MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Mylan Park Ice Pavilion is opening about one month ahead of schedule and next week will host the hockey version of the “Backyard Brawl.”
Mylan Park Foundation President Ron Justice said funding for the project came from a variety of community sources, but the Hazel Ruby McQuain contributed significantly to the $16 million project. The facility will be the home for West Virginia University Club Hockey, the Morgantown Hockey Association and players from area high schools. The facility will also be open to the public for skating, parties and meetings.
“An Olympic-sized sheet of ice, we have eight dressing rooms, two large meeting rooms, a warming room, concessions, a skate rental area, and permanent seating for 906,” Justice said Tuesday on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
The facility will host the hockey version of WVU vs Pitt on Sept. 12 and public access will begin the following week. The facility will also be available for traveling hockey clubs throughout the region, which Justice said are known to bring hundreds of players and spectators who will spend money in the local economy.
“Our plan is to have this facility open 12 months out of the year,” Justice said. “Certainly we have already been in discussions with some of those travel groups that would come to Morgantown, and that season starts in March and runs through May.”
“We can add another slab of ice in the future,” Justice said. “Should that ever occur, we would have one common area and two sheets of ice, one on each side of the common area.”
According to Justice, a typical weekend schedule would start with WVU Club Hockey and Morgantown Hockey Association activities, then public availability during the later half of the weekend.
“WVU on Friday evenings, the Morgantown Hockey Association Saturday and Sunday mornings, then public skate on Saturday evenings and again on Sunday afternoons.”
Mylan Park recently celebrated their 25th year of operation and the opening of the KOA Campground to add to the list of amenities. Justice said the next addition to the park will be designed to promote biking in the community.
The grand opening of the ice pavilion is planned for Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m.
Story by Mike Nolting, WAJR