Ice Palace closure leaves hockey team without place to practice

Annie Bishop by Annie Bishop

One last hockey practice at the Ice Palace at Riverfront Park for players with the Inland Empire Amateur Hockey Association.

For the past 10 years, the hockey league has been practicing at the rink.

“I love the feeling of just going down the ice, feeling the wind in your hair,” said Nathan Clark, a hockey player with the league. “I love the hustle and the pace of the game,” he added.

However, this is the last weekend the rink will be open. The Ice Palace is set to be torn down as part of a $64 million dollar Riverfront Park renovation. Design plans call for the rink to be replaced with a ice ribbon, weaving through the park. The league says it expressed concerns about the new ice ribbon, but feel like it’s getting the cold shoulder.

“We are just very frustrated with it because number one it doesn’t accommodate hockey, number two it’s not going to be covered. So all these days in the winter time, it’s raining or really windy, it’s not going to be skateable,” said Larry Chermak with the hockey league.

The league plans to move practice to the EWU rink in Cheney until the end of the season.

The Ice Palace will close on Sunday.

“We’re a tough organization, so we’ll find a new home,” said Clark.

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