Shadyside's Hunt Armory opens as 1st public ice rink built in Pittsburgh in decades

What was once a National Guard armory in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside will now serve as an indoor ice rink where the city’s youth can discover the sport of hockey.

Developed in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Hunt Armory Ice Rink is the first public ice rink to be built in the city in decades.

“This will be the place where we create future stars for the NHL,” said Kevin Acklin, chief operating officer for the Penguins. “This is just the beginning of something we hope to continue for years to come.”

Penguins President David Morehouse spoke during a ribbon cutting at the Hunt Armory Ice Rink in Shadyside. It’s the first public ice rink built in city limits in decades. pic.twitter.com/1CdARZg1sl

— Julia Felton (@JuliaFelton16) November 22, 2021

Officials touted the ice rink, across the street from Sacred Heart Elementary School, as a way to help people who have not had opportunities to ice skate and learn hockey break down the barriers that stood in their way.

“This is more than a hockey stick and a puck,” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said. “This is about giving a child opportunity.”

Hockey offers a key opportunity for local youth to engage with mentors who can steer them in the right direction on and off the ice, Peduto said, referencing a hockey saying that claims, “A kid on cold ice is never in hot water.”

The kids who take the ice at the rink will have mentorship opportunities, Acklin said, referring to a program in which the city’s public safety officers can connect with kids through the sport.

The ice rink will also be the new “home base” for the Pittsburgh Inclusion Creates Equality — or Pittsburgh ICE — program, an initiative spearheaded by the Penguins to help youth in the city connect with hockey.

The program involves transporting youth from within the city to a Penguins practice facility in Cranberry.

“What we’re doing here is we’re bringing the ice closer to where they live,” Acklin said.

Richard Payne, who was raised in nearby Larimer, said he grew up playing street hockey and dek hockey. Finding ice to make the transition to ice hockey, he said, wasn’t feasible for kids in Larimer, where ice rinks were a far distance.

Payne now serves on the board of directors for Pittsburgh ICE.

He is excited to bring that program to a space within city limits. He will be able to bring his son to a brand new facility in an area that never had such opportunities.

“To introduce my son to it and have him play hockey in a place where I couldn’t is really great for me,” Payne said.

Of all the major sports, hockey has the least diversity, Acklin said. Bringing an ice rink into the city is part of their effort “to break the color barrier.”

“The most important part of this rink is to make it the center of our inner-city hockey program,” Penguins President David Morehouse said.

Morehouse said he’s been asked about how to get more athletes of color into the NHL.

“It’s a 10- to 15-year project,” he said. “But we’re going to start right here, right now.”

Local residents offered their input for what they believed should occupy the building, officials said. An ice rink got massive community support.

While bringing the rink to city residents was an important accomplishment, Councilwoman Erika Strassburger said it also was important to revitalize the historic building that had been sitting empty.

“It represents to me opportunity, the opportunity to breathe back life into a building that was long dormant, but was so important to the city,” she said, while also highlighting the opportunities it would bring to boys and girls looking to learn hockey.

The building, which is currently owned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, is named for Alfred Hunt, who fought in the Spanish-American war and founded Alcoa, said Greg Flisram, executive director of the URA.

“This is a sacred place that we’re breathing life back into,” Acklin said.

The building served as an armory, and witnessed visits from presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, according to Flisram.

Throughout its history, it also housed a Led Zeppelin concert performance, he said.

“It’s great to see it come to life as a sports venue,” Flisram said. “This project is also a bridge project to connect people in certain socioeconomic groups who have been disconnected from the great sport of hockey.”

The 45,600-square-foot facility will be open to the public from Nov. 26 through March 1, with public skating sessions on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets can be purchased in advance online and skates will be available to rent.

Several community leagues — including Pittsburgh Warriors for veterans and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey — will use the rink. There also will be classes to teach people to skate and play hockey.