Latest Info on Bird Ice Arena Closure

UPDATED NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Due to ongoing maintenance issues with the rink floor, Ohio University continues to delay the opening of Bird Ice Area.

Bird Ice Arena has undergone numerous upgrades this past summer, including a new chiller, insulation in the roof, and numerous cosmetic upgrades. However, the University chose not to replace the rink surface as part of the renovation work. In mid-September when the chiller system was turned on, a substantial loss of chiller fluid was observed. Subsequent investigations have identified and repaired leaks in the refrigerant piping that runs just under the floor surface, but the significant loss of chiller fluid continues, and it is not possible to chill the floor and create ice. 

The University has determined that the likely source of the leak is the header pipe that runs under the center of the rink. This header pipe feeds all of the small diameter pipes that run up and down the rink, and it appears to be set six feet or so below both rink surfaces (the one poured in 1990 and the original from 1958).

Ohio University has determined that it is not feasible to replace the header pipe this season, and they have decided to place a set of portable ice rink pipes on top of the existing floor to create a new level of ice as a temporary solution for this season.

See the official statement from Ohio University in the link below.

The University appears to be making progress installing a temporary rink mat on top of the old concrete floor. As shown in the image below, taken November 11, much of the floor has been covered with the temporary mat, and the home bench has been completely torn out as well as a portion of the visitor bench so connections can be made between the mat and the new chiller.

Because of this progress, there have been a lot of rumors floating around regarding when the rink will reopen. However, in conversation with staff from the Office of Campus Recreation this week who are actively monitoring the progress of the contractor, the target reopening date remains January 2025. There are thousands of hose connections that have to be made and tested, the new temporary header pipes need to be connected and tested for leaks, and the home and visitor benches need to be reconstructed. This will take time, but Campus Recreation indicates that everything is proceeding smoothly and on schedule.

Please note that a January opening is not guaranteed. There are any number of construction or equipment related complications that can push the opening date out further.

For all teams, please work with your counterparts on your respective division teams to reschedule any home games at Bird Ice Arena you may have already penciled in November and December, and please considered the possibility of needing to reschedule any homes games for January.

Ice contracts for games and practices at other rinks typically require 30-to-45-day cancellation notices. While a January opening of Bird Ice Arena is anticipated, it is not guaranteed, so arrangements for January at other facilities continue to be made for our travel teams. When Bird Ice Arena finally reopens, the AYHA will have to honor any scheduled away games at other facilities within that period. If you have an away game scheduled in that 30-to-45-day period and try to cancel it, the AYHA will still be required to pay for that ice time and referees as well as pay Ohio University for the ice time and referees here in Athens on top of it.

Home games for D1 and D2 have been cancelled through the end of 2024.  D1 players are leaving the campus around 5am to take advantage of early morning ice availability at the Charleston Memorial Ice Arena or in Columbus, while the D2 team’s practice times are late and do not end until almost midnight. This is reflective of there being no better available ice times or locations in Charleston or Columbus for either team.

All practices and home games for the month of October, November, and December are cancelled for all age divisions, and the AYHA Board of Directors will provide an update to the impact of games and practices for the month of January as we get more information from the University. Once the University has completed repairs, they will inform the Association when normal practices can resume for all age divisions at the arena. The Board of Directors will keep the Association members updated with information as it is received from the University.

Please understand that while this not an ideal start to the hockey season, we still have the option to participate in away games while Bird Ice Arena is down, and we have alternate practice options, which are detailed below. Adjusting on the fly to Bird Ice Arena being down has been more complex than losing an entire season to COVID, but at least we still have the opportunity for youth hockey between now and when the rink is back online.

Because traveling to Columbus rinks is not an option for any of our teams during the week (see Questions from Association Members below), and because of the time involved for travel to and from the Mastodon Ice Arena is too much to justify for one hour of practice each weekend for our littlest hockey players, all practices are suspended for the 8U team until Bird Ice Arena reopens. Registration payments for all 8U players are suspended for the months that Bird Ice Arena is non-operational. Once the AYHA knows exactly when the arena will open again, each 8U player’s 2024/2025 season fees will be prorated to match the time the team is back on the ice, with partial refunds applied for the lost practice time as necessary.

Team coaches and team managers should reschedule any October, November, and December BTHL home games to later in the season. With the information we currently have from the University, and considering the Thanksgiving holiday, no home games at Bird Ice Arena should be scheduled for the month of October, November, or December. 

All travel teams are free to schedule away games at their discretion throughout the entire season. Coaches and team managers should keep AYHA Scheduler, Deb McAvoy, informed immediately of home games that are scheduled at Bird Ice Arena. If your team’s designated home ice day/time does not work for the away team you’re trying to work with, reach out to Deb first to see what alternate days/times may be available from other AYHA teams. Please do not make your own swaps with other AYHA coaches for home ice at Bird without Deb being involved.  

Ohio University has offered rooms to the AYHA for dry-land training, floor hockey, classroom/video review sessions, etc. for the month of October at no cost to the AYHA. Furthermore, the AYHA has reserved weekend time at the newly opened half-size rink at the Mastodon Ice Arena in Newark. All travel teams will have the opportunity to take advantage of the Ohio University rooms during the week and on-ice training at Mastodon Ice Arena on weekends beginning Monday October 7th. It is up to the discretion of the coaches how dry-land training and/or video review/classroom sessions will be utilized.  

Swapping dry-land / classroom times and venues at Ohio University with other teams is not permitted. If an away hockey game is going to conflict with your team’s ability to take advantage of an on-ice practice session at the Mastodon Ice Arena, let Deb McAvoy know – there may be an opportunity for another team to use your team’s time at the arena or vice versa. Please do not make your own arrangements with other AYHA coaches to swap times at Mastodon without Deb being involved. Due to the size of the 10U and 12U team rosters, they will share ice at Mastodon.

10U Schedule Starting Monday Oct 7

• Thursdays 6-7:30 pm Multipurpose Room Area E in Ping Center

• Saturdays 1:45-4 pm (15-minute ice cut at 2:45) Mastodon Ice Arena with 12U

• No video review / classroom time for 10U per head coach’s request

12U Schedule Starting Monday Oct 7

• Mondays 6-7:30 pm Multipurpose Room Area E in Ping Center 

• Wednesdays 8-9:30 pm Video Review Grover Center W119 and Dryland Training/Stretching/Mobility 

• Saturdays 1:45-4 pm (15-minute ice cut at 2:45) Mastodon Ice Arena with 10U

14U Schedule Starting Monday Oct 7

• Tuesdays 8-9:30 pm Video Review Academic & Research Center 312 and Dryland Training/Stretching/Mobility 

• Thursdays 6-7:30 pm Multipurpose Room Area B in Ping Center 

• Sundays 5:30-6:30 pm Mastodon Ice Arena (October 13th first practice)

High School Schedule Starting Monday Oct 7

• Mondays 8:30-10 pm Video Review Grover Center W126 and Dryland Training/Stretching/Mobility 

• Wednesdays 7:45-10 pm Multipurpose Room Area E in Ping Center 

• Sundays 6:45-7:45 pm Mastodon Ice Arena, except for 10/6 where the practice is 5:30-7:45 pm

Why can’t we find alternate rinks and available ice time?

All other rinks in Columbus, Newark, and Charleston, West Virigina are booked solid. Ice is in such demand in Columbus that you may routinely see as many as four or five different Blue Jackets Hockey League teams sharing one sheet of ice, while independent youth hockey associations in Columbus schedule the ice slots that are left over. What ice is available in Columbus, Newark, and Charleston during the week are at odd times, such as 10pm or later; clearly, our youth players cannot start practice during a school week at 10pm, get off the ice at 11 or 11:30pm, return home around 1:00am, and be ready for a 7:00am school bus. Weekends at these rinks are booked solid with local youth games, high school games, public skates, learn-to-skate / learn-to-play programs, and a thriving series of regional and national youth hockey tournaments. 

Can my 8U youth player receive a partial refund for the lost practices at Bird Ice Arena?

Yes. Because traveling to Columbus rinks is not an option for any of our teams, and because of the time involved for travel to and from the Mastodon Ice Arena is too much to justify for one hour of practice each weekend for our littlest hockey players, all payments for all 8U players are suspended for the months that Bird Ice Arena is non-operational. Once the AYHA knows exactly when the arena will open again, each 8U player’s 2024/2025 season fees will be prorated to match the time the team is back on the ice.

Can my 10U/12U/14U/High School player receive a partial refund for the lost practices at Bird Ice Arena?

No. Because the AYHA has committed to reserving ice time at Newark’s new half-size Mastodon Ice Arena for the travel teams, and because that ice time is much more expensive than what Ohio University charges (on average, ice in Columbus is twice as expensive per hour), the portions of the players’ registration fees set aside for ice time at Bird during the closure are instead being used to reserve ice at Mastodon.