I.C.E. Arena in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. finally opened up on October 12, for youth hockey, high school hockey, figure skating, and Beer League. Britney Knopp, one of the managers of the ice rink said, “We hope to have open skate and stick and pucks back by this January, but I would not be surprised if that doesn’t comes back until next August.”
To keep everyone safe, the ice rink decided on a few rules. Everyone must wear a mask when entering the building and keep it on. Every hockey player, coach, parent and figure skaters must wear a mask on the ice and keep six feet apart if possible to minimize contact with others. Around the ice rink, they have cleaning stations, and the workers go around and spray and wipe down all the seats that are placed six feet apart. The staff also ask for everyone entering the rink to sign in to keep track of everyone in case a COVID case pops up.
“We try to keep people out of the locker rooms because we just don’t have the staff to keep as clean as we want, so we decided that youth leagues and figure skaters will get ready on the benches but high school and Beer League will get their own locker rooms since they are older and have more gear,” explained Knopp.
High school hockey players have their own locker room and Beer League practices at night, so the staff only have to clean them about two times a night. Knopp and Ken Hisey also decided to close the Pro Shop to customers to limit contact with the staff and customers, but they are still selling certain items like tape and laces but people must go up to the front desk to purchase any items that are on display in the shop.
“We are doing anything and everything to keep the ice rink clean and to make not only our staff but also our hockey players, parents and figure skaters to feel safe. We want to stay open and give everyone the chance to do the sports they love while staying safe,” said Knopp.