Home on the rink -- Brett Memorial Ice Arena has become a home away from home for a generation of skaters

Story and photos by Tim Brodt- Frontiersman sports editor

For more than 17 years, the Brett Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla has served as a second home for skating enthusiasts of all ages and types in the Valley. As the first and only indoor ice arena in the Valley, most skaters have called it their home ice for as long as they have been skating.

The arena was originally called the Mat-Su Ice Arena when it first opened in the fall of 1984, supporting the Wasilla Hockey Association, Palmer Hockey Association and the Big Lake Hockey Association. Later the arena was renamed the Brett Memorial Ice Arena, after James Brett, one of the early organizers of hockey in the Valley.

Throughout the years, the Brett has become a community gathering place for young and old, providing an indoor facility for Valley residents to skate all year. The arena serves hockey players, figure skaters and those who just want to ice skate.

"On a typical Saturday during the winter, we may get 500 skaters on the ice during the day," said arena manager Allan Ervin.

The arena, owned and operated by the Mat-Su Borough, currently serves approximately 50 hockey teams of all ages, from Glacier View to Talkeetna. It also supports a number of figure skaters in the area as well as Learn to Skate programs and open skating virtually every day of the week.

The arena obviously enjoys its busiest period from September to April, operating from 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. During this period, ice time is at a premium with teams and skaters vying for every available slot.

During the summer, demand for the ice slows but still has regular requirements for summer hockey camps, leagues and various skating programs.

The arena is permanently staffed with four permanent employees with two additional attendants hired through the busy winter months.

The staff takes care of most everything around the arena -- ice maintenance, skate sharpening, minor building and equipment maintenance, janitorial duties and helping sports reporters who come in with last-minute requests before a hockey game. Whatever needs to be done, the small staff works together to ensure the facility is clean, operating and ready.

Questions that most people have about an ice arena are about the ice itself. What is under there? How thick is the ice? How does it stay cold? According to Ervin, there are many different methods and platforms to make and keep the ice.

Brett Memorial Ice Arena uses a concrete slab as a foundation for the ice. Coolant runs through tubing that lies within the concrete slab, making it cold enough to freeze water. The power plant that runs the cooling system resides in an area the size of a large living room and constantly keeps the concrete slab at a prescribed temperature.

The slab is painted with the lines and markings that can be seen through the ice.

"The ice itself is 1-inch thick," said Ervin. "We try to keep it close to that because if it gets too thin, it will break apart and make holes in the ice."

Attendants use a very scientific method to gauge the thickness of the ice.

"The ice should be just up to the bottom screws on the inside boards," said Ervin with a smile. "It works."

The Zamboni is perhaps the most recognized item in any ice arena. The big yellow machine can be seen at least once an hour at the Brett, resurfacing the ice with a fresh layer of water to give it a new sleek surface.

The Zamboni is almost completely hydraulic driven with the engine running on propane to avoid emitting noxious fumes. The two tanks strapped to the back by the driver are the propane tanks that fuel the engine.

When resurfacing the ice, the Zamboni uses a large blade on the back that spans the width of the vehicle. The blade shaves off a prescribed layer of the ice and an auger system delivers it to a holding tank located under the hood of the Zamboni.

At the same time, water is poured back onto the ice and spread evenly by a thick terry cloth mat that drags at the very back of the vehicle.

"The trick is to put the same amount of water back on the ice as what was shaved off," said Ervin.

Approximately 150 gallons of fresh water is laid on the ice each time the ice is resurfaced.

How bad the ice is gouged at the time of resurfacing determines the thickness that must be shaved and replaced. Attendants determine the requirements and adjust the Zamboni each time the ice is resurfaced.

Even with the use of a Zamboni, Ervin contends that keeping the ice is not a perfect science. Sometimes the ice will get uneven in spots, and the attendants must make adjustments to cut deeper in the high areas and add more water in the low areas.

The Brett Memorial Ice Arena may not be the most attractive, but it was not built for that purpose. At a time when multi-million dollar arenas were being erected around the state, the Brett was built as a low-cost alternative to outdoor ice.

The arena has undergone small renovations over the years, adding the concession stand, additional locker rooms, and permanent bleachers to the facility. A new renovation project is expected soon, which will add bathroom and shower facilities to the locker rooms and enhance the entry into the facility during games.

"The renovations will make the rink better and more functional for the users and staff," said Ervin. "If all goes well, the project will get started by this spring."

With the steady increase of requests for ice time in the Valley, the city of Wasilla has proposed plans for a new sports complex that will have one sheet of ice for skaters. Ervin hopes that if the new complex is built, the Brett will not be shut down.

"We wouldn't gain anything with that," said Ervin. "We would still only have one sheet of ice and everyone competing for times."

The Brett Memorial Ice Arena has served many people over its 17 years of existence, housing memories of great games and competitions at all levels of play.

Many people feel it would be a suitable companion to any new rink that may be built in the years to come.