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Canadian Minor Hockey Association Helps U.S. Counterpart
By Philipfshaw | January 26, 2009
It’s a classic tale of two hockey towns, or—more accurately—one hockey town lending a hand to one would-be hockey town.
When the minor hockey association in Turtleford, Saskatchewan put two used Zamboni ice resurfacing machines up for sale, they were hoping they would find a home that appreciated their value and could use them to grow the game of hockey. And what a difference those machines have made for their new owners, the Chubbuck Pocatello Hockey Association (CPHA) in Idaho, and their plans for refrigerated outdoor ice.
Although the CPHA has been in existence since 1997, it has always focused exclusively on inline hockey because there is no ice rink in the community. Inline hockey got a major boost two years ago when the City of Chubbuck agreed to build the area’s first permanent inline hockey rink outdoors in one of its premier parks, at a cost of $70,000 (U.S.). But, growing inline hockey has been tough skating in a state where if there’s any hockey at all, it’s always the ice variety.
In August, members of the CPHA Board took a trip to a nearby outdoor ice rink in Salmon, Idaho, and decided that they too could build a refrigerated, North American size rink. However, their first purchase toward this goal needed to generate a lot of enthusiasm and juice fundraising for the entire project. On the four hour return trip from Salmon, the group launched its plan: purchase a Zamboni ice resurfacer and use it to maintain a large pond-type rink this winter, as well as generate enthusiasm for a second set of boards and refrigeration.
When members of the CPHA board found the Turtleford machines on YouTube, they knew they had found their ticket to an eventual rink. “The price for the two machines was exceptional,” said CPHA President, Ralph Bennet. According to David Smith, a board member in the Turtleford association, “We didn’t really know what the machines were worth, but we did know that we wanted them to end up in a place that could appreciate them and where they would do more than just resurface ice. We’re delighted to be involved in the development of ice hockey in Idaho.”
CPHA’s secretary, Jim DiSanza, was in charge of getting the machines shipped 1,500 miles across the border to the states. “It took more than 30 phone calls and another 20 e-mails between myself and some of the folks in Turtleford. I’m on a first name basis with Dave and Rob with the Turtleford & District Recreation Association, the folks at Ken’s Oilfield Construction, where the machines were stored, and with Lillian at the Turtleford Credit Union. They were probably sick of taking my phone calls, but I never got anything but enthusiastic help,” said DiSanza.
Once the newly purchased machines arrived in Chubbuck, CPHA Board members were even more impressed with the condition of both vehicles. Far from serving as merely a parts machine, the secondary resurfacer, a Zamboni manufactured in 1969, is fully operational and appears to only need some sharpening on the cutting blade and a new cloth finisher. “The folks in Turtleford really took care of both machines,” said David Stites, who, along with Ken Davis, are the CPHA’s new resurfacer experts. The primary machine, a model made in 1977 is also in excellent condition and in a fun coincidence, came painted with the colors and mascot of Pocatello-based Idaho State University. “Obviously, the machines were meant for our community,” said CPHA Marketing Director, John Young.
The reaction to the arrival of the machines in Chubbuck and Pocatello (combined population approximately 70,000) has been exceptionally positive. Three of the four local media outlets have covered the story, all of which can be found on the CPHA’s Web site (www.chubbuckpocatellohockey.com). Advertising space for the primary machine has already been sold to the J. R. Simplot Corporation, one of the largest employers in town. “The machines will appear in many local parades and the excitement about Chubbuck playing host to exceptional pond ice is building,” said Young.
What’s the next step for the CPHA? The Association plans to build a 200 by 85 foot frost wall adjacent to the outdoor inline rink next summer, while members search for a set of used boards and the used ice plant necessary to making their dream of refrigerated outdoor ice a reality. “The resurfacing machines should really pump up our fundraising for these items,” said CPHA President, Bennet.
The purchase has already united the folks of Chubbuck and Turtleford, despite the fact that none have met face-to-face. “I think the two communities should become sister cities,” said Dave Smith, in Turtleford, who has put a map of the western United States up at his rink with a big circle around Chubbuck and Pocatello. DiSanza has done the same for Turtleford at his rink. Smith and DiSanza continue to talk regularly, working on joint fundraising efforts for their associations.
And, sometime in the not-too-distant future, teams from Chubbuck will travel to Saskatchewan to play their cousins from Turtleford. No matter the outcome of those games, the Chubbuck players and parents will be indebted to a small community in western Saskatchewan who gave them and the game they love a huge boost.
Jim DiSanza is a professor at Idaho State University and the Secretary of the Chubbuck Pocatello Hockey Association
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