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David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena

GC Youth Bureau to host Family Game Night Friday

By Press Release
2022 family game night
2022 File photo of Genesee County Youth Bureau's Family Game Night, which rotates around to various locations in the county. This year it will be at the David McCarthy ice arena in Batavia.

Press Release:

Genesee County Youth Bureau will be hosting its 20th annual Family Game Night from 5 to 7 p.m. this Friday at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, 22 Evans St., Batavia.

The night will consist of interactive booths with activities, games and prizes for families and youth serving organizations. This event is free and includes pizza and assorted beverages. 

Each family will take home one brand new board game after they visit each booth so they can start their own family game night!  Just for attending you will be entered into a raffle to win one of several prizes from businesses all around Genesee County. 

Following the event, please stick around for free roller skating with your family! (Please bring skates as rentals are limited) Adults must be accompanied by a child to receive the board game.

Please call the Youth Bureau for more information or to register at 585-344-3960.

The Genesee County Youth Bureau would also like to thank Applebee’s, Lamb Farm, Alabama Hotel, Terry Hills, BJ’s, Subway and YWCA for donating, and David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena for hosting the event.

Get your skates ready for some Friday night fun at The McCarthy

By Joanne Beck
rollerskating at rink

For anyone who grew up in Genesee County, you may recall those fun weekend nights of pulling on a pair of roller skates and gliding around the floor of Skate 98 as a DJ blasted dance and rock tunes and the dimmed atmosphere was a great canvas for colored scrolling lights.

If you’re yearning for some of those fun nostalgic times — and decent exercise to boot — or looking to build some new memories, management at the McCarthy Ice Arena has brought back public roller and inline skating from 7 to 9 p.m. every Friday. 

And for only $5 a person, rink Manager Kati Murray says.

“We’re trying to get people in here to skate for a couple of hours,” she said to The Batavian Friday afternoon. “We do not have rentals, but we’re in the process of getting them, we might rent them out from a place. We have music, just like we do for the ice skating.”

The Batavian asked if the place does anything with lighting, and Murray said, “Funny you ask that.”

“We’re in the process of putting up lights that flash, we’re putting them up for next Friday,” she said. “We’ll have flashing lights and a black light, and we’re getting updated music.”

Skaters will get the entire floor to bop along to tunes, in between taking breaks for a snack from the concession stand. This is the second week of public skating, and Murray believes it will take some time for people to catch on that the rink is open for this activity.

rollerhockey at rink

There are also two nights of floor hockey: Tuesdays have five adult teams already signed up, and Wednesdays are offering pickup teams for kids 14 and under from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and one for adults 7 to 8:30 p.m. Those are just beginning, and anyone interested in joining can just show up at the designated time.

The cost for Wednesday’s teams is $10 a person, and goalies are free. For more information about any of the teams, email adam@mccarthyicearena.com.

There’s still time to dig out and dust off those rollerblades from the garage, and head out to the ice arena on Evans Street, Batavia. For more information, go to McCarthy Ice Arena. https://www.mccarthyicearena.com/ or call 585-250-4040.

Submitted photos of rollerskating at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena in Batavia, top, and playing floor hockey, above.

The McCarthy jammed with vendors for this weekend's Home Show

By Howard B. Owens

It's going to be warm outside this weekend so if you need a break from the unseasonable heat, Chamber of Commerce President Brian Cousins has a suggestion -- come on down to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena for the 2023 Home Show.

"I know it's a great weekend," Cousins said. "The weather this weekend is awesome, which is unheard of in April -- you get 80-degree weather. But you know, the inside of the Ice Arena is a little bit cooler than outside. It's like natural air conditioning in here. So it's very comfortable for people. I'm looking forward to seeing as many people can come out do so to work on their to-do lists."

This is the first home show for Cousins as chamber president, and he's excited to see it off to a good start.  All of the vendor booths are full, and the chamber even had potential vendors trying to sign up for booths on Friday morning.

Admission is $3 for adults, and hours Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

"Make a list," Cousins said, "check it twice when you're out sitting on your deck or something this weekend, then make a quick trip out, spend an hour to get some different ideas and things that you wanted to do over the course of the last two, three years, especially over the COVID time period when you couldn't get somebody to help you out with things."

Photos by Howard Owens

Photos: Xtreme Ice Racing at The McCarthy on Friday night

By Howard B. Owens

The David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena was full of racing fans and the roar of engines on Friday night for Xtreme Ice Racing night, sponsored by the Batavia Muckdogs and CanUSA.

Muckdogs/CanUSA owner Robbie Nichols said as many as 200 more people wanted to attend but tickets were sold out by Friday morning. He said there may be two nights of racing next year so more people can enjoy the event.

Photos by Howard Owens

Muckdogs announce XTreme ice racing event at the McCarthy

By Press Release

Press release:

CAN-USA Sports is very excited that Xtreme International Ice Racing will be here on Friday March 31st, at 7:00 PM at David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to host the XiiR World Championship!

XiiR (Xtreme International Ice Racing) is a motorcycle racing tour...ON ICE! Man and machine going from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds, with Speedway bikes and quads that are modified to compete on an indoor ice arena. There are over 2000 metal studs added to the tires and there are NO BRAKES! What does that mean? PURE ADRENALINE! It is THE fastest sport on ice and one of the fastest sports in the world. The rush of so much power and speed on something as unpredictable as ice, has whipped audiences into a frenzy and gained new fans across the country.  Each year's series continues to get better... drawing bigger crowds, more sponsors and riders from all over the globe.​

We are also inviting all members of the media to attend a special pre-event on March 30th, at 3:00 pm at David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to come out to experience the joy of riding on the ice! Please let us know if you are able to make it! 

Tickets are on sale now! Call (814)-504-9979 or you can purchase tickets at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena located on 22 Evans St, Batavia.

Try Hockey for Free brought out nearly 50 kids to learn the sport

By Joanne Beck

It was a full house Saturday at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, with 40 registered and seven additional walk-in youngsters laced up and ready for some "Try Hockey For Free," event Coordinator Sharon Valyear Gray says.

The event was hosted by Genesee Amateur Hockey Association as part of USA Hockey Week Across America. Local youth, ages 4 to 9, were welcomed at the rink to experience getting on the ice, learning fundamentals of how to skate, how to get up after falling, basic skills with a hockey stick and shooting pucks into a hockey net, with the guidance of a head coach and on-ice helpers, Gray said.

This year the youngsters had the experience of shooting at actual goalies Rhyss Tanner of the Varisty Batavia Notre Dame team as well as Leo Gray of the Junior Varisty BND team.

“We welcomed families to McCarthy Ice Rink from Batavia, Albion, Alexander, Stafford, Medina, LeRoy, Caledonia, Pavilion, Rochester, Corfu, Freedom, Warsaw, Honeoye Falls, Castile, Oakfield, Darien Center, and Holley to try our great sport of ice hockey,” Gray said. “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces and for the youngsters the on-ice experience.”

Head coach Erik Triftshauser, along with Fred Hamilton – both with more than 30 years experience as GAHA  and high school players and coaches -- and on-ice helpers from the United high school teams, worked with the kids, who all seemed "so excited to be coached," and skating with local athletes, Gray said.

The event is hosted by the Try Hockey for Free Coordinators Sharon and Bob Gray and the GAHA Beginner Player Coordinator Marcia Barnes on behalf of the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association, which provided the ice, and the McCarthy Rink staff – General Manager Katie Murray, Rink Operating Manager Matt Gray and their "great staff," Sharon Gray said. 

The team’s goal is to provide the hockey experience to area youngsters free of charge and encourage them in October to become a player in the GAHA Beginner Program, which begins the first week of October. The Beginner Program consists of two sessions (October to December and January to March) with a total of 15 on-ice hours per session.

The GAHA Beginner Program started Session II in early January and added 17 out of 23 new players from the November “Try Hockey for Free” Event. Gray encourages folks to mark your calenda for this fall, as the next try hockey for free event is the first Saturday in November.

Skates used by the youngsters were provided free of charge by the McCarthy Rink Management Group.

USA Hockey’s Try Hockey program, with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

'Skully McPepsi' makes its McCarthy Ice Arena debut

By Mike Pettinella

The Zamboni machine at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street has a new name. But it’s not Zam-Pepsi or even Peps-oni.

“Just call it Skully McPepsi,” said Batavian Tom Fluker, new business manager for Pepsi’s Upstate New York market, as he – with help from a group of Mite level hockey players – unveiled the updated ice cleaning machine this afternoon.

The Zamboni’s facelift is a product of Fluker’s initial idea of an imposing skull in a hockey setting, the artistry of Janette Biehler of Beals Graphic Design of Rochester and the precision “wrapping” by Guy Laesser’s Unitech Application of Le Roy.

“This is something that we wanted to do as part of our relationship with Matt Gray, whose company is managing the rink and also through his Eli Fish and Alex’s Place restaurants,” said Fluker (pictured at top with youth hockey player Abram Lopez).

The Zamboni now sports space age colors of purple and blue, punctuated by the logos of Pepsi Zero, Gatorade, McCarthy Ice Arena, Batavia Notre Dame United and Ramparts youth hockey.

But the main attraction – depicted on the front and top of the Zamboni -- is the gold skull and cross sticks, featuring a flaming puck between its teeth.

“It really is a work of art,” Fluker said.

Gray thanked Pepsi for stepping forward to provide the Zamboni’s new look.

“This is a big part of the stuff that we've done -- the work that we've been doing to improve the arena,” said Gray, owner of Batavia Sports Facility Management. “Several businesses recently signed on as dasher board sponsors and all of that money specifically went to the lighting upgrades that we just installed last week.”

Companies that supported the lighting project included Arctic Refrigeration, Casella Waste Systems, Eli Fish Brewing Company, McAndrew Funeral Home, Max Pies Furniture, Batavia Muckdogs and Suburban Propane, Gray said.

From left, Tom Fluker, Pepsi sales manager; Ryan Webster and Jed Davis, Zamboni drivers/maintenance, and Kati Murray, general manager of Batavia Sports Facility Management.

These Mite hockey players were excited to see the new look Zamboni. From left, Levi Jafari, Luis Reyes, Connor Reidmiller, Jameson Smith, Liam Langiewicz and Joey Sacheli.

Photos by Mike Pettinella.

Torch Relay for Empire Games reaches Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

The Empire State Winter Games Torch Relay passed through Batavia on Tuesday, with a visit to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arenda during a Ramparts practice.

One of the Ramparts coaches, Mark Kuntz, carried the torch around the rink and Rampart players skated along with him.

This is the second year the torch has been brought to The McCarthy.

Try Hockey for Free event slated for The McCarthy on Feb. 25

By Press Release

Press release:

The Genesee Amateur Hockey Association will host at The David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street on Saturday, Feb, 25,  a USA Try Hockey For Free clinic as part of  USA Hockey  Week  Across  America.  Starting at 11:40 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., local youth, ages 4 to 9, are welcome at the rink to experience getting on the ice, learning how to “skate”, getting up after falling, basic skills with a hockey stick and shooting punks into a hockey net (all by being guided by the head coach and on-ice helpers).

“We look forward to welcoming families to the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to try our great sport of ice hockey,” said Sharon Gray, Coordinator of the “Try Hockey for Free” event.  “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces.”

The head coach for the event is Erik Triftshauser, along with Fred Hamilton – both with more than 30 years on the ice plus starting out as GAHA players, high school players and GAHA coaches over the years.  Their on-ice helpers are mostly from this year’s United high school teams, along with the coaches’ sons.

The event is hosted by the USA Try Hockey for Free Coordinators – Sharon and Bob Gray, and the GAHA Beginner Program Player Coordinator – Marcia Barnes.  It is the team’s goal to provide the hockey experience to area youngsters free of charge and to encourage them to enroll in October to become a player in the GAHA Beginner Program, which starts the first week of October.  The Beginner Program consists of two sessions (October to December and January to March) with a total of 15 on-ice hours per session.

All the participants need is a helmet (hockey or bike) and winter gloves.   Skates are available at the rink if needed and will be provided FREE by the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena Management Team.

USA Hockey’s Try Hockey program, with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge. 

Chamber announces 2023 Home Show in April

By Press Release

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the 2023 Home Show has been scheduled for April 14, 15 & 16, 2023. The Show will be held at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, 22 Evans Street, Batavia.

Vendor applications are being accepted at this time. Applications can be downloaded from the Chamber’s website at https://geneseeny.com/chamber- signature-events/ and are available at the Chamber’s office, 8276 Park Road. Space is limited and on a first-come basis.

Any questions regarding the Show, please feel free to contact Kelly J. Bermingham at kbermingham@geneseeny.com or 585-343-7440, ext. 1026. 

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens. Guy Clark of Cedar Street Sales and Rentals shows off a riding mower for a young customer at this year's show.

Progress, painting, and pucks: good things happening at McCarthy ice arena

By Joanne Beck

After a tour of The McCarthy (a condensed version of David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena sometimes used at the rink) Monday, and noting the newly painted fiberglass benches — in “Rampart Blue” — it was clear that a transformation has been taking place.

Led by ice arena operator/manager Matt Gray and his folks, Bob and Sharon Gray, representing Friends of the Rink, this tour showed off the hard work and diligence it takes to turn around an aging, unkempt facility.

Just ask City Council members. They raved about the differences at the rink during a recent council meeting. Bob Bialkowski noted the work and dedication of Friends of the Rink, while Paul Viele commended the condition of the smooth ice — “it’s like day and night” — and Tammy Schmidt happily reported that she attended a game, and kept warm with working heaters for a change.

Two meeting/training rooms have been carved out of the space and painted an ivory cream. Dark chocolate tiles have been installed on the ceiling, and a storage room with clean white cupboards lining one wall and a granite countertop is gradually turning into Matt’s office. A wall opposite the arena itself has also been painted, with a pale blue and Rampart blue trim — a feat performed by Sharon, she proudly said.

“That was built in 1994, but never painted. In every picture from high school, you see him playing, and here's his ugly backdrop,” she said. “So we painted, that was our first project this year. I painted it, and my grandson did the upper part.”

So far, members of the Friends group have put in 407 hours of hands-on volunteer time at the Evans Street arena. With their prompting, the city tore out a ramp with a huge pothole in it and rebuilt that section used for Zamboni storage.

Matt’s first goals were to revamp the concession area, which has been completed along with the addition of more hot food and install new brighter lighting. He is testing out three lights over the rink before proceeding with a larger purchase.

Rink management, including General Manager Kati Murray and Facilities Manager Adam Reich, is on the lookout for 12- to 16-foot conference tables for the meeting rooms, and Gray plans to have wiring installed with Cat 6 data cabling for integrated WiFi, which will allow for Zoom meetings and connect to a large television and camera — donated by Batavia Rotary — for game replays.

Carpet tiles will be added for its use as a “flex space,” he said, as Sharon added that someone recently hosted a birthday party there.

A future goal may be to serve brews at The McCarthy — sounds like a pub, doesn’t it? Other ideas include opening the rink year-round with roller hockey, and having an open public time for recreational roller skating and blading, Matt said.

When the elder Grays formed Friends of the Rink in 2020, they wanted to improve issues they had noticed over the years. A hockey player asked Bob why he was getting so involved. This is just an ice rink, the player said.

“And I said, ‘Yeah, but why can't it be the best ice rink in Western New York? Then when we get Western New York, we can have the best in the state, and keep going,” Bob said, adding that issues of unwanted running water, a filthy environment and poor communication have hurt the arena.  “I’ve been here throughout the years, and I see a big improvement.”

The Gray couple agreed that they want to see the rink bounce back, and for youth to be able to enjoy it and perhaps make good friends, just as their son and grandchildren have done.

“That's what we're looking for. We're doing it for the kids,” Bob said. “Matt was a big influence when he took over. We worked like busy beavers.”

Sharon added that she fell on the floor crying when she found out that Matt was taking on rink management. He certainly has the experience, having been a rink user for years, and the business acumen as a local entrepreneur of several successful establishments.

When asked if things have changed from years ago, Sharon had a definitive answer.

“Oh yes, 180 percent,” she said.

And sometimes what’s old is new again.

“We're old timers, you know, so this is a way we used to do it. We’d say, 'why can't we do it like that,' and it worked,” Bob said. “You know, we bring up ideas, and they say, ‘Oh, this is a good idea,’ when it was something we did years ago. We're just bringing it back.”

He’s talking as much about the social aspects of the rink and ice hockey as he is about the structural and aesthetic components. Amateur hockey membership had dropped from 425 players to 257 last year, and for reasons that include family busyness, a wide scope of recreational options — lacrosse and soccer are two popular ones — and other distractions for prospective players, all three Grays said.

This is not just a Batavia phenomenon, they said, but a national one of having multiple options of things to do. And, as Bob said, playing hockey is not just something to do, “it’s a lifestyle.”

“Either you’re in, or you’re out,” he said.

His family has been mostly in — since 1980, when Matt was a beginner on the ice. He aged out in 1996, and soon grandchildren laced up. Despite the downturn of participation in recent years, the Grays are “seeing more family involvement.”

That was one of the biggest benefits for Matt when as a kid, he played ice hockey and made friends for life. He was all in, as any avid hockey player is, Bob said. Another reason that may prevent more kids from participating nowadays is the cost. Helmets, protective gear, and sticks can quickly total $1,200 or more, he said. (See related story about equipment donations.)

Friends of the Rink hosted a Try Hockey For Free kids program this fall and will do so again in February. Members are also mulling a similar event for adults.

As for ice play, and related amenities, Matt plans to reconfigure the bathrooms and showers so that space is more equitable for female players.

“We have a checklist of things that we want to get done this year, next year, and the year after. And then there are side things where Bob, Sharon, Friends of the Rink can really help us do that, outside of what we have otherwise,” Matt said. “And staff have been fantastic with, you know, taking on new projects and doing it in between everything else they have responsibilities for, and then they fill in the gaps on different projects.”

Anyone interested in watching a game remotely may do so through LiveBarn, a subscription-based app. Although parents will typically attend in person, that will be a great tool for coaches scouting out the talent, Matt said, and Batavia United coaches John Kirkwood and Marc Staley set up the app.

For more information about the rink and hours, go to The McCarthy.  

Top Photo: Matt Gray and his folks, Bob and Sharon of Friends of the Rink, provide a tour of rink updates and discuss future plans of the Evans Street site; Bob Gray shows the newly painted benches that sit near the concession inside the arena; Matt Gray shows a painted wooden cutout of the Ramparts logo as it sits atop a handmade table in one of the multi-use meeting rooms; ice play in action on the rink.

In need of some ice hockey equipment? Friends of the Rink to the rescue

By Joanne Beck

Sharon Valyear-Gray wanted to make one thing clear: if you're in need of hockey equipment, Friends of the Rink may be able to help.

The nonprofit has six containers and then some of used goods, from skates and helmets to shoulder pads.

What she also wants to make clear -- similar to the sheen on the ice rink at David M. McCarthy ice arena -- is that these goods are available to kids in need to help them enjoy the sport. 

Friends of the Rink has brought back the used equipment and skate collection with the sole purpose to "help make the sport of hockey more accessible to local families," the group states.

After a free trial session, called Try Hockey For Free, Genesee Amateur Hockey Association introduces families to its beginner program of 15 sessions (from October to December) and again from January to March.  This program is sponsored by Batavia's Tim Horton franchise. Thanks to access to free used equipment and skates, "we can help out the families from the initial purchase of hockey equipment and skates," Valyear-Gray said.

"There is always the anxiety of spending that money and then the youngster becomes disinterested," she said. "Now, once again, we have a collection of gently used equipment and skates totally free of charge to ease that financial burden."

GAHA families have generously been donating items after their own children grow out of the items, she said, which include hockey pants, shoulder and elbow pads, gloves and skates. Supplies of helmets are limited, as they are date-coded with a five-year lifespan. Items are stored in metal bins at the end of the bleachers in the arena. 

"Families are welcome to help themselves to needed items," she said, or for assistance, call her at (585) 344-2248 or email svgray@rochester.rr.com.

To donate helmets with the code and date within five years old or less, or other clean ice hockey equipment, drop it off in a bin between the two entry doors. Donations are always welcome and needed as well, she said.

i

Top Photo: Sharon Valyear-Gray of Friends of the Rink shows the shelves of ice hockey items, above, available for free at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street, Batavia. Photos by Howard Owens.

Photos: Kiwanis Thanksgiving Free Skate

By Howard B. Owens

The Kiwanis Club of Batavia today hosted its annual Thanksgiving Day Free Skate at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena in Batavia. 

Photos by Philip Casper.

Thanksgiving Community Free Skate sponsored by Kiwanis returns Thursday

By Press Release

Press release:

Kiwanis Club of Batavia will be hosting its annual Free Thanksgiving Morning Community Skate on Thursday, Nov. 24 from 9 to11 a.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street in Batavia.  Admission and skate rentals are free (while supplies last).  There will also be free hot chocolate.

Kiwanis Club of Batavia is thankful for the local community’s support of their fundraisers.  It’s through their fundraisers that events such as this can be provided for the children of Batavia and surrounding communities.  Please come out and enjoy this free event! 

Photo: File photos by Howard Owens from 2015

Kids enjoy free hockey lessons Saturday at McCarthy ice arena

By Joanne Beck

Saturday was a smooth success as several children took to the ice for the Try Hockey for Free program at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena in Batavia.

The Event was part of USA Hockey Week Across America with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, and is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge. This local event was hosted by the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association.

There were 30 kids registered for the hour of free lessons, which included free skate rentals, hockey sticks and pucks.

"It was a great adventure for all of the children as well as for their families," Coordinator Sharon Valyear-Gray said.  "They mentioned that they didn’t know what to expect, but the miracle of seeing their little ones actually skating and using the hockey sticks so proudly when they fell, and that they could get back up with the help of the stick.

"Seeing the excitement and experiencing the energy in the room when the little ones come off the ice makes all the work that goes on behind the scene so worth the effort," she said.

The lead coach was Erik Triftshauser, along with Fred Hamilton and many of the players from the United Hockey Team came to assist.  Matt Gray, the operator of the McCarthy Ice Arena, as well as his children Lilly and Leo, who is a goalie and played in net so the little ones could have the total experience, also participated, she said.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Lace up, glide along and slap some pucks: kids can try hockey for free this Saturday

By Joanne Beck

If your child has visions of skimming the ice, hockey stick in hand, in a mad dash to slide a puck into the net, that vision can become reality — and for free, Sharon Valyear-Gray says.

As coordinator for the Try Hockey For Free program, Valyear-Gray encourages families of kids ages 4 to 9 to visit the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena from 11:40 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. this Saturday and give it a whirl. All they need to get started is a hockey or bike helmet and winter gloves. Free rental skates and the introductory lesson are free.

“The Event is a part of USA Hockey Week Across America with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, and is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge,” Valyear-Gray said Wednesday. “It is hosted by the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association and we have participated  every year except two during Covid.”

She is a bit disappointed with a total registration of about 20 kids so far, as the sport and this opportunity have usually drawn more interest, Valyear-Gray said. Prior years (since its inception in 2010) have usually meant 25 to 35 youngsters slapping hockey pucks around and learning to balance on thin skate blades.

As a core member of Friends of the Rink, Valyear-Gray has been coordinator of this free hockey program for six years, and has more rcently been working with Matt Gray, operator of the McCarthy arena. He hosted an open house in late September so that folks could see the improvements taking place inside the Evans Street facility.

There’s a newly opened snack shop and other upgrades to check out. Gray’s list of current and future work includes replacement of most fixtures for the concession area, upgrading surfaces for a “warmer and inviting space” to serve as a party room, installation of new LED lights throughout the facility, adding new inventory of roller and inline skates for summertime public use, making improvements to the audio/visual system, and expanding the food stand with dedicated seating in a sports bar concept.

Another plus is that this weekend’s participants will be working with Lead Coach Erik Triftshauser and Fred Hamilton – both who have more than 25 years of experience, she said. 

“They will be on the ice with many of the present United high school players,” she said. “Several present and past coaches also show up to participate as they believe in the event and enjoy the time with youngsters and experience their enthusiasm for hockey.”

“I believe strongly in the event and still have four grandchildren playing within the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association organization,” she said. “Up until two years ago, I had six playing hockey. I realize that there are still many sports still active currently, such as football and soccer that many youngsters are still participating in.”

So why would families want to attend this Saturday? Kids will learn how to  skate, to get up after falling, get some basic skills with a hockey stick, shooting pucks into a hockey net, and all with no monetary investment, she said. Although the program is geared for ages 4 to 9, some participants have been up to 12 years old.

“We look forward to welcoming families to David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to try our great sport of ice hockey,” she said. “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces.” 

Interested? You can pre-register at TryHockeyForFree.com. Use the 14020 zip code when registering. Walk-ins are also welcome to join, she said. If parents have questions, contact Valyear-Gray at svgray@rochester.rr.com or call 585-344-2248. 

File photo from the 2016 Try Hockey For Free program, by Howard Owens.

Chiller not so chill at ice arena: City Council to discuss options

By Joanne Beck

An ice rink reserve fund will likely be tapped in the near future due to leaks from the ice chiller.

Water and wastewater Superintendent Michael Ficarella discussed the matter with City Council during its meeting Monday evening.

“We recently had to add emergency refrigerant,” he said to members at City Hall. “The refrigerant creates your ice. In order to get it and keep it up (to operating standards), we needed to add 360 pounds of refrigerant.”

The cost for that emergency measure was $21,950, he said in a memo to City Manager Rachael Tabelski. She suggested holding spending of $170,000 for revamped locker rooms in lieu of rectifying the faulty ice rink chiller.

“We continue to discover issues with the chiller,” Ficarella said.

If there’s no ice, renovated locker rooms wouldn’t be necessary, so the chiller should come first, he said.

Ficarella added that it’s not a matter of asking “can we use it?

“We absolutely need it,” he said.

Improved communication between the city and new management, which includes Carrier Commercial Services, has meant an increased amount of issues brought to light, he said. For example, a compressor replacement installed some time ago hadn't even been turned on and therefore hadn't been working.

"So when Michael and (Public Works Superintendent Brett Frank) talk about the increased communication and relationship between ourselves and Carrier, who we have a contract with, and the rink, we're going to keep running into these things," Tabelski said. "Because we're going to continue to find places that might not have been maintained to the level that they need it to be for operations to continue."

Frank estimated the unit was several decades old — considered to be original equipment with the arena’s construction in the 1970s.

Council member Tammy Schmidt said there was a time when locals weren’t very happy with the condition of the arena, and that is changing with new management led by businessman Matt Gray for the newly dubbed David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street. Her grandson plays hockey there, and "it's not a rink we could have been proud of a couple of years back," she said.

“I know the locker rooms are absolutely in need of repair. They're super bad," Schmidt said. "And I hope we're not just going to spend all the (funding on) refrigerant and not do those locker rooms at all, because we want to be proud of that, right?"

Ficarella asked that the emergency refrigerant cost be taken out of the ice rink reserve, which currently has a balance of $357,000.

The matter, and a related vote, was moved to a future business meeting.

File photo of the McCarthy ice arena in Batavia.

'Try Hockey for Free' event slated for Ice Arena on Nov. 5

By Press Release

Press release:

Genesee Amateur Hockey Association invites children to the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on  Evans Street on Saturday, Nov. 5  for a Try Hockey For Free clinic as part of Hockey  Week  Across  America.  Starting at 11:40 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. local youth, ages 4 to 9, are encouraged to experience ice hockey for the first time and learn the basic skills in a fun, safe environment.

“We look forward to welcoming families to David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to try our great sport of ice hockey,” said Sharon Gray, Coordinator of the Event.  “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces.”

USA Hockey’s Try Hockey program, with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge. 

All your youngster needs is a helmet (bike or sports) and winter gloves.  Skates are available at the Rink free of charge (due to  the generous offering of the Batavia Sports Facility Management LLC).  The GAHA organization does have some used hockey helmets available for the event as well as a few hockey sticks.

Players in attendance will be given a free hockey jersey to take home.

To register for this Try Hockey For Free event, please visit

www.TryHockeyForFree.com     (Use zip code 14020)

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens from 2015. Brian Gildner teaches his daughter Nora, then 3, how to shoot a puck.

New management hosts David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena open house this weekend

By Press Release

Press release:

The David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena is hosting an open house weekend this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The McCarthy Ice Arena welcomes the community back to the arena for another great year of winter sports.  Stop by the Evans Street arena and check out the recent improvements to the rink, enjoy discounted public events, cheer on area youth and adult hockey teams, and food specials at the newly opened snack shop.

EVENTS

  • $5 Hockey Skate & Shoot Friday 3p-5p
  • $5 Public Skate, free Rentals Friday 7p-9p
  • Batavia City Schools Public Skate Day Saturday 1p-3p (A portion of the proceeds go back to Batavia Community Schools)  $13 includes admission and Rentals
  • Family Skate Sunday - $25 for up to a family of 4, admission and rentals
  • $1 hotdogs at the snack shop all weekend

Friends of the Rink Scrap Metal Drive on Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Games

  • Ramparts 16U WNY - Saturday 6 p.m.
  • Ramparts 18U WNY - Saturday 7:40 p.m.
  • Ramparts 16U MOHL - Sunday 3:10 p.m.
  • BMHL - 4 games Sunday morning starting at 6:55 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m.

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