The Star City rink is used by a number of teams in the northeast including a number of recreational teams that play out of there on a weekly basis. (Submitted photo/Linden Harper)

By Mat Barrett

Star City Rink

Star City not opening rink for season, citing COVID-19 challenges

Nov 6, 2020 | 2:00 PM

The Star City rink will not be opening to the public this season.

In a letter sent to northeastNOW by the Town of Star City, they’re citing “in part due to the uncertainty involving the current COVID-19 situation” the letter read. Normally, the rink welcomes tenants from around the northeast including various recreational teams, and local minor hockey teams like Melfort and Tisdale.

Melfort Minor Hockey Association (MMHA) Vice President Brad Hicks said with the challenges of planning for a safe hockey season, they were hoping to be able to use that ice surface like they would in years past.

“We were actually looking at requiring more outside ice than typical,” he said. “So the loss of that facility obviously makes things even more difficult.”

MMHA would normally see at least one team a week practice out of town, and Star City would sometimes be a destination for those teams. One team that the closure has affected the most is the North East Aces female hockey program that is sponsored by Melfort, Tisdale, and Nipawin minor hockey associations. The Aces had been using that ice as a main practice facility, being there twice a week, and even playing a few games there.

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“It was working quite well for the Aces,” Hicks said. “So that’s thrown those teams for a bit of a loop as well.”

Hicks added that now without Star City, the Aces have had to adjust their practices and have used places like Nipawin, and Naicam which has led to a bit more travel for the players from various municipalities.

The other teams have also had to adjust by even playing games outside of the Northern Lights Palace in Melfort. Hicks used the example of the U15 A team in Melfort that is going to be playing two out of their six home games in St. Brieux, while the U18 A team in Melfort has four games scheduled out of that rink.

Hicks said they hope this is only a one year thing to not be able to use the Star City rink.

“There definitely is still hope,” he said. “We’ll definitely re-engage with them when the time is right to try and get that facility open for next season.”

The town also said in their letter to tenants that “at this point in time, the future of the rink will be for the new mayor and council to decide.”

The town did not provide further comment to northeastNOW.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6