Best area for hockey vacation?

[Amazinmets73 69]

I'm looking for an area with inexpensive ice time and lots of it. I plan to spend a few months in said location working on my game. The best location I've found has been Vancouver: daily pick-up games and the Richmond Ice Centre holds weekday 6 hour stick & puck sessions. Unfortunately Vancouver is prohibitively expensive for a 2 month vacation.

Does anyone have other recommendations? Doesn't have to be N.A., Europe would be fine.  

[badger_14 601]

The Boston area has at least a couple of rinks with 2+ hour, cheap stick time.  However, living costs are pretty high here.  Where would you stay?  What time of year?  Are you looking to work with a trainer? 

[the_game 452]

If you can afford to go on a 2 month vacation I am curious as to why any location would be cost prohibitive ha.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

San Diego! Beaches and hockey every day! Haha

[MN old and slow 92]

MN is the place to go.

you can play a ton of hockey, practice a ton, drink Grain Belt, see the most beautiful women, and do da ice fishing 

we invented the game 

we are the best

we know how to polka and ice fish

Edited November 24, 2018 by MN old and slow

[caveman27 208]

On 11/20/2018 at 5:18 PM, Amazinmets73 said:

I'm looking for an area with inexpensive ice time and lots of it. I plan to spend a few months in said location working on my game. The best location I've found has been Vancouver: daily pick-up games and the Richmond Ice Centre holds weekday 6 hour stick & puck sessions. Unfortunately Vancouver is prohibitively expensive for a 2 month vacation.

Does anyone have other recommendations? Doesn't have to be N.A., Europe would be fine.  

Multiple rinks, multiple leagues.

Ottawa, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario

Toronto, Ontario

Buffalo, NY

Pittsburgh, PA

[StinkyPinky 11]

I'd go somewhere with plenty of ODR. In my experience that would be Alberta. I was just back in St. Albert, AB for Christmas time. It's a community of ~55k people on the NW edge of Edmonton.

• 5 indoor NHL ice sheets with regular drop-in/shinny/scrimmage schedules
• 20 outdoor, 7 with heated shacks > https://stalbert.ca/rec/parks/sports/outdoor-rinks/
• City of Edmonton nearby (hockey crazy city with ~50 indoor rinks, countless ODR, 16 divs of men's league, etc.)
• NHL Games in Edmonton/Calgary nearby
• Jasper/Banff somewhat nearby (3-5h drive) and offer amazing outdoor skating opportunities
• Great exchange right now on USD/EUR to CAD (you'll be rich)
• Lowest sales tax in Canada @ 5%
• Legal recreational cannabis

Nowadays I just bring my skates in my luggage. Keep a stick, some pucks, tape, and gloves at my parents house. I just head out to the ODR generally anytime it's not absolutely freezing or snowing. Ice is so good (most have an attendant working 40h a week at each location). Great for conditioning the legs, practicing shots, and building up your creativity. Costs nothing and is so beautiful to enjoy the winter outdoors until 10:30-11:00 any night (they are all lit). 

(pic is Lake Louise Alberta)

 

 

[Vet88 674]

Haha, I had to do a double take of that picture. At first glance I thought, jeez, someone left the nets out and it snowed really really hard overnight. And then I saw the bottom bar.... Jokes aside, that looks and sounds about as close to heaven one could get. And you can be legally happy whilst doing it, sigh. It sure as hell beats the 2 rinks we have atm, it's 35 degrees outside and the plant can't keep up, the zamboni cuts the ice and 20 minutes later there are still pools of water over half the rink. Puck work is just shite and you have to saucer every pass just to make sure it gets to the player!

[MLSman 22]

Outdoor pond hockey vacation sounds like heaven on earth to me.