Rink

September/October 2021

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Featured Rink Tucker Road Ice Rink | | Fort Washington, Maryland THERE'S AN AIR OF FAMILIARITY in the 2021 version of Tucker Road Ice Rink in Fort Washington, Maryland. A brand-new rebuild of a demol- ished building destroyed by a fire in 2017, if you look closely, you'll see the honoring of the original TRIR, a decades-old facility in the heart of Prince George's County. "This rink had 30 to 40 years of his- tory and then it burned down," explained Doug Smith, facility director. "There's a community feeling that exists to this day. There's a history and passion and support from the community. We're a brand-new facility, but not. It's interesting and amaz- ing at the same time." The revived, state-of-the-art Tucker Road Ice Rink officially welcomed new and returning users to its one-sheet facil- ity on August 28, following a demoli- tion and groundbreaking that began in October of 2019. "To see this come through to comple- tion, through COVID delays and every- thing, it feels so great," said Smith. "This community was ready for this." Honoring a Community A two-fire alarm sounded just past the new year of 2017. Officials say the fire started in the "ceiling above the rink around a light fixture." The fire not only devastated the then- simple facility—a cement box of sorts with one NHL-sized sheet of ice—but also its one home team: The Tucker Road Ducks, with beginner and experienced male and female players ranging in ages from 4 to 18. Equipment was lost along with the rink. "When the fire happened, we had to figure out how to keep kids on the ice," said Alexandria Briggs-Blake, President of theTucker Road Parent Hockey Organization, who helped launch the 20 / SEPTEMBER.OCTOBER.2021 USICERINKS.COM Tucker Road Ice Rink in Fort Washington, Maryland returns four years after a fire demolished the decades-old arena /// by JESSI PIERCE PHOTOS: GRIMM + PARKER ARCHITECTS, TUCKER ROAD TUCKER ROAD Revival at

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