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hicago has always been a hockey town. Although the sport has seen some ups and downs locally, it has enjoyed a significant expan- sion over the last five years. The recent success of the Chicago Blackhawks and their Stanley Cup championship season last year has helped inspire a new genera- tion of hockey players at all ages. But another Chicago hockey institu- tion has also helped fuel the passion for this great sport. For the past 14 years, Johnny's IceHouse has given Chicagoans a place to play, watch and learn about hockey. Recent expansion has allowed for an enormous adult league, an expansive youth program and countless clinics allowing hockey players of all skills to enjoy playing the game they love. Johnny's IceHouse East is located in Chicago's West Loop, five blocks east of the United Center, the home of the Chicago Blackhawks. Established in 1997, this privately owned and operated ice hockey facility houses one 190-by-90 sheet of ice. It's a unique design in that ice level is on the second floor with the first floor utilized as an indoor parking garage. In addition to the rink and garage, the facility also houses a pro shop and the Stanley Club Bar and Grill, a full-service bar and restaurant overlooking the ice. While checking out the action on the ice, visitors can also enjoy all NHL games in HD with the Center Ice Package on one of the flat-screen televisions. It's also an official Blackhawks-sponsored bar. Chicago is the melting pot of the Midwestern United States. Centralized to the campuses of Big Ten schools and home to several Fortune 500 corpora- tions, college graduates are drawn to Chicago, many of them bringing their passion for hockey. As the demand for hockey in the city grew, so did Johnny's, which quickly established itself as the premier place to play hockey in the city. In 2004, the rink was purchased by Tom and Lisa Moro. Tom, a player at JIH East since the rink opened its doors, and Lisa bought Johnny's with the vision of growing the sport of hockey at every level. This vision came to fruition, and they soon realized that one rink was no longer enough to accommodate the sport's growth in Chicago. On Feb. 1, 2010, Johnny's IceHouse West opened its doors 13 blocks west of the East rink. The West rink has one full-sized 200- by-90 sheet of ice. Like the original Chicago, Ill. Johnny's IceHouse featured rink 12 R INK MAGAZ INE july/August 2011 STARrinks.com C by KEVIN ROSENQUIST CHARLES CHERNEY Hockey Crazy in the Windy City