Richmond’s Olympic Oval

It’s almost here… well, maybe…not yet..soon, we hope. Well…

The hockey season might or might not come to TVs everywhere this winter, time will tell.
I did read online this past week that if the season does not start due to a strike, then a few angry fans will stop going to places that are owned by hockey people. I’m wondering if it would change anything, if the fans strike?

My thoughts today are not about strikes or hockey but on a place I visited a few days ago.
I went to check out the Richmond’s Oval Rink, the rink that in 2010, hosted the Olympic speed skating.

What a wonderful and mega huge place, it is now.  It’s hard to picture thousands of people in the building looking down upon a oval shape rink; the building itself takes over two city blocks!  The outside is a vivid white which makes it easier to see the Olympic circles on the front of the building.

Still, the place has two full sized ice rinks, 23,000 square feet of fitness centre, soccer fields, table tennis areas, 13 volleyball courts, and basketball courts. This doesn’t touch any of the fitness rooms, meeting rooms or children’s play areas.  It would take me a year to walk from the east to the west of this building!

As I write this column, I am thinking of the hard work of the skaters who gave it all that they had in the 2010 Olympic games.  Looking at the distance, a feeling of awe came over me for the Olympic skaters.  Yes, they are not hockey players and really the only thing in common that they all have is the ice.   That brought on a feeling of respect for hockey.  It must be hard to keep on going for three periods, winning or losing.  I mean, it looks pretty easy skating from one net to another.  From a twenty minute recess times two- to on and off the hockey rink, when the coach yells your name.  Still, the whole on ice time looks really easy to me.  Yet, I thought it was the heat of the lights that made their faces covered in sweat!

I am surprised that the hockey players are not up in arms about the size of their rinks, the size makes grown men sweat!  I am surprised that the players are not on the ice rinks right now, measuring the size and the width of the rink.  Instead of paying by the game or season, maybe the managers should pay the players by inches in the USA or cm in Canada!