The story of Malone ice rinks is a fascinating journey through sports, entertainment, and community development. This evolution began with ambitious plans for a multi-purpose facility in Pittsburgh and continues today with local rinks fostering a love for ice sports.
Mellon Arena Interior
The Genesis of the Civic Arena
Pittsburgh’s rebirth, directed by Mayor David L. Lawrence, came in the form of Renaissance I. Lawrence spear-headed a plan to give the CLO and Pittsburgh Hornets a new facility and to give Pittsburghers a multi-purpose facility. The result was the Civic Auditorium - later named the Civic Arena.
In 1951, the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s revealed a plan to re-develop a tract of land in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District. The demolition of 1,300 structures began on May 31, 1956 to clear 95 acres for the new facility. Construction of the Civic Arena began on April 25, 1958. Originally budgeted to cost $19 million, it would take 40 months to construct.
In February 1950, Kaufmann revealed plans for a 10,500-seat “umbrella amphitheater,” drawn by architects James A. Mitchell and Dahlen K. Ritchey. The design included two, motorized “bat-like” wings for a roof. The wings were to be made out of fabric-coated plastic attached to a cantilevered, steel arm.
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A Retractable Dome Like No Other
The arena’s signature retractable stainless steel dome - 417 feet in diameter and 109 feet tall- was constructed with eight 300-ton roof sections. Six of the sections were mobilized by five motors in each panel. The roof could be retracted to open the dome in two minutes. There were conditional restrictions for opening the roof at 300 Auditorium Place: Â The roof couldn’t be opened if there was a greater than 60-percent chance of rain, or if wind was blowing more than 7 mph.
Iconic Moments at the Civic Arena
The Hockey News reported in the February 4, 1956, edition that it could be possible for the Pittsburgh Hornets to resume play in 1958. In February 1967, the Igloo would inspire the name of the Pittsburgh Penguins who were granted an NHL expansion team to replace the AHL Hornets, who played their last game in the arena on April 30, 1967, when they beat Buffalo in the Calder Cup Final. Â Pittsburgh finished the sweep of two-time defending champion Rochester Americans in the Calder Cup Finals after Billy Harris scored :26 seconds into overtime in what would be the last goal in Pittsburgh Hornets’ history. The Penguins played their first game at the Civic Arena when they lost to the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, on October 11, 1967.
On May 4, 1968 the Pittsburgh Pipers won the first ABA championship after defeating the New Orleans Buccaneers 122-113. The Pipers had the league’s best record during the regular season (54-24, .692). The last CLO show at the Civic Arena was How Now, Dow Jones on July 26, 1969. In July of that year, 13,000 Superstar fans packed the Civic Arena to see the opera performed in concert.
The 1990 NHL All-Star Game was played in the arena on January 21, 1990. On August 25, 1994 the Civic Arena roof opened to the Space Odessy theme song while the Phantoms played the Minnesota Arctic Blast. The arena’s emergency lighting system came on and the hockey came to a halt. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that fans chanted “New Arena…New Arena” during the first delay.
On June 20, 2008, Bank of New York Mellon Corp. agreed to extend its naming rights deal to Mellon Arena by one year. Â The extension was necessary because a 10-year naming rights deal between the hockey team and former Mellon Financial Corp. expired after the 2008-09 season.
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The Malone Civic Center: A Community Hub
The Malone Civic Center is a sprawling green building at the very end of State Street in Malone. The windows are few and far between save for the double door entrance. To my left and right are a few walls of hockey trophies that are being displayed proudly. A bright display board with glittery letters shows off the upcoming events and fundraisers for the Figure Skating Club. And there is a gaggle of kids waiting for the Zamboni to resurface the ice to test out their new skates that one can assume they just received for Christmas.
There are many ways to enjoy what the Malone Civic Center has to offer. The simplest of all the ways, in my opinion, is to tie on your own skates and join an open rink session. That's it--that's all you have to do. You just check their online calendar for an open rink session, grab your skates, and head out on the ice. I personally haven't been ice skating in years, but I'm pretty sure I will be giving it a shot by the end of this winter season! I watched those on the rink for open skate. There were figure skaters, hockey players in their gear, and even a teenager just getting a few laps in.
Ice rink
Growth and Development
I spoke with the Association president, Jay Perras, about the league. He mentioned that five years ago they had less than 80 kids -- they have more than 200 participants this year. Thanks to two grants through the Adirondack for Kids foundation, the league can now outfit kids from head to toe--from skates to sticks and everything in between--to get them out on the ice for their first year, which has made a huge difference. The Figure Skating Club is another huge program. On most figure skating nights you can find more than 200 kids in the arena working with coaches, practicing for competitions, or just hanging out and having fun both on and off the ice.
If getting on the ice isn't your cup of tea, there are plenty of things to sit down and watch. Catch any of the kids' hockey games, a myriad of tournaments that are played throughout the season, or even a Franklin Academy boys or girls' game. I ended going into the Civic Center the other day on a whim and I'm glad I did. I might not have gotten on the ice this week, but with the New Year just past I know something that will be going on my resolution list that will actually get checked off!
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Remembering Jack Miller
BRIGHTON - A Malone man who had been missing since Sept. 18 was found dead near a remote trail in Brighton on Saturday, after a month of searching from numerous law enforcement agencies. John “Jack” D. Miller was reported missing on Sept. On Saturday, two hunters were traveling on an ATV trail on the first day of the muzzleloader deer hunting season when they saw a Subaru Forester matching the description of Miller’s vehicle. Miller’s eldest daughter, Karen Carre, of Malone said he had left for a drive last month.
“He was a retired trooper, so hitting the road was something he loved to do,” she said. “He loved traveling down that way. Carre thanked the officers who looked for her father. His car was found “off the beaten path” on a road to a long-vacant cabin he liked to visit. “It just struck his fancy,” she said. Carre said he was a supportive father in whatever their interests were. Miller grew up in New Jersey. Miller was the first sergeant for NYSP Troop B, Carre said. Miller learned to ice skate in Saranac Lake when he lived here in the early 1960s. He fell in love with hockey, playing, coaching and growing the game. He became a realtor and ran J.D.
He also taught them all good skills and a good work ethic, she said. “Jack left us on his own terms doing what he loved and brought NYSP Troop B out in force on his last adventure. We are humbled by the many people - both friends and strangers who helped us in our search, traveled 1,000’s of miles of trails and roads.