CARLISLE, Iowa — Just off the edge of the highway in Carlisle, we found it — a spot where this weather is perfect.

The new community ice rink, donated by the Iowa Wild, is ready.

“We sent out a survey when we were kind of in the planning process,” says Carlisle Parks and Recreation Director Mason McMillen, “and we had over 80 responses from people who were wanting to use it within a day.”

It’s something new for McMillen. It took him 20 hours just to fill it.   

“I talked to a couple other cities around the metro that have rinks and got maintenance tips on how they’ve attacked it, so that’s helped as well.”

It’s been a decade since the Wild began donating these rinks to local cities. This makes number 12.

“The Iowa Wild’s mission is growing the game of hockey throughout the state of Iowa,” says Media Relations Director Alec Lessner, “and one way to do that is to get people on the ice.”

Those in the youth hockey community say it’s working, though evidence is anecdotal.

“I think it just goes back to people experiencing the sport, getting on the ice,” says Scott Long, director of the Des Moines Youth Hockey Association. “Direct impact, I can’t tell you the numbers, but any ice in Des Moines is good ice.”

That part can be backed up with numbers.

The Des Moines Metro has no more hockey rinks now than it did 20 years ago. The new MidAmerican RecPlex is impressive, but the old Metro Ice Arena in Johnston has covered its surfaces with indoor soccer fields.

Talk of new facilities at Merle Hay Mall and Ankeny has been just that.

“There’s always talk of projects popping up here and there,” Long says, “and those are things we always get excited about but until it comes to actually seeing the building, it’s been a little bit of a struggle to buy into that stuff.”

The Des Moines Youth Hockey Association finds itself in a pickle — plenty of support and demand, but no more vacancy.

“We have 55+ teams and unfortunately with the lack of ice time that we have we really are in the position where we are at capacity,” Long shrugs.

“We’ve had to go back to 7 a.m. practices on weekends, and many nights there are teams leaving the ice at 10:30 p.m.”

West Des Moines says more ice is coming to the RecPlex, soon. Until then, you’ll find it in places like Carlisle — thanks to the Iowa Wild and the Iowa weather.

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