Basement roller hockey rink

wcc · 12-20-2011, 04:53 PM

My son is 8yo and he just LOVES ice hockey and can't get enough of it. I've given him some space in the basement to practice/play here. Well it was empty except the freezer but you can see it's very tight with floor drains, pipes, etc. He out grew it very quickly.

Since he's only played a couple years of ice hockey now and been moved up to Squirt B (9-10yo) I figured it's time to give him more space. A little background on him: there was no learning curve to ice skate and just ran out on the ice like it was normal. I think it's because of the rollerblading a few months before hitting the ice. He's quickly picked up the game and is currently the assistant captain of the team and by far the top goal scorer. He's gotten 6 out of the 9 goals that the team has gotten so far this season. He likes to be Center or a Winger. Based on that I decided it's time to give him more space to help him dial in his skills and just play. So I've removed part of a wall and removed some carpet. It'll be about 30ft long by 14.5ft wide. That's about the most space I can make for him at this point. Here's a pic of him with MSU coach Tom Anastos when he was picked as player of the week against Ohio State.

Another one of him..

I plan on building a half (3ft high) wall and using nets over that to separate the two spaces. But I would like to somehow make curves instead of the corners. Any ideas on how to do that? I was thinking bending some RFP two high to make the corners and use RFP around the rink up to 3ft high.

Here's a couple of pics of what it's looking like at this point.

911boost · 911boost's Garage

Nice, looking good Bill. Have you thought of laying that mylar/plastic type stuff so he can shoot a puck?

Bill

wcc · 12-20-2011, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSiple

Nice, looking good Bill. Have you thought of laying that mylar/plastic type stuff so he can shoot a puck?

Bill

Yes, but right now he likes to rollerblade and he uses heavy plastic balls to shoot. He does have some pucks like the fly puck and others that slide very nice on the concrete and are similar to a real puck. But I do have sheets of vinyl he shoots real pucks off of.

I was also thinking of going to synthetic ice but I'd like to see how much he uses it and in a couple years where he's going with this before the investment.

Oh Haha · 12-20-2011, 06:05 PM

Bill, you never cease to amaze me with what you take on.

I don't have any suggestions but just want to say how cool it is to see Joe excelling at hockey. He certainly has your drive.

Cheers to you and the family for a great holiday and new year.

Cdnone1 · 12-20-2011, 07:00 PM

Sweet!
They did not have the 5 hole cut out when I was a kid. Your son is lucky to have such a good Dad
Steve

vonsmog · 12-20-2011, 07:31 PM

Looks great! I did the same thing for my kids when they were young. Then they quickly outgrew it and we went outside to the back yard. Our rink is 145'x90' and alot of work! But it helps if you have the right tools for the job!

john70t · 12-20-2011, 07:48 PM

Zamboni

Oracle · 12-20-2011, 08:04 PM

Drywall is no match for pucks (trust me).
You need to protect those walls. Get some hard pink insulation (you can paint white) so your drywall is not trashed..

wcc · 12-21-2011, 02:38 AM

Thanks Wayne and Steve for the kind words. It's a lot of fun watching him play. Happy Holidays to you and you family as well!

Vonsmog - That's a sweet setup you have there. Very Cool! I have a friend that isn't to far away with a pond. Every winter we work together clearing the snow off and flooding it to keep it smooth. But that's typically good for only for 3-4 months. I keep trying to talk him into a zamboni but I don't think he'll ever do it. So I'll run with this for now and if he gets 4-5 yrs out of it it'll be worth it.

Oracle - Thanks for mentioning that. That has been on my mind too. I was thinking about 1/4" plywood or the RFP all around but I'll look into that insulation. I know what you mean about drywall and pucks not being a good mix. This project kinda started because of that. I heard a bang, and him and his sister would giggle. Then I heard a bang, and again they'd giggle. So I went downstairs and he was shooting pucks through the drywall leaving perfect shapped holes in it. I was pretty upset but that is when I realized he needs his own bigger space for this activity.