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Quinn and others compared the St. Louis area to the Pittsburgh area, with many similar attributes and rising par- ticipation numbers. There was just one larger difference between the two NHL cities—the St. Louis area had fewer rinks than Pittsburgh. Quinn and others wanted to change that. "The whole thing is just about grow- ing the game," Quinn said. "You can't do that if all the rinks are full. That was the impetus behind this." That led to the early stages of the Centene Community Ice Center. While planning this new, state-of-the-art facility, Quinn and the rest of the crew had certain priorities. "We really had to live up to the man- tra of 'hockey is for everyone,'" Quinn said. "We wanted to make this place a beacon of hockey." Making Things Happen All four rinks are sled-ready upon request, and one of the four sheets is maintained to be consistently sled-ready. A simple switch of plexi-glass boards and benches makes that possible. Further embracing the inclusive men- tality, the facility also features female- specific locker rooms, designed with added shower and changing stallprivacy. Those locker room include privacy from the shower to changing stalls. "We have female hockey players here and we wanted to make sure these locker rooms were designed for them," Quinn said. "The women's game is the fastest growing part of our sport and we haven't really caught up to the fact yet from a facility standpoint." Centene also accommodates coaches with coach-specific locker rooms. "There's nothing worse than showing up and then having to go into the public locker room and undress and then go out in the lobby and finalize a practice plan," Quinn said. "We've got a place for coaches to go in the back and have their own sanctuaries." The facility features four ice sheets. The smallest rink holds 350 people. Another rink holds 800 people. The largest indoor sheet holds 2,500 people and is the new home for the Lindenwood University men's and wom- en's hockey teams. "It's very unique from other small arenas," Andrew Whatley, the facility's ice technician, said of the 2,500-seat sheet. "It's very open and there is stand- ing room in more places than normal. USICERINKS.COM JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2020 / 13 "WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON DEHUMIDIFICATION AND REFRIGERATION. IT'S COOL WHEN NHL VETERANS COME UP TO YOU AND TELL YOU IT'S THE BEST ICE THEY'VE SKATED ON IN 10 YEARS." , Spacious seating in the lobby leads to various rink viewing areas and the 314 Social Restaurant and Bar for patrons to fuel up and mingle. HOCKEY