Takin’ It to the Streets
BY KURT DUSTERBERG | PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOSH LAVALEE/CAROLINA HURRICANES
On a warm, sunny afternoon in late March, more than 200 kids spread out across two street hockey rinks in Apex. Some of the teenagers knew how to stickhandle and put a shot in the net, while the younger kids mostly pushed the ball around with their plastic sticks. But taken together, the scene was a promising next step in hockey’s remarkable rise in the Triangle over the past three decades.
The event marked the grand opening of a two-and-a-half-year build at Apex Community Park, with two outdoor rinks that are the first of their kind in the Triangle. The project is a partnership between the Carolina Hurricanes, the National Hockey League’s Industry Growth Fund and the Town of Apex. The NHL fund contributed $550,000 to bring the new amenity to life on a former parks and recreation soccer field.
The rinks are part of the Hurricanes’ efforts to grow the game. While the Junior Hurricanes program has taken hold across all age groups in recent years, access to the on-ice sport can be limited for many people given the cost of equipment, ice time and travel.
“We’ve always wanted to eliminate barriers to get more kids and adults into the sport of hockey, but also into our brand,” says Shane Willis, the Hurricanes’ manager of youth and amateur hockey. “When you eliminate the skating portion or having to go to a rink, and you have this facility in a community park, it makes it that much easier for kids and parents to come and play.”
The two rinks are 160-by-75 feet and are equipped with prefabricated aluminum dasher board systems, player benches, penalty boxes, scorekeeper boxes, chain-link fencing, Matéflex sport court tile and scoreboards. One rink will be used exclusively for ball hockey (or “street hockey”), while the other is outfitted as a multipurpose court, offering hockey, basketball and futsal—a 5-on-5 hardcourt version of soccer. Both rinks will be available for roller hockey, too. In addition to providing the land, the Town of Apex laid the concrete and supplied the landscaping. “There’s nothing like this around,” Apex mayor Jacques Gilbert says. “So many people from different regions have said they’re going to come use it.”
The first outdoor rinks in the Triangle will likely be a big draw. In partnership with the Hurricanes, the Town of Apex will offer youth and adult programming, including try-hockey-for-free events, tournaments, camps, clinics and pick-up hockey. One established hockey organization is already making plans to play at the new facilities. The Raleigh Ball Hockey League, which plays at XL Sports World in Apex, has 16 teams and 225 players who welcome the chance to grow the game.
“These are world class, two of the nicest rinks I’ve seen,” says Tim Corrigan, the RBHL’s director of marketing. “We’re an adult-only league, but we’re looking to expand into youth programming and skills programs. We want to grow the game, get more people involved and start the pipeline to add to our league.”
RBHL’s interest could fit easily with the town’s goals. “We will start with some of our own clinics,” says Craig Setzer, Apex’s director for parks, recreation and cultural resources. “Typically with our programming, we try to do clinics first to build up the interest. Then we will get into league play after that. We are having conversations with RBHL to run some of our open play.”
The Hurricanes already have years of experience bringing the game to Triangle-area kids. The Canes In-School program provides equipment and instruction for physical education programs at schools around the Triangle, along with Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA programs.
“The number one thing we want to do is market the brand,” says Thomas Whitmeyer-Weathers, the Hurricanes’ youth and amateur hockey specialist. “Our brand is all over this. People drive into this park maybe to play pickleball or baseball, and they’re going to interact with us. They’ll be able to see people playing.”
The combination of the Hurricanes’ work in local schools and the enthusiasm for the new rinks bodes well for the future of street hockey in the Triangle. Sean Whyte, senior director of the NHL’s Industry Growth Fund, believes the new facility is just the first step. “Our NHL Street program is something we want to get into all of our markets,” Whyte says. “Carolina is actually going to be one of our pilot markets. We want to run a program like that in this next fiscal year. The way the Hurricanes have embraced the community and ball hockey is proof that this is going to be an amazing market to establish ball hockey in.”
Willis, who grew up playing street hockey in Edmonton, Alberta, also believes the street version is ripe for growth. “We’re at the tip of the iceberg,” he says. “This could explode. If we put another one of these in Raleigh and another one in Wake Forest, the sky’s the limit right now.”
The Town of Apex and Carolina Hurricanes Youth and Amateur Hockey will partner for the free clinics in the coming months. Participants are encouraged to wear a helmet, gloves and shin guards, along with comfortable clothing and shoes. Sticks and balls will be provided by the Hurricanes. “We know there are people in our community who don’t have the access, who don’t have the funds, so we believe this will be a game-changer,” Gilbert says.
For the Hurricanes, now in their 28th year in the Triangle, the new space is another sign of hockey’s influence on the sports landscape. “You’re going to have folks driving from all over the Triangle to play here,” says Hurricanes’ president Doug Warf. “It’s a great way to make sure the game is growing correctly. This is a start today. It shows us what’s possible.”
Future plans could include adding lights for nighttime use and covering the rinks to provide some protection from the elements. Until then, hockey lovers and the hockey‑curious will have a place to play a popular version of the game. “It’s so easy to get into,” says Corrigan, who began playing street hockey at age 6. “You don’t need to skate, you don’t need all that much equipment. You just show up and play.”
