North Shore Views

More Ice for Winnetka and Wilmette

If you figure skate or play hockey, you know that ice time is a precious commodity. There  never seems to be enough of it to accommodate all the games, practices, clinics and lessons, and skaters are often forced to practice at odd hours in order to pursue their sport.

Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of a few folks, the communities of Wilmette and Winnetka  have much more  ice time available with the construction of the North Shore Ice Arena (NSIA). The arena is jointly owned by the Winnetka Hockey Club and the Wilmette Hockey Association, whose teams practice and play at NSIA as well as at the Winnetka Ice Arena and Centennial Rink. The North Shore Ice Arena is also home to the DePaul Hockey Club and the New Trier Hockey Club. A men’s league and a figure skating school were recently added.

NSIA opened in the fall of 2008. It’s a 48,000 sq. ft. facility with one NHL sized rink and one 5,000 sq. ft. studio rink. There is also a pro shop, run by Total Hockey, as well as a snack bar and a few arcade games. To get there, take Waukegan Rd. north from Willow Rd and go west on Techny to Founder’s Drive. The rink is at 2111 Founders Drive in Northbrook (just north of  Willow Festival shopping center).

Tags: DePaul Hockey Club, ice hockey, New Trier Hockey Club, north shore ice arena, Northbrook, Wilmette, Wilmette Hockey Association, Winnetka, Winnetka Hockey Club