The Road Back to the Rink is Opening

It has been a long and difficult time for all of us, especially in the ice sports community where we have missed out on the sport and recreation we love and the friends we have made at the rink. I’m very happy to let you know that things will be getting back to something closer to normal shortly!

The governor will soon announce the start of phase 2 of the statewide reopening, which will allow ice rinks to open with limitations and guidelines to ensure a safe experience at the rink for both patrons and staff.

These limitations in phase 2 will include:

• No adult participants – only players and skaters under 18 years old
• Face coverings required for everyone (including staff) except participants on the ice where It is not practical and distancing can be maintained
• Cohorts (groups) limited to 10 participants including coach/instructor
• Social distancing on and off the ice
• No team or changing rooms – come ready to go
• Significant sanitation throughout the facility
• No contact/competition/scrimmage allowed – only skills development, training and tryouts that can be organized with social distancing
• Spectators limited to one parent/guardian per participant

These and other required measures will ensure that you and your loved ones can safely and confidently return to the rink. Yes, it will look and feel different but we are on the responsible road back to normalcy and the things required for the safety of you and our community today won’t be needed forever.

As we advance toward phase 3 (hopefully in early July) more and more FMC facilities will open for tryouts and skills and we are very hopeful that phase 3 will see the return of both adults and gameplay. This initial opening in phase 2 will help us all get back on the ice and get used to a new safety-focused environment at the rink during this pandemic.

We will shortly distribute and post new guidelines for your return to the rink and I have every confidence that all of us will show the care and responsibility that our ice sports community is known for as we faithfully implement these requirements to protect all of us and our community.

Please keep an eye out for announcements and postings on our website on dates that your local rink will be reopening. These dates will be based on both the time required for the rink to be set up and put ice back in as well as the need for ice with the phase 2 limitations.

In conclusion, I want to personally thank every one of you for your incredible patience and support during this very difficult time. Like you and your loved ones, our FMC family has had our lives turned upside down and inside out. We have struggled through this shutdown and wondered what would lay ahead. We are so thankful and fortunate for your continued support and help to get us back to the ice and doing what we love – serving all of you and our community!

Sincerely,

Rob McBride
FMC Founder & President