Orono Ice Arena

Join Us in Supporting Orono Hockey's Home Rink!

Building Our Future Together: The Beginning in 1997

Approximately 20 years ago a handful of people from the Orono community embarked on a historic effort and joined together. They made some sacrifices and scraped together enough money to build a hockey rink for the Orono community. The rink has served the community well and been a great amenity for Orono over the years, thanks to that group of civic-minded citizens.  

Building Our Future Together: 2017-2018 Renovations

In 2017, another fundraising effort was launched, and the arena was renovated to include new locker rooms, a dry-land facility, and expanded viewing rooms, and a rejuvenated lobby area.  

• The first phase of the three-phase project, completed last summer, shrunk the Olympic-size rink down by 15 feet to create an NHL-sized rink to match the rinks used by the majority of hockey programs in the area. The $225,000 change was funded by private donations.
• The second and third phases included repairing and renovating the 20-year old refrigeration system, creating new locker rooms and shower facilities and adding a mezzanine-level training space with shooting and weight-training areas above the rink. When the original rink was built, there wasn’t sufficient money in the budget for the locker rooms, so they were created out of storage areas that lacked showers and sufficient space. 
• In addition to these upgrades, donations from Birch’s on the Lake allowed for the addition of a mezzanine-level warming room that was not in the original plans.

In total, the completed renovation project cost more than $1.5 million.

Who Owns/Funds the Ice Arena?

Unlike most rinks of its kind, the Orono Ice Arena is not owned by the city or the school district; it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on the revenues from the rink and private donations to operate. The school cannot legally bond for capital improvements to facilities that they don’t own.  As a result, Orono Ice Arena relies on revenue from ice fees, concessions, advertising and contributions from its members and community to operate.  The Orono Youth Hockey Association and the high school teams are its largest sources of revenue, but the upgrades are intended to make it an attractive option for different types of off-season programs, as well.

Every Dollar Donated Counts:

Every dollar you give to the Orono Ice Arena Renovation Project goes directly to the renovation updates at the arena, as well as supporting ongoing operations for the Orono Hockey Ice Arena.  

We Need You!

If you have kids that utilize the arena, or have in the past, please pay it forward to the future hockey players in Orono. Each family’s circumstances are unique. We ask you to reflect on the generosity from the past and what your home rink means to the future of this community. No gift is too small or too large!   

Thank you for your consideration and support. 

Go Spartans!

Want to Learn More?

Learn more at www.oronoicearena.com/support-us 

Or, contact Pete Eckerline, OIA Renovation Project Chair, 612-867-8371. He is happy to talk with anyone who wishes to learn more, explore sponsorship options, has high level donations, or just has questions about the project.

Orono Youth Hockey Association (OYHA) and Orono Ice Arena (OIA) are 501(c)3 organizations. Your contribution may be tax deductible - consult with your tax advisor.