On Sept. 2, Mylan Park opened what it calls the “region’s premier public ice venue.”
As of Monday afternoon, it’s got another, more official, title.
A large crowd turned out to officially drop the first puck in the 48,000-square-foot Hope Gas Ice Pavilion at Mylan Park
The $15 million facility was built through the support of the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust and will serve as the home ice of West Virginia University Hockey and the Morgantown Hockey Association as well as community offerings like learn-to-skate programs and public skating sessions.
Todd Gookin, general manager of WVU Hockey, said the facility is already impacting the sport in the University City.
“I call it the field of dreams now because we had 137 show up for tryouts. We had no intention of a fourth team back in July,” Gookin said. “If you build it, they will come, I guess, because I have to believe some of that is wanting to skate on this rink.”
Mark Nesselroad, who helped push his initial vision of a couple baseball and softball fields on abandoned mine land off Chaplin Hill Road into a unique, 400-acre amenity-filled destination, said there may well be more to come – but only if the community demonstrates the need.
“When we were planning this facility, some said we needed one slab of ice. Then, there were people who said, ‘No, I think we need two slabs of ice’. Well, we got one,” he said, pointing up into the stands. “Now it’s up to you people up there and everybody else in this community. We want to build a second slab of ice.”
