On Sunday, Feb. 22, Rydell helped sponsor and co-organize with the Ralph Englestad Arena hosting a community skate on the main sheet of ice within the arena for Grand Forks residents and students alike to attend. Part of what made this experience particularly memorable was the fact that members of the UND Hockey team were present on the ice and interacting with attendees at the event, leaving a positive and lasting impact on all people involved.
The event itself took place for an hour in the afternoon, and aside from having to bring their own skates, it was completely free of charge for the public to skate on the ice. With hundreds of individuals of all ages taking part in the event and a live DJ helping set the mood on the ice, it was evident that this year’s community skate lived up to all the anticipation.
I had the opportunity to speak with both Kayla Johnson and Charla Hannesson regarding their experience with their family at the community skate at the conclusion of the event. Both being season-ticket holders and UND alumni, it was a cool experience for them being able to bring their daughters to the event as Kayla went on to state “both my girls play hockey and getting pictures with the team was a highlight for them” that they will likely never forget. Highlighting part of what makes the athletic programs at UND so special, their dedication towards giving back to the community and setting a great example for those around them through their actions.
The fighting hawks are currently one of the top-rated college hockey teams in the country and are looking forward to one of their most successful regular season campaigns in recent memory. Only time will tell whether they can keep the momentum rolling as we now look forward to the NCAA tournament, and national title hopes being on the line.
Obviously, the Ralph is not open to the public every weekend for community skates, however, Grand Forks has no shortage of easily accessible ice and this easy access to ice time is part of the reason why ice-hockey and skating is so deeply ingrained with the day to day lives of North Dakota residents alike. Whenever you get the chance, I strongly encourage you to visit gfparks.org in which state all the days that either the Blue Line Club Ice Plex or ICON sports center are open to the public for free skates.
Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at daniel.a.[email protected].
