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fter years of planning and several campaigns over the last decade, the growing communi- ty of Northfield finally got its new hockey rink—Hasse Ryt-Way Arena—which opened to great fanfare on September 16, with a formal ribbon cutting, skaters f lying around the fresh ice and happy faces of all ages light- ing up the long-awaited facility. "I don't think it's really set in for me yet," said Chris Kennelly, former Northfield Hockey Association (NHA) President and chair of the local arena committee. "There's a huge sense of pride for every- one that worked on this, and it's something that a lot of people put a lot of work into. We had a wonderful arena committee, had great leadership from the city of Northfield, the city of Dundas, Northfield Public Schools and a private donor who donated the land. We needed everyone on board. And now we've got a LEED-certified building that's really beautiful and will be a great asset for our community." RESPONSE TO GROWTH NHA has seen significant growth over the last decade, rising to 265 skaters in 2023, sparked by Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament appearances by both its girls' and boys' teams in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Between 2014 and 2023, NHA participation increased more than 30%. With all of this growth, the community had to share a single sheet of ice in a declining building – needing a new coolant system and additional locker room space. NHA had partnered with nearby St. Olaf and Shattuck-St. Mary's to meet the demand for ice time. After the latest failed referendum to build a new facility sever- al years ago, there was some concern that without a new facility, Northfield may not have had ice at all for the upcoming season. In May of 2025, when the Northfield City Council voted 4-2 in favor of moving forward with the approximately $24 million facility, there was cause for celebration. According to Kennelly, NHA raised more than $5 million for the project, with the more than 150 donations ranging from $10 to over $1 million. Now, this vibrant hockey com- munity has a brand-new home for around 270 youth players (includ- ing the 100+ 4-9-year-olds who attend Try Hockey for Free each year), 40 high school players, close to 170 participants enrolled in the Northfield Skating School and the hundreds of community members who enjoy open skating. NOV/DEC 2 0 2 6 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 13 Northfield's new rink is another huge win for Minnesota's community hockey culture Hasse-Ryt Way Arena will host the 2027 Minnesota Hockey Bantam A State Tournament March 19-21. A 2025