MetroParks announces plan to bring street hockey rink to Wick Recreation Area

Mill Creek MetroParks announced Friday it is partnering with the Youngstown Phantoms hockey team and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation to bring a street-hockey rink to the James L. Wick Recreation Area on the city’s West Side.

According to a news release, plans are in the works to renovate the former ice-skating rink at the Wick Recreation Area into a space for what’s called “Dek Hockey.”

Dek Hockey is a variation of ice hockey in which the game is played using a ball, either outdoors on foot or with inline skates.

The MetroParks noted the project coincides with the 50-year anniversary in February of the ice-skating rink opening at Wick Recreation Area and comes 15 years after that rink closed in 2002.

For the past several years, the MetroParks has offered ice-skating opportunities in other areas, such as at the Lily Pond and the volleyball courts at Wick Recreation Area.

“Partnerships like these are going to allow us to increase recreational opportunities to our park visitors. This opportunity gives us the ability to link past history of the former ice rink to a new form of recreation that is growing in popularity,” said Aaron Young, MetroParks executive director.

The project’s timeline has not been determined, park officials said.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation and its partners will cover the costs and manage installation of the rink, according to the MetroParks. The project is at no cost to the MetroParks.

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