This article delves into the history and features of ice rinks in Bedford and Marlborough, Massachusetts, highlighting the New England Sports Center and The Edge Sports Center.
The New England Sports Center
The New England Sports Center (NESC) is a two-story, eight-rink ice-skating facility located in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Covering 22.3 acres (90,000 m2) of suburban land, the 220,000-square-foot (20,000 m2) building has over 65 locker rooms, a hockey pro shop, ice skate sharpening, ice skate rentals, function rooms, a full-service restaurant, and a snack bar. In addition to the eight full-size rinks, the facility has two miniature ice surfaces, Rinks 9 and 10.
Team owner H. Larue Renfroe also owns all of NESC. The New England Sports Center has been described by the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce as "... one of the greatest economic contributors for the businesses in this region ... " to the hospitality industry, with economic benefits accruing to the " ... local hotels, restaurants, retail establishments, and gas stations ... " ... (i)t's a great boon for the community," said Arthur Vigeant, president of the Marlborough City Council.
Construction and Expansion
Built in 1994, the NESC has undergone several expansions to become the comprehensive facility it is today.
- Expansions occurred in 2004, 2010, and 2017.
- Plans for the addition of a sixth full-size ice-skating surface and a partial-surface practice rink were approved by the City of Marlborough in April 2010, and the full-size Rink 6 opened for operation on December 4, 2010.
- The Marlborough City Council approved plans to expand the center yet again in June 2016. This expansion added two more full-sized rinks, as well as an additional miniature rink. The new rinks were built partially on newly acquired land to the west of the preexisting facility.
- Rink 7 opened on September 23, 2017, and Rink 8 opened on October 1, 2017.
Tenants and Events
The NESC hosts a variety of tenants and events, making it a hub for ice sports in the region.
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- Host to the Haydenettes, home to the Skating Club of Boston Metrowest, the Minuteman Flames, Central Mass.
- On January 4, 2021, the Providence Bruins announced that they would be playing their entire 2021 American Hockey League season at NESC. The Bruins made the move due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and that their arena, the Dunkin' Donuts Center had been turned into a Coronavirus testing center.
- The 2003 USA Hockey Tier III Junior National Championship were held at the New England Sports Center.
- The New England Sports Center hosted the 2008 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships and the 2008 International Standing Amputee divisional match-up, part of the Annual USA Disabled Festival, described as "...the largest disabled hockey event ever..." by Dr. David Crandell, president of the American Amputee Hockey Association.
Ice Rink Technology and Sustainability
The New England Sports Center uses advanced technology to maintain its ice surfaces and has implemented measures to save energy.
- The New England Sports Center uses a brine/ammonia indirect refrigeration system to cool the concrete surface underlying the skating surface.
- In early 2011, three Tecogen CM-75 cogeneration units were installed at the rear (north-facing side) of the building. These three units generate electricity (for on-site use) and hot water.
- The New England Sports Center uses battery-powered Zamboni model 552 ice resurfacers for its full size rinks. There are currently nine machines at the facility, six to eight of which may be in use at any one time while remaining machines undergo repairs.
- In an effort to save energy, the New England Sports Center recycles not water (which would be unsanitary), but heat. When the Zamboni ice resurfacer makes a sheet of ice, a quantity of ice shavings are cut from the surface of the ice. The collected ice shavings are melted by the heat released during the compression of the anhydrous ammonia.
The primary food service area (the Starlight Grill) functions during normal working hours and offers typical fast-food fare such as burgers and pizzas, as well as fresh salads, soups, coffee, soft drinks, and fruit juices. On-site catering for special events is also available. A fresh seafood restaurant (New England Seafood), which opened in 2015, is only open during select tournaments. The New England Sports Center has a large, carpeted, glass-wall exercise room located on the second floor between Rink 2 and Rink 5.
The EDGE Sports Center
The EDGE Sports Center, Phase I is a 75,000 SF Indoor Sports Complex with ice and turf, Bedford. ESG was responsible for all the site and building design, as well as contracting for legal, survey, engineering, environmental, resource area delineation, and site, building and ice surface contractors. The EDGE Sports Center, Phase II : The EDGE Sports Center was only months old when the founders first realized that facility expansion was necessary.
On or around Oct. 15, The Edge Sports Center’s rink will open on Hartwell Road, with an indoor artificial turf facility opening in the same building a month later.
The facility will feature a regulation-sized rink, five locker rooms and seating for 300 spectators on one side of the rink in a layout that is similar to the one in the main rink at the Nashoba Valley Olympia in Boxborough.
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The lobby will have a pro shop and a concession stand, seating, televisions and wireless Internet access.
The indoor turf facility will have two artificial turf fields with the same kind of surface used in outdoor fields at Acton-Boxborough and Lincoln-Sudbury High School. There will also be a mezzanine with a strength and conditioning facility and locker rooms.
The turf fields can be used for games or practices in any field sport such as soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball or softball. Adult and youth leagues can use the facility, which will be managed by Joe Russo. Bedford High and other area high schools can also use the facility when inclement weather makes local grass fields unplayable.
Key People Involved
Several individuals played key roles in the development and management of The EDGE Sports Center.
- Scott Fusco: Founder and Sr. Scott graduated from Harvard University in 1986 where he was a two time All-American hockey player, the career scoring leader, and the Hobey Baker award winner in that year.
- Mike McGrath: Facility manager, who played for Salem State College and was Bedford High’s hockey coach from 2000 to 2006.
Benefits for Local Teams
The EDGE Sports Center provides significant benefits for local hockey teams.
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- In addition to the East Coast Wizzards, the rink will also host the Junior Eagles boys youth hockey program, Bedford High and Lexington/Bedford Youth Hockey. Lexington High School will also practice at the rink.
- “It’s a great opportunity for them,” said McGrath, a Chelmsford resident who guided the Bucs to postseason berths in his final two seasons as coach. “They’ll get out of school at 2 and they can be on the ice at 2:30. They’ll have an extra 15 minutes of practice time and over the course of the season, that will add up.”
REALice Technology
Fusco first put the REALice floodwater treatment system into one of two rinks at the Edge Sports Center facility back in December, 2018. Rebates from two Massachusetts utilities, NationalGrid and Eversource, encouraged him to embrace this alternative to using hot floodwater to maintain the ice.
The Edge has a two-NHL-sized rinks, with two ice plants and completely separate Zamboni rooms. In reviewing his utility bills, he found that the REALice in the Upper Rink is reducing his electricity consumption by at least 15% per year. That’s very good for a facility that spans around 80,000 sq. ft.
“When you’re using colder floodwater, you’re not heating the water as much. “The lower run time hours aren’t as obvious at the outset,” Smolarek explains, “but that’s where the real gold is with REALice. Those lower hours come with the Delta T that Scott referred to in getting the colder water to freeze, compared to hot.
“REALice is a long term, energy-reducing and sustainable solution,” says Grönlund. “It’s letting many arenas decommission equipment they would be replacing if they kept using hot water, like water heaters, storage tanks and pumps. And because it needs only water pressure to operate and no consumables like chemical packets or filters, it requires no ongoing costs or energy spend.
The Former Bedford Grove Rollaway
In contrast to the modern facilities, the Bedford Grove Rollaway represents a piece of Bedford's past.
This roller rink was in Bedford but it has a vague history to explain here. It opened around 1940s and closed in 1980s. That is because it did not have much information. It had changed hands a few times from the year 1940 and at one point seemly to end in 1982. Something like 1980 or 1982. It was a Gable building with hip roof on the side.
Likely it was wood fllor because of it first opened in 1940s so likely it was wood. Maple perhaps.
Operated: c. 1940 to c. 1980.