Aug 25, 2017 4 min read

Rostraver Ice Garden may have lost an exhibition game featuring the reigning Stanley Cup champion Penguins, but a four-day celebration of the rink’s selection as “America’s most passionate hockey community” is intact.

“This is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local people in particular and Pittsburgh in general,” said Jamison Roth, chairman of the nonprofit Belle Vernon Local Organizing Committee, which organized events for Sept. 21-24.

The arena, just off Route 51, was selected as the 2017 Kraft Hockeyville USA winner over Bloomington Ice Garden in Minnesota. The Ice Garden in Rostraver – which received more online, text and Twitter votes than the other finalist -was rocking the afternoon of April 29, when the announcement was made at a watch party that attracted about 700 supporters.

Jim Murphy, 25-year owner of the Rostraver Township facility, said at the time that the $150,000 first prize would go toward upgrading the building. And it has been an ambitious renovation that is ongoing and includes: installation of LED lighting, new flooring and protective netting for spectators; refurbished locker rooms; replacement banners for high school and California University of Pennsylvania teams, and new U.S. and Canadian flags; and new piping for freezing the floor.

Murphy hopes to reopen the ice garden, which typically closes to the public for the summer, on Sept. 5 “for the hockey community” first, then the public afterward. The arena is used by teams from Cal U., area high schools and the Mon Valley Thunder youth program.

The 52-year-old Rostraver rink has shown resilience in recent years, rebounding from a roof collapse following a heavy snowstorm in February 2010. The roar of cracking pillars forced players, coaches and spectators at a youth hockey tournament to flee just in time; there were no injuries.

Hard work and a lot of Murphy money enabled to rink to reopen within eight months.

By winning the third annual Kraft Hockeyville USA award, Rostraver was given the opportunity to host a National Hockey League preseason game Sept. 24 between the Penguins and St. Louis Blues. Kraft Hockeyville partners, however, determined earlier this month that the Rostraver rink was not equipped to host the exhibition. It will be played at the Penguins’ practice facility, the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, at 8 p.m. Sept. 24. NBCSN will televise the contest.

Rostraver Ice Garden may not be hosting the Penguins and Blues, but the facility and its victory will be celebrated through events organized mostly by the organizing committee. It is a 10-member group that formed following the decisive Kraft Hockeyville vote, and is led by Roth, a California resident, director of recreational services at Cal U. and general manager of three Vulcans hockey teams.

Proceeds from the events will go to Mon Ice Project, a nonprofit that, Roth said, “supports learn-to-skate and learn-to-play programs in our community. And scholarship opportunities.”

Mon Ice is in charge of a singing contest for area residents 12 to 25 year old, with the winner performing the national anthem at the Penguins-St. Louis game. Entries were accepted through last Sunday, and the top 10 will be announced on the Belle Vernon committee’s Facebook page this Sunday. The finals will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at Hard Rock Cafe in Station Square, on Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Four consecutive days of activities will begin two weeks later, featuring hockey clinics and other events:

• Sept. 21, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Cal U. convocation center, high school and Cal U. students will pack meals for Rise Against Hunger, a philanthropic partner of Kraft Heinz that delivers food and life-saving aid to those in need around the world.

• Sept. 22, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the convocation center, a casino-style gala will include gaming tables and live and silent auctions. Hockey memorabilia and donations from Kraft Heinz and other organizations from the region will be up for auction.

• Sept. 23, a 5K run and parade are planned in North Belle Vernon, and a Fun Fair is planned at the ice garden.

• Sept. 24, on the morning of the Blues matchup, the Penguins will have a morning practice session at the Rostraver rink. Tickets will go primarily to youth hockey players and residents of the local community.