Effective October 2nd South Windsor Arena will be reopening the locker rooms for use.
- Whenever possible, each team will be assigned 2 locker rooms
- We ask that parents and skaters evenly disperse between both rooms.
- Please note the existing mask mandate for the town of South Windsor
- Please be particularly diligent about properly wearing masks while in the locker rooms.
- All skaters are still required to arrive at the rink fully equipped (dressed) for their game or practice. This rule excludes skates.
- Please note that all chairs will remain outside of the locker rooms for your use.
- If for any reason parents or skaters are uncomfortable utilizing the locker rooms we encourage skaters to utilize the chairs or metal risers to put skates on.
- We ask for your cooperation in ensuring that these guidelines are met in an effort keep the locker rooms open for all to use.
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A Message from Steve and Len Grigorian
To all of our amazing employees, customers, friends, vendors, reps. and the South Windsor community:
We would like to share some exciting but bittersweet news. For over 40 years Len and I have owned and operated the SOUTH WINDSOR ARENA. We will be hanging up our skates for the last time.
We have passed the SOUTH WINDSOR ARENA puck to Andrew Petrin and family. Andrew is a young Vernon native who has returned from Boston to take on his dream & a new adventure. His passion for hockey started at a very early age. His play included Rockville high school and he continues to play today. His wife is a former professional figure skater with a love for the game. They are young & energetic and ready to take the SOUTH WINDSOR ARENA /HOCKEY1 to its next chapter.
We have had hundreds of wonderful employees over the years. The following have been with us up to 25 years and will be staying on with Andrew:
• Ken the webmaster & everything retail. A trusted & loyal employee. He has been with us so long people mistook us for brothers (a compliment to me).
• Greg the anything to do with ice man & skate sharpener. No one knows more about all aspects of ice.
• Fran the skate man. What can I say about the guru of skates? People came from all over just to have him fit their skates year after year.
• Don the Olympia driver affectionately known as wild man. The only driver I ever heard of that actually went to ice making school to get certified.
• Christine, our back office administrator. She has been by our side through all the thick and thin over the years.
• Flo - her pizza and grinders were always a must and are still talked about today. She treated all her customers like her own family.
A special thanks to the Andrulat family, Chuck, Billy, Fred, Joey, Kim & Jen. The whole family worked here at all different times from the beginning to the end.
Words can’t describe the gratitude we have for all of you who have supported us over the years. We took the nearly empty arena and transformed this iconic building into a true hockey destination. The hockey history runs deep as the oldest rink in the state. Originally called the HARTFORD ARENA because South Windsor was barely on the map. We developed the Learn to Skate program still used today. We hosted youth programs, high schools, prep schools, college, club teams, numerous tournaments, camps and clinics. The skate club of Hartford called us home the year they hosted the nationals. The Whalers practiced here along with most NHL teams. The Wolf Pack played exhibition games here. The Russian Olympic team came and we closed the arena just for them. We helped start the local high school and youth hockey that prospers today. We have done it all at one time or another over the years: miniature golf, concerts like Ike and Tina Turner, High School graduations, NBL BMX race track, freestyle skate board park, RT 5 BMX bike shop, Broom Ball leagues, and so much more. We even had 2 hockey movies filmed here.
We extend a heartfelt thank you to the hundreds of employees and thousands of customers we have had over the years. All the people and companies that were involved in the day to day - again we couldn’t have done it without you! We hope we made a difference in your lives as you made a difference in ours.
We will miss the sights the sounds and the smell of hockey always.
Please come in and meet the new owners and share some memories the next time you’re in the area.
- Steve Grigorian
