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Photos / Brennan Schachtner Photography, Vintage MN Hockey M A R C H 2 0 2 6 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 25 HERE'S A DISTINCT SMELL WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE HIPPODROME ICE ARENA IN WHITE BEAR LAKE. It's not a bad smell necessarily, as any player, parent, coach or even Zamboni driver could attest. But it's unambiguous and familiar. "It's one that just lets you know you're at 'The Hipp,'" said Ryan Carter, White Bear Lake alum turned 10-year pro and Stanley Cup champion, now an analyst for the Minnesota Wild on FanDuel Sports. "It's almost like nos- talgia a little bit. Just one of those things where you walk in and all the memories are still there—everything. "It's a pretty special place." THE HIPP TURNS 100 It's been 100 years of special for The Hipp. Carter, like so many before and after him, took some of his first strides at the Hippodrome, located just a few blocks from the hustle and bustle of downtown and less than one mile from the newly renovated White Bear Lake High School. "It's where I put on the White Bear Lake jer- sey for the first time," Carter said. "It started with me pushing a chair around the ice in the learn-to-skate program. There was no glass, just chicken wire, and it wasn't climate-con- trolled—essentially just a rink put inside a building with no refrigeration system—so it was always so cold. "But after a few shifts, the tiny scoreboard and buzzer would go off, and you would forget you were ever that cold at all." CHILL OUT The chill is by design. A seasonal facility, the Hippodrome has roughly operated on an October through March calendar since opening its doors in 1926, then a part of the Ramsey County Fairgrounds. FUN FACT: A portion of the 1978 skating drama Ice Castles was filmed at White Bear Lake's Hippodrome. RINK SIZE: 180 feet by 66 feet ROLL WITH IT: During the offseason, the Hipp hosts roller hockey as a fun and effective training opportunity for White Bear Lake players. This marks the 10th year of roller hockey at the Hippodrome. T The Hippodrome is one of 275-plus publicly owned rinks in Minnesota. Community ice arenas keep hockey affordable and accessible throughout the state.