Hockeytown should have more places to play hockey

For a region that proudly calls itself Hockeytown, southeast Michigan has a strange problem: it can be surprisingly difficult to find a good place to simply go out and play hockey.

Ice hockey is expensive. Ice time is limited. Organized leagues require schedules, fees and commitments. And when the weather warms up, the number of quality outdoor places to play roller or street hockey becomes even smaller.

Hockey shouldn't only be something kids experience when they're registered for a team. Sometimes the best way to fall in love with a sport is simply grabbing a stick, meeting your friends and playing until the sun goes down.

The Red Wings are already investing in hockey

To be fair, the Detroit Red Wings are already doing a lot to make hockey more accessible.

The organization's Learn, Play, Score initiative was established with an initial $1 million commitment from the Red Wings, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation and the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund. The program has introduced thousands of Detroit children to hockey through different forms of programming.

Their Street Hockey in the D program has brought the sport directly into Detroit neighborhoods and schools. The Summer Series has provided hundreds of kids with free outdoor instruction, while the school program has introduced hockey to tens of thousands of Detroit students through physical education.

The Red Wings' Little Wings program also gives first-time players ages 5-9 multiple weeks of instruction and a full set of hockey equipment at a low cost. The program currently reaches communities including Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids.

This isn't about saying the Red Wings aren't doing enough. It's about asking what the next step should be.

The missing piece: somewhere to play

The Red Wings are introducing kids to hockey. They're providing equipment. They're bringing street hockey into schools and neighborhoods.

But what happens after the clinic ends? Where does that kid go next Saturday to play with friends? Where does that kid go next Saturday to play with friends?

That's where permanent outdoor facilities could make an enormous difference.

Taking cues from rival franchises

The Columbus Blue Jackets recently committed $250,000 toward a new outdoor street hockey rink at a YMCA in Central Ohio. The facility includes durable boards and a quality playing surface, while the Blue Jackets provide programming, equipment, coaching resources and free introductory clinics.

And they're already expanding the concept, with additional outdoor locations hosting their youth street hockey program.

That's more than building a rink. It's building a hockey community.

It's time to build Hockeytown

Imagine Ilitch Sports + Entertainment taking that same philosophy and creating one to three premier outdoor hockey destinations across Michigan.

A flagship facility in Detroit. Another in Ann Arbor. Perhaps another in Grand Rapids, strengthening the connection between the Red Wings, Griffins and Michigan's hockey pipeline.

And don't make them just hockey rinks.

Add basketball courts, soccer space, pickleball, playgrounds, seating, food and other activities. Make them destinations where families can spend an afternoon.

Make hockey free or extremely affordable.

Create fans, not just players

The goal isn't necessarily to produce the next Michigan superstar. It's to create the next 10,000 hockey fans.

A kid shouldn't need expensive equipment, a travel team or thousands of dollars in annual fees to discover that hockey is fun.

Sometimes all they need is a stick, a ball, a pair of rollerblades and somewhere safe to play.

Make Hockeytown more than a nickname

Ilitch has the resources, the brand and the connection to Michigan to create something that could serve families for generations.

Don't just tell people we're Hockeytown. Give Hockeytown somewhere to play. Build it, and they will come.

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