Semi-Counterpoint: KC Area Ice Rinks Moving Outdoors

While I agree with Puckchaser's assessment on the lack of outdoor ice skating options in Kansas City, I would like to provide a brief counterpoint.  Yes, the Kansas City area still struggles to open outdoor rinks or lakes/ponds for hockey, and yes, the city of Kansas City hardly contributes any money or facilities towards growing ice recreation besides Line Creek (even though KC is not specifically listed in Puckchaser's post).  But, I would argue that the area is moving in the right direction to making outdoor ice skating and ice hockey a more viable option around town.

Construction Update: Burlington Creek Ice Rink Still to Open in November

Above is a not-so-good photo of the new outdoor ice rink coming soon to the Burlington Creek shopping district in the Northland.  As mentioned, this is a really, really small rink.  Like, think of a really small ice rink, and then picture it about half that size.  Yeah, muy pequeño.  Muy muy muy.

Basically, to the far left of the photo is the tower-thing (pictured below), which represents one far side of the rink.  If you click on the photo and make it larger, you will see the edge of the businesses on the far right, which is the other end of the rink.  I assume that tree isn't going anywhere, so the rink will shimmy into that space up against Em Chamas et al.  It's essentially going to be an ice covered patio.

But don't fret, Kansas City area ice sport enthusiast!  It is still an ice rink.  Plus, the KC ICE site – not updated since its creation – still boasts it is in some way supposed to support Russell Stover hockey.  Also, it's still going to open this winter, so says the banner on the tower-thing built (I assume) just to hold the banner stating when the rink will open.  So, that's good. 

Grainy Pictures of Dirt – KC Ice Center Pavilion Construction Photos

Click to embiggen

Here is the progress today on the KC Ice Center's new outdoor ice rink – also known as the Ice Pavilion.  It looks pretty smooth, and there is a lot of dirt.  So, yeah, construction hasn't actually started yet, other than the leveling process.  Hey, here's another photo!

Again, this project is reported to be done by this November, giving Shawnee's KC Ice Center a second sheet of ice.  The ONLY ice center in the KC area with a second sheet.

Meanwhile, Nutbush corroborates reports from Puckchaer that the Burlington Creek outdoor rink is small.  Like, much smaller than a standard size ice rink.  Which is strange, because that rink is supposed to somehow support the Russell Stover hockey program.

From KC Ice's official site:

The rink will help support and grow ice based sports, competition and activities in Kansas City, such as the nationally recognized Tier 1 United States travel hockey program, Russell Stover Hockey 

Really?  How?  Maybe for practices?  Broom ball?  Impressing the opposite sex on a date?  We will see.

Stay updated on the new outdoor rink on the Kansas side with KC Ice Center's Ice Pavilion updates page.  Though the progress on the rink is going a lot better than the progress on the updates page...

The Best Ice Rink Concept, or the Best Ice Rink Concept? Also, a Programming Note

Your move, KC ICE.

Remember folks, new open air ice skating rinks are coming this late fall/early winter to an outdoor area near you.  The Plaza Ice Terrace, of course, but also the new rinks at Burlington Plaza in the Northland and KC Ice Center in Shawnee's new additional open air rink.  It's good stuff, you can be sure of that.  But, still, it's not that great.  Just look at that concept photo above.  I think it's pretty self-explanatory.  Not just one rink, but three.  On top of each other.  With a ferris wheel and Super Fun Happy Slide.  Especially, a Super Fun Happy Slide.  No matter it defies accepted laws of physics in some cases.  Then again, by pushing past proven standards and dreaming big, isn't that how we evolve as a society?  Yes, yes it is.

Also, a quick programming note:
You can now read my musings here AND at SB Nation's Los Angeles Kings hockey blog Jewels From the Crown.

REPEAT: I will still post here.  So yeah, ya take the good with the bad...

For quicker updates, follow my Twitter account (you can do this without your own Twitter account because TECHNOLOGY!) for more links to cool stuff, articles, hockey news, KC sports items, LA Kings musings (of course), etc. that don't make it to the blog post stage of production.

Hopefully soon, new contributor Nutbush will begin posting here.  He's a skilled Internet craftsmen, and you'll enjoy his stuff.  Or maybe you won't, I don't know.  But, we're just going to keep having fun here and keep pushing that boulder over the hill with you KC hockey fans until one day it goes over the hill and rolls away leaving a vibrant hockey town in its path of destruction.

As always, Puckchaser and NHL in KC have cool stuff for you to check out.  They have been doing one hell of a job for a long time, which is nearly seventy years in Internet time.  And Missouri Mavericks blog guy, your site is broken, and you should fix it.

Open-Air Rink Coming to KC Ice Center in the Fall

KC Ice Center in Shawnee is opening a second sheet of ice.  This one appears to be an open-ice rink with a permanent roof (I assume something similar to the Crown Center Ice Terrace, only probably not at all).  Below is a link and an excerpt from a release from the hockey director to those associated with the KC Stars amateur clubs.

I realize this is from late April, but here it is for those of you who do not know.

Kansas City Stars Hockey Director's Spring Update

KCIC is moving forward with a second sheet of ice!!! The new rink will be an open‐air facility with a permanent roof. It is planned to be ready in November. We all know the need for more ice in Kansas City for our sport to grow and prosper. The new rink at KCIC will use modern technology to allow our players to experience the tradition of outdoor hockey. Those of us who have played outdoors or seen the NHL Winter Classic know how much fun it can be to play open air hockey.
One of our goals for many years has been to find a way to provide more ice time for our Stars house level players. We are excited because the new ice sheet will allow us to provide our house teams (Atoms through Bantams) with an extra hour of ice each week from about mid‐November through March, depending on weather. The new rink will be open as long as the outdoor temperatures are below 50 degrees. There will be no increase in fees from last year to our house families for this additional hour of ice. More ice, same price! More details to come as we put together schedules in the fall.

And here is a picture of what it may look like, also from the KC Stars site.

It's no Heinz Field...

With the announcement of the open-air rink coming to the Northland in November also, Kansas City is really starting to jump on the "pond hockey" fad hundreds of years after Canadians made it popular.  Take that, Canada!

But, no, seriously, this is good.  Especially after the epic failure that was Ice Midwest.

KCIce: The Best Supergroup Since the Traveling WIlburys

Stick-tap to pucKChaser for uncovering the mystery of the ice rink in the Northland.  It will be managed by a group named KCIce, run by 1980 USA Hockey team member and former KC Blades coach Ken Morrow and NHL21's Paul McGannon.

KCIce's official site

Continue after the jump for the full press release on KC Ice and the new Northland rink.

New Ice Rink Coming to the Northland?

For those in the Northland, you are at least somewhat aware of Tuileries Plaza shopping district, the area featuring the gaudy glowing pylon structure off of I-29 and 45 Highway.  Well, some bad stuff happened, and it is no longer owned by the same developer.  Why should you care?  Well, because, NorthPoint Development took over and named the area The Village at Burlington Creek, promising to fill it with restaurants, office space, luxury apartments, and an ice-skating rink.  Wait, what?

Click to embiggen

I thought it sounded crazy too, but there it is right there on the sign.  And signs never lie.  Just as an aside, Line Creek Community Center and Ice Arena is just a few miles away from this location.

What does this ice-skating rink entail?  Well, your guess is as good as mine.  As the photo below indicates, the "Ice Plaza" is situated in between En Chamas restaurant and the building that holds Quiznos Subs.  This area does not appear to look very large, but perhaps large enough for a single-sheet skating rink.  Or just a rink similar to the Crown Center Ice Terrace for the winter months.  Of course, they are still in the development stages, so who knows.

Anyway, here are a few links to check out if you are interested in knowing more about the whole project and development.  Small ice terrace, single-sheet ice rink, or whatever, this rink can help inspire an interest in ice sports around the area.

LANE4 Retail Map

NorthPoint Development Burlington Creek page

Burlington Creek Brochure