Forest Hill Memorial Arena.
488-1800
I will never forget that phone number. How could I?
For me phoning that number back in the fall of 1972 would be the beginning of my ice hockey playing days. Sure I was playing ice hockey on neighborhood outdoor rinks like Ranee Field, but I had never played hockey inside an arena. I had never experienced putting on my hockey equipment in a heated dressing room. A dressing room with showers and a rink chalkboard.
I was twelve years old when I first phoned Forest Hill Memorial Arena to book my first ice rental. I was already pretty familiar with the arena and on numerous occasions I would attend the weekly Sunday evening pleasure skate. Pleasure skating was always on the small ice pad. The larger rink was used mostly for hockey, both leagues and rentals. The odd time I would see figure skaters twirling around, but not very often.
On many Sunday nights during the winter me and a group of friends would go skating. The group would usually include some of the teenage girls from our Kingdom Hall so needless to say my attendance was pretty regular. Well, as regular as possible since my mother would often use the Sunday evening skate as part of my grounding punishment.
So I would be missing those Sunday skates.
While skating I would often stop at the boards and watch the kids playing hockey over on the larger rink. I could only wish to be able to play hockey indoors like them. Some of my older friends often talked about renting ice, but none of them ever did. If we were ever going to play hockey inside an arena, then it would be up to me to take the initiative.
I will never forget that phone number. How could I?
For me phoning that number back in the fall of 1972 would be the beginning of my ice hockey playing days. Sure I was playing ice hockey on neighborhood outdoor rinks like Ranee Field, but I had never played hockey inside an arena. I had never experienced putting on my hockey equipment in a heated dressing room. A dressing room with showers and a rink chalkboard.
I was twelve years old when I first phoned Forest Hill Memorial Arena to book my first ice rental. I was already pretty familiar with the arena and on numerous occasions I would attend the weekly Sunday evening pleasure skate. Pleasure skating was always on the small ice pad. The larger rink was used mostly for hockey, both leagues and rentals. The odd time I would see figure skaters twirling around, but not very often.
On many Sunday nights during the winter me and a group of friends would go skating. The group would usually include some of the teenage girls from our Kingdom Hall so needless to say my attendance was pretty regular. Well, as regular as possible since my mother would often use the Sunday evening skate as part of my grounding punishment.
So I would be missing those Sunday skates.
While skating I would often stop at the boards and watch the kids playing hockey over on the larger rink. I could only wish to be able to play hockey indoors like them. Some of my older friends often talked about renting ice, but none of them ever did. If we were ever going to play hockey inside an arena, then it would be up to me to take the initiative.
I would have to rent the ice.
I figured the best time for me to even think about renting ice would be during the Christmas school break. It might be possible to rent ice very early on a weekday morning over the holidays. If I could then hopefully I would get enough guys to commit to play. I would need both those who were off school like me and some of the older guys who might be able to play before going to work.
Ice rentals on the weekends were booked solid for the complete season and weekend ice was more expensive. I figured that a weekday morning would be my best chance of getting affordable ice.
When I first phoned Forest Hill I asked to speak to the manager. I tried very hard to use my big boy voice.
“This is the manager, what can I do for you?” he said.
Within five minutes I was the owner of an 8 am one hour ice rental on the small rink. If I recall it was on a Thursday morning during the upcoming Christmas break which was still a couple months away. It cost me $35 and I immediately rode the 4 km's down on my bike to pay the ten buck deposit and get my receipt.
Wow! I was now going to make what we had talked about for so long finally become a reality. Our weekly road hockey game would now be moving from the pavement to the ice. From wearing boots to wearing skates and from shooting a ball to shooting a puck. All the guys I asked agreed to play right away. I had two goalies, but way too many players especially for the smaller ice surface. I just assumed some would drop out before the big day arrived. I was wrong and I had even more friends who wanted to play that I could not invite. I felt bad turning some friends away, but I already had too many players.
“If a spot opens up, I will let you know,” I told them all.
The anticipation grew and the big day finally arrived. It was a beautiful cold sunny morning and I vividly remember the west wall's frosted icy large windows allowing sunlight to flood the complete ice surface. It was very bright in the rink on that morning. The arena lights were on, but they were not needed. We would be playing in the sunlight just like we did at Ranee Field.
We were the first ice rental on that day and we all got changed together in the same big dressing room. We never used the rink chalkboard before we all walked out to the beautifully cleaned frozen rink. I will never forget that first walk. I felt like a rookie Leaf player walking out onto the Maple Leaf Gardens ice for the very first time.
A couple guys forgot to take off their skate guards and they immediately wiped out. There were no player benches on the small rink so we had to wait for our shifts at either one of the rink's north end entrances. We probably had about twenty skaters. It was mass confusion to say the least with a couple guys not even knowing how to play ice hockey. It was their first time ever skating with a hockey stick in their hands. Some guys wore very little equipment and I remember a couple guys were wearing their ski gloves.
A couple of the older guys wore glasses and they were fogged up for the whole hour. They could not see anything because their warm bodies combined with the freezing indoor temperature instantly fogged up their lenses.
I think well over twenty goals were scored that morning. The goalies were not that good, but I was grateful they were there. It was not very good hockey, but it would have been a lot worse without the two goalies. We all had so much fun and the hour just flew by very quickly. An hour at our Kingdom Hall never flew by as quickly, nor was it ever as much fun.
After the game everyone paid me two bucks and I paid the remaining $25 I owed. My first ice rental had been a huge success. I was twelve years old; I had just organized my first indoor arena ice hockey game where I was in complete charge. Although, I admit I was a bit too eager to get guys to play. For a few this game would be just a novelty and I am positive they never played ice hockey again.
I figured the best time for me to even think about renting ice would be during the Christmas school break. It might be possible to rent ice very early on a weekday morning over the holidays. If I could then hopefully I would get enough guys to commit to play. I would need both those who were off school like me and some of the older guys who might be able to play before going to work.
Ice rentals on the weekends were booked solid for the complete season and weekend ice was more expensive. I figured that a weekday morning would be my best chance of getting affordable ice.
When I first phoned Forest Hill I asked to speak to the manager. I tried very hard to use my big boy voice.
“This is the manager, what can I do for you?” he said.
Within five minutes I was the owner of an 8 am one hour ice rental on the small rink. If I recall it was on a Thursday morning during the upcoming Christmas break which was still a couple months away. It cost me $35 and I immediately rode the 4 km's down on my bike to pay the ten buck deposit and get my receipt.
Wow! I was now going to make what we had talked about for so long finally become a reality. Our weekly road hockey game would now be moving from the pavement to the ice. From wearing boots to wearing skates and from shooting a ball to shooting a puck. All the guys I asked agreed to play right away. I had two goalies, but way too many players especially for the smaller ice surface. I just assumed some would drop out before the big day arrived. I was wrong and I had even more friends who wanted to play that I could not invite. I felt bad turning some friends away, but I already had too many players.
“If a spot opens up, I will let you know,” I told them all.
The anticipation grew and the big day finally arrived. It was a beautiful cold sunny morning and I vividly remember the west wall's frosted icy large windows allowing sunlight to flood the complete ice surface. It was very bright in the rink on that morning. The arena lights were on, but they were not needed. We would be playing in the sunlight just like we did at Ranee Field.
We were the first ice rental on that day and we all got changed together in the same big dressing room. We never used the rink chalkboard before we all walked out to the beautifully cleaned frozen rink. I will never forget that first walk. I felt like a rookie Leaf player walking out onto the Maple Leaf Gardens ice for the very first time.
A couple guys forgot to take off their skate guards and they immediately wiped out. There were no player benches on the small rink so we had to wait for our shifts at either one of the rink's north end entrances. We probably had about twenty skaters. It was mass confusion to say the least with a couple guys not even knowing how to play ice hockey. It was their first time ever skating with a hockey stick in their hands. Some guys wore very little equipment and I remember a couple guys were wearing their ski gloves.
A couple of the older guys wore glasses and they were fogged up for the whole hour. They could not see anything because their warm bodies combined with the freezing indoor temperature instantly fogged up their lenses.
I think well over twenty goals were scored that morning. The goalies were not that good, but I was grateful they were there. It was not very good hockey, but it would have been a lot worse without the two goalies. We all had so much fun and the hour just flew by very quickly. An hour at our Kingdom Hall never flew by as quickly, nor was it ever as much fun.
After the game everyone paid me two bucks and I paid the remaining $25 I owed. My first ice rental had been a huge success. I was twelve years old; I had just organized my first indoor arena ice hockey game where I was in complete charge. Although, I admit I was a bit too eager to get guys to play. For a few this game would be just a novelty and I am positive they never played ice hockey again.
Over the next few years a few more ice rentals would follow. I always rented the small rink at Forest Hill Arena on a weekday during winter school breaks. I became much more selective in the friends I invited to play. We always had two goalies and everyone wore full hockey gear. Fewer goals were scored and the games got a lot more competitive.
Eventually, I stopped going to the Kingdom Hall and I started playing with other groups throughout the city. I stopped renting the ice at Forest Hill Arena altogether. I also quit pleasure skating on the Sunday nights as I became more focused on other teenage girls who skated at another rink on Friday nights.
It would be many years later before I would find myself playing at Forest Hill Arena once again. I was now in my twenties playing on the large rink with my NWAA buddies on Saturdays at midnight. A few times I would stop briefly at the boards and just look over at the now dark small rink.
I would smile while reminiscing for a brief moment about the mass confusion I had once created in the bright sunlight ten years earlier. They sure were fun times we all had playing on that little rink.
By the way, if you want to rent ice today you will need to add the area code when phoning the now named, Larry Grossman Forest Hill Memorial Arena.
(416) 488-1800
Eventually, I stopped going to the Kingdom Hall and I started playing with other groups throughout the city. I stopped renting the ice at Forest Hill Arena altogether. I also quit pleasure skating on the Sunday nights as I became more focused on other teenage girls who skated at another rink on Friday nights.
It would be many years later before I would find myself playing at Forest Hill Arena once again. I was now in my twenties playing on the large rink with my NWAA buddies on Saturdays at midnight. A few times I would stop briefly at the boards and just look over at the now dark small rink.
I would smile while reminiscing for a brief moment about the mass confusion I had once created in the bright sunlight ten years earlier. They sure were fun times we all had playing on that little rink.
By the way, if you want to rent ice today you will need to add the area code when phoning the now named, Larry Grossman Forest Hill Memorial Arena.
(416) 488-1800
