Upgrades to Salmon Hockey Rink nearly complete

SALMON – A five-month remodel of the hockey rink in Salmon is winding down.

The improvement project got underway in April. Crews tore out the old sand-based ice rink and replaced it with a concrete slab. Ice rink manager Robert Crispin tells EastIdahoNews.com concrete makes it more efficient to freeze ice and prepare it for hockey games and community events.

“Sand-based refrigeration requires a lot of maintenance … and it’s not as efficient,” Crispin says. “Right now, they are starting to erect the dasher boards and make the connections into the compressor room so we can freeze the floor to make ice.”

It’s slated for completion later this month. It will be ready in time for hockey season, which starts in mid-November.

The $1 million project has been in the works for about five years. It’s being funded through grants and from donations acquired through fundraising efforts.

The ice rink, which is managed by the Salmon Hockey Association, is a popular place for kids to play hockey during the winter months. About 130 kids play hockey there throughout the year. It’s also open to the public for ice skating. Crispin says this upgrade will allow them to continue using the venue for years to come.

“This is going to allow us to continue to provide an opportunity for kids in Salmon to learn to skate and play hockey in a more cost-effective way with less maintenance,” says Crispin.

Sydnee Cluff, a senior at Salmon Jr/Sr High School, says the ice rink has been an integral part of her life and she was involved in raising funds for its improvement.

Her love of this popular gathering place prompted her to help spread word about the remodel for her senior project.

She’s thrilled not only for an upgrade to the facility, but also for the widespread interest in it.

“Growing up, I could see this rink slowly falling apart. We were having to replace boards every year and it was just slowly decomposing,” Sydnee says. “A lot of the donations we ended up getting came from out of town. I wanted to let (donors) know where their money is going and how it’s benefitting this small community.”

Sydnee hopes to see the hockey association continue to grow and that people outside the community will use the ice rink.

The ice rink has been around since the 1990s. It’s moved several times over the years and is currently at 808 Lombard Street.

An annual benefit dinner will happen in conjunction with the reopening of the rink. It’s scheduled for Sept. 27 at 5 p.m., according to the association’s website.