Old Arena Images & Beginnings

[mbhhofr]

Very nice. Curious was the Carruther's in a re-cycled building that had another vocation previously? Then became a community club that would use available space seasonally as beneficial.

It was strictly outdoors, not recycled. Next to the Winnipeg Transit streetcar barns. The two Kurdydik brothers who took care of it actually had three rinks on the site. One with the boards for the hockey rink. another just for the kids who wanted to skate and a third speed skating oval.

In the summer time, we had a couple of baseball fields.

​

 

[The Stig]

This thread is fantastic!

Heres the PNE Forum where the Canucks played before joining the NHL in 1970

And today, still used as a fairground building

Exterior

And of course, the Pacific Coliseum

Opening game of the 1970 NHL season

 

[sr edler]

The Lexington Avenue Ice Palace New York

Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1897-1900, January 01, 1898, Image 16 « Chronicling America « Library of Congress
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/l...ockey+in+rink&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

Nice find. New York Hockey Club played in this arena in 1896–97 & 1897–98 before they moved into the St. Nicholas Skating Rink. Very peculiar ceiling.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Very nice. Curious was the Carruther's in a re-cycled building that had another vocation previously? Then became a community club that would use available space seasonally as beneficial.

It was strictly outdoors, not recycled. Next to the Winnipeg Transit streetcar barns. The two Kurdydik brothers who took care of it actually had three rinks on the site. One with the boards for the hockey rink. another just for the kids who wanted to skate and a third speed skating oval.

In the summer time, we had a couple of baseball fields.

​

Interesting. In Montreal certain buildings that were no longer viable for industry or manufacturing would be converted for use by youngsters. Vacant lots would serve for fields and rinks. Seems same or similar approaches were used across Canada.

 

[sr edler]

Thistle Rink in Edmonton, c. 1909. This rink was used for curling, hockey and political events. Here it's decorated because of a visit from Earl Grey.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Nice find. New York Hockey Club played in this arena in 1896–97 & 1897–98 before they moved into the St. Nicholas Skating Rink. Very peculiar ceiling.

New York Times description of the building on 26 January, 1896:

The building has been fitted up like a chrysolite cave. Icicles hang from the roof, and the scene is made gorgeous by several hundred electric lights.

The ice covers a space of 265 feet long by 71 feet wide, giving a circle to the skater of a quarter of a mile -- 2,086 people can skate here, each having 14 square feet of space, besides having an open centre of 2,800 square feet. The surface of this lake is good, hard, solid ice, five inches thick, and is frozen by means of two immense engines, each engine having a capacity of forty tons of ice. Fifteen miles of one-inch iron pipe run through the water that floods the floor, and the immense ice machines pump a brine of a density of 90 degrees through these pipes at a rate of 500 gallons a minute, causing a cold of not less than 10 degrees above zero, forming the water into a solid and hard ice, free from fog or mist; 35,000 gallons of brine are flowing through the iron pipes.

Surrounding the lake is the ampitheatre, with a seating capacity of 1,800. Above this is a gallery, which can seat 2,500 people. The walls around the ampitheatre are covered with red velvet, and divided with white enameled moldings. The lower parts of the truss posts are covered with leather up to the bracket lights, where the ice effect begins at the ceiling. From the brackets the effect is artistic; icicles hang down from one to three feet, each pointed with electric lights, giving a charming effect.

There are a cafe, a cloakroom, and six clubrooms in the building. Four of these clubrooms are occupied by the members of the Ice Palace Skating Club, the Knickerbocker Skating Club, the Ice Palace Polo Club, and the New York Hockey Club.

 

[tarheelhockey]

By the way, the NYT dates the origin of organized hockey in NYC to a game at the Ice Palace on March 6, 1896. The New York Hockey Club hosted the Baltimore Athletic Club, with the home team winning 3-0. The first goal was scored by I.A. Lynch, whose full first name I can't find online.

A week later, the rink hosted a game between the Shamrocks and the Montreal HC of the AHAC -- Montreal HC being better known to most fans as the "winged wheelers", the first Stanley Cup champions a couple of years before this game.

The more well-remembered St. Nicholas Rink opened that fall.

 

[Killion]

New York Times description of the building on 26 January, 1896:

The building has been fitted up like a chrysolite cave. Icicles hang from the roof, and the scene is made gorgeous by several hundred electric lights.

Surrounding the lake is the ampitheatre, with a seating capacity of 1,800. Above this is a gallery, which can seat 2,500 people. The walls around the ampitheatre are covered with red velvet, and divided with white enameled moldings. The lower parts of the truss posts are covered with leather up to the bracket lights, where the ice effect begins at the ceiling. From the brackets the effect is artistic; icicles hang down from one to three feet, each pointed with electric lights, giving a charming effect.

Huh.... I knew a guy who did up his vans interior like that in the 70's. Exterior airbrushed with an exact copy of the cover of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's album Brain Salad Surgery..... but ya inside he had the icicles goin on, red velvet, whole 9 yards.... Shaggin Wagon.... not that he ever got lucky.... I mean, c'mon.... what self respecting young lady would ever venture into the thing?... but for that old arena.... perhaps one of the subterranean grotto's in one of Mad King Ludwig II Fairy Tale Castles, ideal. Works a treat.

 

[DowntownBooster]

October 18, 1955 - first hockey game held at the Winnipeg Arena. The Winnipeg Warriors played host to the Calgary Stampeders (Western Hockey League) in front of 9,671 spectators. The seating capacity upon opening was 9,500. The Winnipeg Arena would later become home to the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA in 1972 and later on when the Jets joined the NHL in 1979. The building continued to be the Jets home until 1996 when the franchise relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. The Manitoba Moose of the AHL would call the building 'home' from 1996 to 2004 when they moved into the new MTS Centre (now Bell MTS Place). The Winnipeg Arena would be demolished on March 26, 2006.

 

[Killion]

October 18, 1955 - first hockey game held at the Winnipeg Arena. The Winnipeg Warriors played host to the Calgary Stampeders (Western Hockey League) in front of 9,671 spectators. The seating capacity upon opening was 9,500.... The Winnipeg Arena would be demolished on March 26, 2006.

Indeed, which was a record crowd for the Western Hockey League. The Warriors had quite the eclectic lineup with Fred Shero the Captain, guys like Eric Nesterenko, Bill Mosienko & dozens of others who went on to the NHL & or who had played in the NHL prior to playing for the Warriors. The owner of the team, the prominent Perrin family apparently made an offer to buy the place but back then community ownership was considered a good thing & ultimately between their expensive travel costs & high rent in 1961 the Warriors took a "leave of absence" from the WHL and unfortunately never returned.

That building from its opening in 55 right through the 60's & early 70's considered one of the best in the western portion of the North American continent actually..... There are lots of amusing stories about the place... the Queens portrait for example. Apparently when the Junior Warriors began play there followed by the WHA Jets, the players including Bobby Hull used to entertain themselves by lining up pucks at Center during practices & try to hit it with Slapshots.... Boys will be Boys & sometimes Men will be Boys too. Poor Queen. No respect... At anyrate, seems the portrait was taken down in the 80's and its whereabouts unknown for over 20yrs until a couple of guys from Winnipeg spotted it listed 4Sale on Kijiji in Toronto in 2016. Bought it & returned it to Winnipeg though where its hanging or at now no idea though I seem to recall it was restored & then briefly hung on the side of a building (bar/pub called The Pint?) around Portage & Main during the summer of 2016.

 

[ICM1970]

"There are lots of amusing stories about the place... the Queens portrait for example"

When I played at the Kingston Memorial Centre during my days as a Friday afternoon mucker there in the 1990s, there was one of her at that arena too. I also recall when kindly H Ballard had the Queen's portrait removed from Maple Leaf Gardens back in the mid to late 1960s in order to make way for more seating, he remarked "She doesn't buy tickets, does she?".

 

[Killion]

"There are lots of amusing stories about the place... the Queens portrait for example"

When I played at the Kingston Memorial Centre during my days as a Friday afternoon mucker there in the 1990s, there was one of her at that arena too. I also recall when kindly H Ballard had the Queen's portrait removed from Maple Leaf Gardens back in the mid to late 1960s in order to make way for more seating, he remarked "She doesn't buy tickets, does she?".

Oh ya, thats a nice old building typical of the era just post WW2. A lot of arenas that went up during that period (and previously post WW1) were "Memorial" arenas, to the fallen, and, with Queen Elizabeth's ascension to the throne in 1952 most installing portraits thereof. Kingston Memorial no exception to the rule, opening in 1951.... In the same vicinity & opening in 1946 was the "original" Hockey Hall of Fame (closed in 2012, building demolished I believe & the artifacts etc moved to Kingstons new arena) which was originally conceived & intended to be the main HHOF, founded by Captain James Sutherland though his dreams & objectives derailed when Conn Smythe got involved. His last great legacy project being the formal creation of "official" HHOF in Toronto & the construction of its first home on the CNE grounds in Toronto.

 

[mbhhofr]

I was at that game, Calgary vs Winnipeg. I also got to work many games there as an Official. That's where I set a Canadian Jr. hockey record for most penalty minutes issued, 448, between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Winnipeg Rangers on February 14, 1960.

 

[Killion]

I was at that game, Calgary vs Winnipeg. I also got to work many games there as an Official. That's where I set a Canadian Jr. hockey record for most penalty minutes issued, 448, between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Winnipeg Rangers on February 14, 1960.

..... Total Mayhem huh?

 

[Canadiens1958]

Winnipeg version of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

 

[Killion]

Winnipeg version of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

.... if I'm not mistaken those were the years, early 60's of the Hextall clan with several of them playing for Brandon, future NHL goalie Ron's family. Apple didnt fall very far. He wracked up 66 & then 117 PIM's in the last 2yrs of his Jr career... also with the Wheat Kings early 80's. Junior in the West back then a real shoot em' up affair at times. Serious rivalries. Winnipeg vs Everybody & vice-versa. Mustve' been a Hell of a job Reffing, as a Linesman.... the New Westminster Bruins of the 70's etc.... Tough league.

 

[mrhockey193195]

This remains one of my favorite threads in 10+ years of posting and lurking. Thanks for these amazing pictures and history guys!

 

[James Laverance]

The Toronto Skating in 1862.

New York Daily Herald, 24 Dec 1862, Wed, Page 5

 

[Killion]

^^^ Thats an interesting clip James, nice find... Toronto's Customs House was originally at Front & Scott Streets, however in 1845 a new one built at Yonge & Front Streets (in the general vicinity of where todays HHOF resides). So that outdoor rink would have been right down around there, and I did at one time see an old map that featured that outdoor rinks location. Back then, Toronto's waterfront actually came up to the foot of Front in some places along with the Esplanade which is just south of Front, and as all movement of goods came in mainly by ship, the Customs House in an ideal location. However, with the advent of rail, and new land created by filling in the harbor below Front & the Esplanade out to Queens Quay, rail lines put down, Union Station going up & so on, Customs House no longer right near the docks. But when that article was written, it would have been... And while skating came early early enough to Toronto, hockey did not. Very late off the mark in comparison to Montreal, Quebec & the Maritimes as well as many locations in the US.

 

[James Laverance]

The Philadelphia Skating Park in 1865.

 

[Canadiens1958]

The Philadelphia Skating Park in 1865.

Possibly a race track oval during warm weather.

 

[Killion]

^^^ yeah that is seriously nice. Evocative of Currier & Ives. Great find!

 

[James Laverance]

 

[Canadiens1958]

See the old style barely elevated Curly Q skates.

 

[James Laverance]

1847 in New Jersey...