As beloved Valley Ice Center faces demolition, hockey families fight to save it

For nearly three decades, the L.A. Kings Valley Ice Center has served as a second home for hundreds of young hockey players in the San Fernando Valley. Now, that future is on shaky ice.

The Panorama City facility is set to demolish its main ice rink, leaving athletes who use the center with a smaller, non-regulation rink. Taking the place of the main rink will be a medical facility for seniors, according to the Valley Ice Center’s owner.

Some local parents say the situation has been heart-wrenching for them and their children.

“My kids are at the rink four to seven days a week anywhere from 3:30 to 9 o’clock,” said Abbey Wall, the registrar for the youth hockey team California Heat and a parent of two players, ages 8 and 11.

Two players with the California Heat youth hockey team practice at the Panorama City facility.

(California Heat)

“Practices, games, training,” she said, “it’s where they’ve grown up. It’s their community.”

The facility’s lobby and pro shop — where local youth are able to buy hockey gear — also would be demolished in work that is set to begin June 1.

The Los Angeles Kings have a branding and partnership agreement with the L.A. Kings Valley Ice Center, where they run “Little Kings” programs where children learn to play hockey.

The decision to reduce the facility’s size stems in part from rising costs.

“Running an ice rink is very costly,” said Scott Floman, owner of the Valley Ice Center. He said the cost of leasing the facility had soared, as has the price of utilities.

Visitors take part in a public skating session Wednesday at the L.A. Kings Valley Ice Center.

But the demolition would mean big changes for the California Heat, one of the region’s largest youth hockey programs.

“The closure of the main sheet of ice means we don’t have a home rink,” said Michael Santiago, club president.

The Heat has been based at the Valley Ice Center since the club was founded in 1992. The club has nearly 200 players across 12 teams and a high school program, according to Santiago.

To be a part of the Southern California Amateur Hockey Assn., teams have to meet certain rink requirements to be able to host games during the travel season. Regulation-size ice — larger than the rink that would remain after demolition — is a must.

“If we can’t meet those requirements, our teams can’t compete,” Santiago said. “We would be forced to downsize.”

Rick Scott, 61, practices hockey at the L.A. Kings Valley Ice Center.

Limited ice space would also restrict practices, reduce player development, and cap the number of athletes in the program according to Santiago.

Wall, who helps manage team registrations and ensures the club meets league requirements as the club’s registrar, said the loss of a regulation rink could make it impossible for the program to operate.

“Without a place to host games on regulation size ice, those teams don’t exist,” she said.

According to Wall, finding a new home rink is not a simple solution. There are nine ice rinks in Los Angeles County, and she said most are already at capacity.

“A lot of these rinks are bursting at the seams,” Wall said. “We’re talking about 200 players looking for a home, and there just isn’t space.”

But club leaders are exploring alternatives, including a potential move to a rink center currently under development in Reseda. Floman says L.A.’s planned opening of a competing facility in the Valley neighborhood just five miles away also factored into the decision to downsize the center.

The Valley Ice Center’s smaller rink will remain open for at least 15 more years, he said, and “everything except for our travel program will continue.”

The entrance to a building has a black and white sign that says Valley Ice Center.

The California Heat will still be able to practice at the rink but must find another venue to host games.

“I’m hoping the Reseda rink can be that for them,” Floman said.

Still, many in the community are hoping the outcome can change.

A petition launched by the California Heat is gaining traction online, calling attention to the hundreds of players and families affected. Supporters argue that the rink is a vital community resource, especially in a region with limited access to ice sports.

“This affects not just the players, but their families, coaches, and everyone connected to the rink,” Santiago said. “We’re just trying to make sure people understand what’s at stake.”

“We were there four or five nights a week,” said Larry Tobin, a parent with an 11-year-old son who plays at L.A. Kings Valley Ice Center. “My son made friends there, looked forward to going, and improved so much. He was crushed.”

“My oldest is going into his fourth year with the same coach at this rink,” Wall said. “These relationships matter. This isn’t just a sport but… where they feel at home.”

Community members are also speaking out on social media to make their case for saving the facility.

“This place isn’t just ice and boards. It’s where I made lifelong friends, met my wife, watched wide-eyed kids lace up their skates for the first time, and cheered as they grew into strong, confident adults,” wrote Alexander Dunn, owner and director of hockey at the California Hockey Academy.

As the June 2026 remodel date approaches, families are left waiting for answers and hoping that their home ice won’t disappear for good.

Source link