Puck stops here

BIG LAKE — The 200-by-85-foot ice rink was abuzz Monday night with the sounds of rubber pucks hitting the boards and echoes of proud parents on the sidelines as a handful of boys with dreams of being hockey players took advantage of free skating lessons compliments of the Big Lakes Lions Club.

“Right on, buddy!” yelled Nicky Hutchinson, a mother of three, as her 9-year-old son Nate successfully slapped a puck into the net for the first time in his life as she and Nate’s two older sisters tried to stay warm in the unheated facility off Big Lake Road.

The Hutchinson family was among about 200 skaters who helped christen the Valley’s newest sports arena this past week.

After two years of planning, fund-raising and donations from community businesses and organizations, the $1 million Big Lake Lions Recreation Center finally opened its doors to skaters Nov. 19 after its sprinkler system was installed recently.

And although the Lions Club still needs another $250,000 to pay off project debts by obtaining a bank loan and raffling off a 7-cubic-foot chest freezer full of meat Dec. 19, seeing local youngsters enjoying the ice makes it all worth it to Lions Club member and project manager Bill Haller.

“We’re busy four to five hours on weeknights and most of the weekends,” Haller said Monday while waiting for the facility’s first hockey students to arrive. “It’s just tremendous to finally see it up and running.”

The 26,000-square-foot facility on Lions Court offers free open skating on Friday nights from 7 to 9 and on Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 until Dec. 31; free basic hockey classes for children 12 and under on Monday nights from 4:30 to 5:30; and various pick-up games for $5 per person for different age groups on the weekends.

Local hockey teams also are able to book the rink for $75 an hour for practice on weeknights and during the days on weekends.

The facility also can be rented for private parties for the same rate.

“If we can help keep kids healthy and out of trouble, that’s our main goal,” rink manager and hockey coach Charles Jeska said as he prepared to hit the ice with Hutchinson and a few other boys eager to improve their skills.

Aleck Judy, 12, said his older brother used to play hockey and he inspired him to try it, as well. This is his first year playing with the Wasilla Wild team.

“I’m hoping to work on scoring goals,” he said as he and Tanner Malo, 12, struggled to lace their skates in the chilly arena.

Tanner’s skates were even tougher to tame – they’d been on the back of his Ski-Doo snowmachine as he drove himself to the rink from his nearby home.

“He’s come a long way,” Chris Judy said of her grandson as he skated backward around the net. “We’re so glad this arena is here so he can practice even more. His older brother played hockey until he got leukemia and had to quit. Aleck could barely stand up on skates two months ago and now he’s skating backward. It’s really boosted his confidence.”

Malo’s mother and two younger sisters cheered him on from the edge of the rink as Jeska reminded them to keep their sticks on the ice and head toward the net.

“It’s great we’re so close to this rink,” Jessica Malo said as her youngest child covered her ears when a puck slammed full force against the boards. “They were all skating in our driveway last week during the ice storm. It was pretty funny. But this is the real thing and Tanner’s pretty excited to have this opportunity.”

For more information on facility hours and rental opportunities, contact the Big Lake Lions Club at 892-6502.

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.mckee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.