For those who haven't had a chance to see the new athletic complex at
Belmont Hill, MA prep school, it is pretty impressive.  The building
houses 2 basketball courts, a wrestling room, squash courts, lots of
meeting rooms and locker rooms (it can handle tournaments with multiple
dressing rooms), and a full-sized Olympic ice rink.  The rink has no
public seating but does have a viewing gallery at one side on the second
floor.  The arena has banners hanging noting all their alumni who have
played Olympic hockey, including the Cleary's and Fusco's and C.J.Young,
all of whom went on to Harvard.  They have a Hobey Baker award displayed
in the trophy case, which both Fusco's won.

Is this common in the prep ranks, to build an Olympic-sized ice
surface?  Are there other non-collegiate rinks that are this size, or do
most use the smaller surface (which I have to believe is a lot
cheaper.)  Belmont Hill has money to burn, it looks like, with
high-quality construction and lots of space; I know colleges who would
love to have facilities like these ...

I know some of the recently-built college rinks have gone to the larger
surface, particularly in the WCHA and UNH in Hockey East.  Is this
evidence of the increasing awareness and prestige of international
competitions in hockey circles?
-- Rick
--------------------               ----------------------
Rick McAdoo                        [log in to unmask]
"Volunteer reporter"               A pleased BC fan.  GO EAGLES!