MONONGALIA COUNTY, W.Va. — The Mylan Park Ice Pavilion is opening about one month ahead of schedule and next week will host the hockey version of the “Backyard Brawl.”
On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Mylan Park Foundation President Ron Justice said funding for the project came from a variety of community sources, but the Hazel Ruby McQuain contributed significantly to the $16 million project. The facility will be the home for West Virginia University Club Hockey, the Morgantown Hockey Association, and players from area high schools. The facility will also be open to the public for skating, parties, and meetings.
“An Olympic-sized sheet of ice, we have eight dressing rooms, two large meeting rooms, a warming room, concessions, a skate rental area, and permanent seating for 906,” Justice said.
The facility will host the hockey version of the “Backyard Brawl” on September 12, and public access will begin the following week. The facility will also be available for traveling hockey clubs throughout the region, which are known to bring hundreds of players and spectators who will spend money in the local economy.
“Our plan is to have this facility open 12 months out of the year,” Justice said. “Certainly we have already been in discussions with some of those travel groups that would come to Morgantown, and that season starts in March and runs through May.”
The facility has been built to allow easy expansion if use levels would justify it. Justice said a study done recently verified this area could support two sheets of competitive ice.
“We can add another slab of ice in the future,” Justice said.
Should that ever occur, we would have one common area and two sheets of ice, one on each side of the common area.”
So, the typical weekend schedule would start with WVU Club Hockey and Morgantown Hockey Association activities, then public availability during the later half of the weekend.
“WVU on Friday evenings, the Morgantown Hockey Association Saturday and Sunday mornings, then public skate on Saturday evenings and again on Sunday afternoons.”
Mylan Park recently celebrated their 25th year of operation and the opening of the KOA Campground to add to the list of amenities. Justice said the next addition to the park will be designed to promote biking in the community.
“We’re very fortunate to have facilities like this in Morgantown,” Justice said. “We continue to plan for the future, and one thing we’re continuing to look at is a new facility that would bring a more robust biking community to Morgantown.”