FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Dec. 14, 2023) -- Fort Drum residents never have far to travel for winter recreation, and now it’s even closer to home.
Representatives from Fort Drum Mountain Community Homes and invited guests celebrated the grand opening of the new ice-skating rink Dec. 14, located in the Monument Ridge housing area.
John Tonelli, four-time Stanley Cup champion and New York Hockey Hall of Famer, donated the rink to Mountain Community Homes and joined the official party for the ceremony.
“I am really proud and honored to be here today,” he said. “I came to the United States in 1975 to play the game that I loved. How lucky and how blessed was I to be able to do that for a living. And right from Day One, my appreciation was for the Soldiers and the military families, and the sacrifices that they make for us to be safe. I appreciate it every day.”
Dean Harrison, MCH project director, said Tonelli is a staunch supporter of the military through the Lendlease U.S. Community Fund. When Tonelli’s two sons became too old to use the hockey rink he had built outside his home, they decided to donate it to a military community.
“They looked here, they looked at Alaska and a few other places that were cold-weather installations, and we were fortunate to be chosen,” Harrison said.
The rink was transported from Connecticut to the North Country and installed over the course of months at the Monument Ridge housing area. An additional donation from the New York Islanders covered transportation and construction costs.
While the rink Tonelli designed was customized to be disassembled ahead of the warm seasons and reconstructed for winter play, Harrison said they built a permanent foundation for the MCH rink.
“This is something that everyone recognized would be perfect for our residents, but it wasn’t achievable before now,” Harrison said. “We are tremendously grateful for what John has given to our community, and I think Fort Drum families will be enjoying this for many years to come.”
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Tonelli spoke with Fort Drum community members and signed autographs.
“I spent many hours on this rink myself, and I never had to worry where my boys were because they were out here, all the time,” he said. “I’m so excited to see this here in the mountain community for all the people to use, and I hope you get out and enjoy this.”
Community members have noted the ongoing construction at the site, which sparked interest on social media.
“We’ve had many residents ask questions about it, and a lot of people who want to volunteer because they played winter sports and know what it takes to maintain a nice ice rink,” Harrison said. “And that’s going to be crucial going forward because this must be resident-supported for us to operate it all winter. Mountain Community Homes will provide the facility – a warming room and a skate-changing area. But what we need residents to do is condition the ice – periodically scraping and shoveling the surface.”
Harrison said an activity schedule will be created with resident input so there will be allotted times for hockey and community skating.
“We want our residents to not only have fun with this rink but take an active role in ensuring families will enjoy this long after they leave Fort Drum,” he said. “Take pride in it, enjoy it, and let’s celebrate another North Country winter together!”
Community members who would like to volunteer at the rink can contact Chris Altman, MCH Resident Advisory Board president, at chris.altman@rabrep.com.
The rink, located near the sledding hill on Indigo Way, will be open for MCH residents from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., beginning Dec. 15. Skaters younger than 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Residents must bring their own skates to the rink.
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