Eleven years ago, diehard Flyers fan David Bara built a simple backyard rink at his Philadelphia home. Much like the winter of 2026 so far, the winter of 2015 had a lengthy spell of arctic weather. Bara and his family affectionately nicknamed their tiny rink "The Puddle". Each and every year since, Bara has built a new rink. It's grown year by year in size and sophistication. It's also become a local institution of sorts.
"It's become a labor of love. I tend to the rink every day," Bara said. "Outdoor rinks are rather unpredictable, so every day brings different challenges. For example, if the weather warms up and the weather is sunny, the wisest way to handle it is to stay off the ice that day. When the temperatures drop later in the day, that's the time to do the maintenance on the ice surface."
The Bara rink has become a neighborhood institution. Over the years, Bara has added dasher boards with local advertising (mosty friends' businesses) and other touches that give it more of a pro rink feel. Seven years ago, one of Bara's friends built a bar adjacent to the rink. It's a great place to congregate after skating to watch a Flyers game and share some drinks and conversation. Naturally, Flyers-related themes and decorative touches are everywhere.
David's rink has become an attention-getter and community gathering place. It even drew notice from the Flyers Alumni. With the NHL on Olympic break, a group of Alumni paid a special visit earlier this week to skate and play on the 20 X 48 rink: Brad Marsh, Bob "the Hound" Kelly, Todd Fedoruk, Doug Crossman and Flyers youth and amateur hockey program director Rob Baer. Bara's son Colin played on a Flyers Cup Championship team and his daughter Juliette also plays.
For the Flyers Alumni, the visit brought a sense of nostalgia.
"It was like taking a step back to being a kid and playing in a backyard rink. We had a great time," Marsh said.
For David Bara, his greatest pleasure is seeing how much other people enjoy the rink.
"Backyard rinks aren't nearly as common around here as they are in Canada or Minnesota. I get asked about the rink a lot, and that's very rewarding. I'd love nothing more than if the story inspires other people to build a rink in their community for the kids. And having the Flyers Alumni come here to skate and hang out for a while, that's something I will never forget."
