. Was an awesome experience.

[CERV96]

How old is the Airport Rink?

It can't be more than 20-25 years old.

Opened by the Scally family in 1995. I have lived 5 min from their my entire life. Now is currently owned by a cheap jag who has removed all hot water boilers and now there is no hot water in the locker rooms.

[sharpshootr55]

I played in Neville the last 2 seasons it was open, as a Squirt and Pee Wee. I have 3 memories that I recall vividly from there.

- Getting my first ever point, an assist on the PK.
- Avoiding syringes, puke, cigarette butts, and broken glass during Saturday morning practices.
- The zamboni driver crashing into the end boards, delaying my game for an hour.

Something that I find annoying about another rink(s) is Bladerunners, why in the hell are the kick plates blue? I play adult league at Warrendale and none of the 3 rinks are brightly lit, can never find the puck ringing around the boards along the ice.

[Kraftster]

6. Kittaning (awful rink)

Back off. Quality ice and the coolest skate guards.

[marek]

South Park is probably the oldest... it was built during the depression by the Roosevelt administration.

[Bathgate]

Nobody has mentioned the Alpine Ice Chalet just off the Parkway East in Swissvale, where the Pens practiced in the 1960's and 1970's. It was converted to a tennis center, probably before Mario arrived. Also not mentioned is the Sewickley Ice Rink, located along the river almost at the base of the Sewickley Bridge. Not sure when it closed, but it may have survived into the Lemieux era.

Anybody ever hear of the Roxarena? It was an outdoor rink along Chartiers Creek in McKees Rox. Not sure if it had artificial ice. It existed from the late '30's through the early '50's, I think. The old Hornets sometimes practiced there when Duquesne Gardens ice was not available. Tim Horton likely skated there a few times. It did not have regular hockey boards. If you visit the McKees Rocks Post Office or the McKees Rocks Eat'n Park, you can see a photo of this rink on the wall. Sometimes the Hornets of the 1950's traveled all the way to Johnstown for indoor practice, as there were no indoor rinks in the Pittsburgh area other than Duquesne Gardens.

If you want to go way back to the 1910's, they installed an ice rink in the old Exposition building, located in what is now Point State Park along the Allegheny River. Hobey Baker played his last game of hockey there.

[Godric]

Brady's run?

[JS©]

How old is the Airport Rink?

It can't be more than 20-25 years old.

Opened by the Scally family in 1995. I have lived 5 min from their my entire life. Now is currently owned by a cheap jag who has removed all hot water boilers and now there is no hot water in the locker rooms.

I work about 5 min from there and used to do drop-in after work since it was so close to me. At some point last summer, they kept on screwing with the drop-in days and had the place closed for multiple days because of a leaking roof, bad ice conditions, and probably a few more reasons that I never saw.

[Spum]

I believe he means functioning in 1984. Pretty sure Rostraver is the oldest.

Plying PAHL Squirt at the time the six indoor rinks in 1984
1) Rostraver
2) Greensburg
3) Mt. Lebanon
4) North Hills
5) Beaver
6) Kittaning

Johnstown existed but didn't have youth teams that played PAHL until a few years later.