Ice House Sports Complex: Difference between revisions
No edit summary Tag: references removed |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
The '''Riverbend Ice Center''' is a 1,200-seat [[ice rink]] located in [[Chenango, New York]].<ref name="rds"/> |
The '''Riverbend Ice Center''' is a 1,200-seat [[ice rink]] located in [[Chenango, New York]].<ref name="rds"/> |
||
Formerly known as the “Ice House Skating Rink”, this was a popular indoor ice skating facility located in the town of Chenango, just outside Binghamton, New York. Originally built in the early 1990s, the rink became a central hub for ice sports and recreational skating in the Southern Tier region of New York. Over its decades of operation, it hosted youth and adult hockey leagues, figure skating programs, public skating sessions, and community events. The rink was known for its strong connection to local hockey teams, including high school programs and amateur leagues. |
|||
Early Years |
Early Years |
||
Revision as of 02:21, 14 September 2024
Riverbend | |
 | |
| Former names | Chenango Ice Rink |
|---|---|
| Location | Chenango, New York, U.S. |
| Capacity | 1,200[1] (hockey) |
| Surface | 200' x 85'(hockey) |
| Tenants | |
| Binghamton Bearcats (ACHA) Binghamton Jr. Senators (AJHL) (2005–2010) Broome County Barons (FHL) (2010) | |
The Riverbend Ice Center is a 1,200-seat ice rink located in Chenango, New York.[1]
Formerly known as the “Ice House Skating Rink”, this was a popular indoor ice skating facility located in the town of Chenango, just outside Binghamton, New York. Originally built in the early 1990s, the rink became a central hub for ice sports and recreational skating in the Southern Tier region of New York. Over its decades of operation, it hosted youth and adult hockey leagues, figure skating programs, public skating sessions, and community events. The rink was known for its strong connection to local hockey teams, including high school programs and amateur leagues.
Early Years
The Ice House Skating Rink was established in response to the growing popularity of ice hockey and figure skating in the Binghamton area. Prior to its construction, there were few local options for ice sports, forcing many residents to travel longer distances to larger cities like Syracuse. The rink's construction filled a crucial need in the local community, giving skaters and hockey players a dedicated venue for practice and competition.
The facility boasted a standard-sized ice rink with a capacity for both public skating and organized league play. Its initial design was simple, catering primarily to the needs of local teams and skaters. The Ice House quickly became a fixture of the Chenango and Binghamton community, drawing families and athletes to its regular programming.
Community Impact
Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the Ice House Skating Rink served as the home for a variety of local and regional ice hockey leagues, including youth leagues, high school teams, and adult recreational leagues. The rink hosted tournaments, figure skating competitions, and special events, cementing its role as an essential part of the region's sporting life.
High school hockey teams from the Southern Tier relied on the rink for practice and games, and it was a common site for figure skating clubs to hold practices and performances. Public skating sessions drew residents of all ages, especially during the winter months. The facility also provided skating lessons for beginners and opportunities for advanced skaters to train.
In 2024, new owners acquired the facility with plans to renovate and revitalize it. The rink was rebranded as Riverbend Ice Center in an effort to restore the rink’s place as a cornerstone of local ice sports.
The new ownership committed to upgrading the facility and expanding its offerings, aiming to breathe new life into the venue and continue serving the Southern Tier region. With these changes, Riverbend Ice Center is poised to build on the Ice House's legacy while modernizing the facility for future generations of skaters and hockey players.
Legacy
The Ice House Skating Rink remains an important part of Chenango’s and Binghamton’s sports history. For over two decades, it provided a place for athletes to train, compete, and enjoy recreational skating. The rink's role in promoting ice hockey and figure skating in the Southern Tier cannot be overstated, as it helped foster a love for these sports in the region.
With the transition to Riverbend Ice Center, the facility continues to uphold the mission of offering top-quality ice skating opportunities to the local community. Though its name has changed, the legacy of the Ice House Skating Rink lives on through the skaters and hockey players who once called it home.
The rink served as the home of the Binghamton Jr. Senators playing in the Tier III Junior A Atlantic Junior Hockey League until 2010, when the team moved to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania, to become the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights.
References
- ^ a b "Broome County franchise to join Rome in hockey league". romesentinel.com. Rome Daily Sentinel. March 17, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2019.