Rink

F ive years later, the Manchester Ice & Event Centre, operating under the non- profit Richard J. Sabala Foundation, is still going strong. The community of McCall is proud of its youth, adult and women's hockey programs that have grown over the past five years, as well as a growing U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills program, out of which sectional and national competitors have been born. A spectacular vacation destination and training facility for hockey and figure skaters, the Manchester Ice & Event Centre is located on beautiful Payette Lake in the small town of McCall, Idaho. With a year-round resident population of approximately 2,400, our facility accommodates a growing number of recreational and competitive skaters from throughout the Pacific Northwest. We are home to the McCall Figure Skating Club and the annual "Skate by the Lake" sanctioned competition. Our magnificent facility in the Idaho Mountains grows in popularity each year, and visitors from all over the world are in awe of the building and our 275-foot glass front, lake-view setting. The centre is equipped with an NHL ice surface and grand- stand seating for over 650 people, to accommodate a wide variety of both on-ice and off-ice venues, including the annual McCall Home and Garden show. The Manchester Ice & Event Centre boasts a wide variety of on-ice programs for all ages, including the McCall Curling Club, our local women's hockey team, the Ospreys, and a growing and very active adult hockey population. We are home to McCall Youth Hockey, and host skating camps on a regular basis. The rink also hosts College Club Hockey with teams from Boise State University and the University of Idaho at Moscow. On November 7th and 8th, the McCall Mountaineers, consisting of ex-elite players, is back after a brief hiatus for the 2008-2009 season, thanks to a sterling community effort! As well as being the annual hosts of exhibition games for the ECHL, Idaho Steelheads, a recent upgrade of our state - of-the-art facility to include six locker rooms has placed us in pending negotiations to serve as a training facility with several NHL teams, with future goals of accommodating international teams. The community of McCall has the Richard J. Sabala Foundation to thank for their efforts to provide, improve and maintain a sense of community by bringing this facility to its highest potential. Manchester Ice & Event Centre is still the coolest place in town! ★ 12 R INK MAGAZ INE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 There have been many upgrades to the state-of- the-art facility. STARrinks.com featured rink Where Are They Now? ■ Each issue we re-visit a facility that has been highlighted in a past issue as a Featured Rink. Manchester Ice & Event Centre – McCall, Idaho by JANICE VAN WINKLE Originally featured in November/December 2003 The Ice Event Centre offers a wide variety of programs. MIEC MIEC

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