Rink

July/August 2018

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BEFORE MINNESOTANS PLAYED ICE HOCKEY, they played ice polo. The game was a lot like lacrosse, using short sticks and balls instead of pucks, and the nets were huge, about the size of soccer nets. In the 1880s, pioneer Frank Barron's ice polo club opened the first lit outdoor rink in St. Paul. For more than one century, State of Hockey fans have flooded over front yards, roller rinks and farmland to make new places to skate. TRIA Rink adds a rooftop to that list of locations Minnesotans can find ice. The downtown St. Paul arena opened in January of 2018 as the Minnesota Wild's new practice facility. Located on the fifth floor of the Treasure Island Center, the Wild no longer have to split their time between their homebase at Xcel Energy Center and other arenas across the metro. Finally, after nearly two decades, the Wild has a space of their own—at least they will when they fully move in this summer. "Opening up a new facility right in the middle of the season proved its challenges," says Travis Larson, ice operations and event manager at TRIA. "We had to make sure we were getting up on the ground running right away, and we were able to do that with the great staff we have." More Than Pros Larson is reinvigorated. He manages both TRIA and Xcel Energy Center. Working with the community feels like going back to his roots. He started his career with a part-time job in 1990 at the now demolished Met Center. He went on to manage Burnsville Ice Center, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, and later the X. As Larson once put it to Wild.com, he is the Wild's "original ice guy." 16 / JULY.AUGUST.2018 USICERINKS.COM Featured Rink TRIA Rink | | St. Paul, Minn. PHOTO: MIKE DeARMOND The Minnesota Wild's new practice facility opens in St. Paul // by EMILY ZAK ROOFTOP HOCKEY

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