DMV Rink Reopening Roundup
Most Northern Virginia ice rinks were ready to go when given the green light to open two weeks ago. The Maryland rinks, on the other hand, had some catching up to do apparently with the exception of Piney Orchard and Hagerstown, which opened up to at least some of their customers on June 19 as permitted by Governor Larry Hogan.Some local jurisdictions – Prince George’s County, Montgomery County and Baltimore City for example – still haven’t completely moved into Phase 2 of Maryland’s reopening plan, so rinks in those locales have not yet been allowed to resume activities. And in Washington, D.C., Fort Dupont is closed for annual maintenance throughout June. There is no indication on the rink’s website as to when it might reopen.
Every rink in the area that has opened, of course, is operating under guidelines and restrictions as recommended by the Center for Disease Control as well as their state and local governments. Some of the common regulations you should be prepared for include:
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Most rinks are limiting ice access to between 10 and 15 people at a time, including any coaches.
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Players must be dressed before entering the rink and can only put on their gloves, skates and helmets once inside. Some venues asked players to have skates on when they enter.
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Waivers and screening forms must be filled out and submitted before players can skate.
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Locker rooms are closed.
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Parents are not permitted to stay and watch; they must drop off between 15 and 5 minutes prior to a scheduled ice slot and pick up at the end of the session. Players also usually are asked to remove gloves, helmets and skates and leave the building as quickly as possible. Some facilities will allow one parent wearing a mask and practicing social distancing by watching from a designated area to stay and observe a younger child who cannot be left alone or needs help with putting on skates and equipment.
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Masks must be worn inside the building by skaters and coaches, but players can take them off while skating. Coaches should be keeping masks on during the sessions.
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Some facilities will take each skater’s temperature upon entering the building. Anyone with a temperature over 100.4 will be sent home.
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Some facilities require that instructional/safety videos or other materials about COVID-19 and preventing its spread be watched or read before players can skate.
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Social distancing must be practiced on and off the ice, this means limited or no contact, drills that avoid having groups of players congregating or standing in line, no huddles, no hugs or high fives and no full games.
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All equipment must be kept on at all times.
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Electronic payment and registration in advance; no in-person, face-to-face transactions or check-in.
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Anyone showing signs of any type of illness are to stay home, while anyone who displays signs of illness during a session will be asked to leave.
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Rinks with multiple sheets of ice likely will have separate entrances and exits from the outside to each rink, so player entry points may be different from what they are used to.
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Hockey bags are not permitted to be brought into many rinks.
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People without “reservations” for a program or who have not registered in advance for a program likely will not be allowed to enter the rink. Players will not be able to just show up, pay and go on the ice for a public session, skills session or stick and puck.
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Restaurants, pro shops and other business entities inside of rink facilities may still be closed or operating under limited hours or restrictions as far as the number of customers permitted to enter at one time. Check your rink’s website or give your rink a call to find out details.
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No shared equipment or water bottles.
Remember that these regulations have been put in place at the request of state and local governments, which have been working closely with medical experts, and based on the current COVID numbers and trends in their jurisdictions. They are designed to provide the best of all worlds for young hockey players, allowing them to get back on the ice and be active in some capacity now while hopefully making sure we continue tracking in the right direction toward a 2020-21 season that is as close to normal as possible.
Refusing to play by the rules jeopardizes the health of your child and family as well as the health of other participants, their families and the community at-large. So whether you agree with the required protocols or not, it is important to respect the other participating families by adhering to these guidelines and also making sure that all equipment is washed and sanitized after each usage.
To have any hope of seeing a full hockey season this year, the hockey community must show that it is capable of following guidelines and continuing to help flatten the curve. One thing that can shut the season down would be a spike in COVID cases attributed directly to the reopening of ice rinks and other indoor athletic facilities. Another thing that could hurt the chances of having a hockey season would be a failure to comply with the established guidelines by a large number of participants.
Please do your part to help ensure that we have hockey for 2020-21 by respecting the policies, the rink staff members who are doing their jobs, other participants and the sport of hockey.
Here is an updated look at what rinks are open for hockey now and will be reopening soon.
Virginia Rinks
Medstar Capitals Iceplex – Has been open to the public since June 12.
Prince William Ice Center – Has been open to the public since June 12.
Ion International Training Center – Has been open to the public since June 12.
Ashburn Ice House – Has been open to the public since June 13.
SkateQuest Reston – Has been open to the public since June 12.
The St. James Wellness & Entertainment Complex – Has been open to the public since June 15.
Haymarket Iceplex – Has been open to the public since June 19.
Fairfax Ice Arena – Has been open to the public since June 12.
Maryland Rinks
Piney Orchard Ice Arena – Has been open to the public since June 19 for limited private rentals.
Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex – Has been open to the public since June 19 for adult hockey and figure skating. Drop-in hockey, youth hockey, classes and public sessions appear to slated to start up in July.
Reisterstown Sportsplex – Scheduled to open for stick and puck and figure skating June 29 and outside groups July 5.
IceWorld (Abingdon, MD) – Plans to open around July 6.
Skate Frederick – Opened to the public on June 22 for figure skating, Learn to Skate and stick and puck. Public sessions set to begin June 26, with adult hockey instruction beginning June. 27.
Capital Clubhouse – Opened to the public on June 22 for figure skating and stick and puck.
Rockville Ice Arena – Still closed in accordance with Montgomery County guidelines.
Cabin John Ice Rink – Still closed in accordance with Montgomery County guidelines.
Wheaton Ice Arena – Still closed in accordance with Montgomery County guidelines.
Gardens Ice House (Laurel, MD) – Still closed in accordance with Prince George’s County guidelines.
Bowie Ice Arena – Still closed in accordance with Prince George’s County guidelines.
Columbia Ice Rink – Closed for annual summer shutdown
Mount Pleasant Ice Rink & Patterson Park Ice Rink (Baltimore City) – Closed until further notice.