INSIDER: LA Kings Ice Reseda Is 10 Years In The Making

LA Kings Ice Reseda was a long time in the making.

“We started working on this the last time we had the All-Star Game in 2017,” Kings President Luc Robitaille said. “We talked about it with Councilman Broomfield back then, so we've been working with him a long time. Sometimes, it takes time to get things going but it's good for us that he was able to keep his people stuck to it. Now, it's finally coming to fruition.”

Today, the Kings officially opened the newest ice rink in Southern California with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, an important addition for hockey in the Valley. The project has been well in the works, with ground broken in 2022. Today is four years in the making from shovels in the ground to completion and 10 years in the making from when the discussions actually began. A full decade, finally with something to show.

From the team’s press release, LA Kings Ice Reseda is the seventh permanent public ice facility operated by the Kings’ partnership with American Sports Entertainment Company, also including the team’s primary practice facility in El Segundo, which consists of three ice sheets.

The new facility in Reseda, measuring 26,800 square feet, includes an NHL-sized ice surface, along with supporting amenities such as office space, public seating, skate rental, a pro shop and concessions. The site also features an outdoor roller area measuring approximately 60-feet by 120-feet accompanied by a dedicated 1,200-square-foot support building.

Last summer, the community in Panorama City lost an important rink with the closure of Valley Ice Center. Robitaille said the Kings organization found out “the night before” the rink closed. While under the Kings branding, the Kings were not involved with the ownership or operation of that rink and they were caught by surprise when learning the rink would cease operations.

While the rink in Reseda was obviously in the works for far longer than the timing of the closed rink, the timing meant that the California Heat youth program would be displaced and in search of a home. As a part of today’s announcement, the Heat will make the new building their home, which is important for a program that has been long intertwined in California youth hockey. 

“That program has been a really good program for many, many years, so it was important to keep it afloat,” Robitaille added. “We’ve got to open more rinks. I mean we're always looking into it, or we're trying to keep the [ones that are running now] open before they close.”

The Heat program has over 200 players at various levels, many of whom live in the San Fernando Valley. The Heat are a not-for-profit youth hockey organization that has been in the area since 1991, originally founded as the West Valley Wolves before rebranding to the Heat in 2012.

The Heat program has produced several players who went on to play professionally, including defenseman Kevan Miller, who played more than 350 games with the Boston Bruins, in addition to 33 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Forward Shane Harper, a Valencia native who still plays professionally for the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, played for the Florida Panthers in his career while former defenseman Brian Salcido of Hermosa Beach played two games with the Anaheim Ducks. West Hills native Matthew Ford had a long professional career in the AHL and ECHL, winning a Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017. They all played for the Heat program once upon a time. 

There’s a proud history there, with player development, but more importantly, the Heat have helped grow the game of hockey. To have a new home was important for them, in keeping up what they’ve brought to the area for so long.

“The California Heat is thrilled to celebrate the opening of LA Kings Reseda Ice and call this facility home. This marks an exciting new chapter for our club and the hockey community throughout the San Fernando Valley, providing more opportunities for players to develop, families to connect, and kids to discover the game,” California Heat President, Michael Santiago, said. "We’re grateful to the LA Kings, ASEC and the City of Los Angeles for their commitment to growing hockey in our community and creating opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels. We’re excited for the future and look forward to growing the game together and inspiring the next generation of hockey players.”

In addition to hosting the Heat, the team’s release states that the venue will serve Reseda and the greater Los Angeles community, including the students at the neighboring Magnolia Science Academy, with public skating sessions, learn-to-skate lessons, Little Kings learn-to-play programming, and more events throughout the year. The facility will also host select games in the LA Kings High School Hockey League. 

A multi-purpose place that will hopefully be the first of multiple rinks to open in that area. In time, hopefully, this is just the rink we’re talking about today.

Hockey in the Valley has a proud tradition and the Kings fanbase has a lot of roots there. Tons of Kings fans come to games from the Valley. The Kings used to have their practice facility out that way and they already operate multiple rinks in that area. It’s important to offer more opportunities to kids to be able to play and grow the game. For that to happen, there needs to be an appropriate amount of ice.

Per USA Hockey’s membership statistics, California had over 32,000 registered players during the 2025-26 season. Year-over-year, that’s a growth of a few hundred players but over the last ten years, it’s a few thousand. For those numbers to continue to grow, the ice sheets have to exist. That’s why the Kings are hopeful to find new places to build rinks, continuing to grow the game in California.

“It's really important," Robitaille said. "In Santa Clarita, that rink is booming. Simi Valley too. So, we certainly know there could be three or four more rinks open in the next few years. That's why we worked really hard keeping Burbank open a few years back and we're going to keep looking. I mean, this is good for the development of the game and it's great for kids just to have a place to go play that's safe.”

With the USHL set to begin play on the West Coast, bringing Tier-One junior hockey to California, there is even more opportunity to bring new rinks to the area. Those help to accommodate Tier-1 junior hockey, but there are tons of benefits alongside it, all the way down to the youth programs. 

Included in that group will be a team in Simi Valley, as well as teams in Orange County and San Diego. In time, the Simi Valley team will likely pursue additional rinks, which will continue to open up opportunities for hockey in the area.

“We know Tier-1 hockey is coming, so because of that, we'll be able to maybe push and be able to hopefully open a few more rinks,” Robitaille added. “We certainly are always looking, talking to everyone involved. We'll keep talking with cities and see where we can get involved and help."

For more on LA Kings Ice Reseda, visit https://resedaice.lacity.gov/.