Treadwell groups set to organize
Hockey, curling, figure skating, speed skating groups meet Monday for 'icebreaker'
Years of mandatory weather-dependent, bumpy-ice, fish-net-goal hockey in Juneau are about to come to an end.
In just a couple of months, local hockey players - and ice aficionados of all kinds - will christen the smooth surface of Treadwell Ice Arena at Douglas' Savikko Park, giving Juneau its first-ever indoor ice rink.
"We're all really excited about it," said Ben White, one of the organizers of the fledgling Juneau Recreational Hockey League. "The guys are champing at the bit to get out there."
The adult-oriented JRHL is one of several organizations that will be taking part in an open house meeting Monday - an "icebreaker," if you will - aimed at assisting the formation and development of the arena's various user groups. The gathering will take place from 5-7 p.m. in the Hickel Room at Centennial Hall.
"It's a chance for people in the community to come out and meet the various groups (and) see if they can help out in any way," Treadwell rink manager Greg Smith said. "It's about getting the town involved in programs. The city will provide the operation, but we're looking to the community to run with the program development."
In addition to adult hockey players, the open house will offer curlers, figure skaters, speed skaters, youth hockey players and those interested in officiating hockey games a chance to connect with each other.
The user groups are in various stages of development, and the JRHL is one of the most organized to date. They're seeking interested players to sign up at Monday's gathering.
White said the JRHL has evolved out of the informal group of local hockey players who have long congregated each winter on Twin Lakes, the flooded Melvin Park fields, frozen back yards and anywhere else a rink can be created.
"Wherever there's ice, that's where we'll go," said Janelle White, Ben's wife.
Those outdoor games depended on weather, ice conditions and who could be gathered in one place at one time. They featured dependable - though hardly regulation - goals.
"Two-by-fours and fish nets have gone a long way," Janelle White said.
With the new ice rink on the way - after years of hopes and work - "we wanted to form more of an organization" to hockey in Juneau, Ben White said. "This allows us to bring new people into it. ...
"We're trying to promote hockey in Juneau. ... I don't want to see hockey and the ice rink die if we keep it to ourselves."
The JRHL will operate under the sanctions of USA Hockey, which will provide insurance for the league. Organizers are expecting about 60 to 65 players the first season - subject to change, depending on the interest expressed at Monday's open house. Ben White said they envision a six teams playing a 15-game schedule over ten weeks.
The JRHL is seeking players with some prior hockey experience, though players from a wide range of backgrounds have expressed interest.
"The levels are everything from people who played college hockey at really competitive levels to people who are just strapping on skates for the first time," JRHL member Dave Kovach said.
"We're trying to push this as an educational season, with a lot of skill sessions" and workshops, Ben White said.
Construction work on the ice arena has moved to the interior, where the walls of offices, locker rooms, restrooms and a skate-rental facility are being framed out, Smith, the rink manager, reported last week. One of the next steps will be installing the sideboards of the rink.
No exact grand-opening date has been set, Smith said, though officials are looking at a completion date sometime in late December or early January.
Andrew Krueger can be reached at akrueger@juneauempire.com.