RALEIGH, N.C. - Doug Warf, President of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced the team and the Town of Apex will hold a grand opening celebration for two new street hockey rinks at Apex Community Park on Saturday at 2 p.m. The rinks are the result of a partnership between the team and the NHL’s Industry Growth Fund, through which $550,000 was provided to fund the project.
The grand opening celebration is open to the public and will feature food trucks, the Hurricanes Storm Tour trailer, bounce houses and more. Two Hurricanes players will be on hand to play in the opening games at the new rinks, along with alumnus Shane Willis, Team President Doug Warf, Senior Director of the NHL’s IGF Sean Whyte and officials from the Town of Apex including Mayor Jacques K. Gilbert. Media are invited to attend the event, at 2200 Laura Duncan Rd. in Apex.
“The town is thrilled to partner with the Carolina Hurricanes on this project, furthering our goal of providing unique opportunities for visitors and residents of all ages and abilities,” said Gilbert. “This innovative partnership provides access for our most socially vulnerable youth to learn an activity that has become a beloved sport in North Carolina.”
The two 160-by-75-foot street hockey rinks feature aluminum prefabricated dasher board systems, player benches, penalty boxes, scorekeeper boxes, chain length fencing, mateflex sport court tile and scoreboards. One rink is outfitted as a multipurpose court, offering hockey, futsal, and basketball, while the other will strictly be for hockey. The Town of Apex in partnership with the Hurricanes will offer youth and adult programming, from try-hockey-for-free to organized league hockey, along with tournaments, camps, clinics and pick-up hockey.
Established in 2013 by the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association, and supported by the NHL’s 32 Clubs, the Industry Growth Fund (IGF) was created to support and accelerate the development of NHL and Club business initiatives and projects that promote long-term fan development and increase participation at all levels of hockey with an emphasis on youth. The IGF focuses on building hockey awareness and avidity both in local Club markets and on a national level (in the United States and Canada) by subsidizing League-wide programs and local Club initiatives, reaching diverse audiences and offering unique hockey opportunities for players and fans. Since its inception, the IGF has dedicated more than $200 million to develop programming, create initiatives, host events and provide education that drives awareness and brings hockey to communities across North America.
