When the news came over the summer of 2018 that St. Lawrence University’s iconic Appleton arena was being renovated, there was a lot to process. There was a lot to process because similar to seemingly all else here at St. Lawrence, Appleton is a symbol of unfaltering tradition and perhaps in the eyes of some, modifying this landmark arena could jeopardize the very magic that has brought them back to the wooden seats and worn rafters year after year. This, however, is not the case. Appleton is in the middle of a massive renovation that is moving quickly and is expected to provide a playable rink for our men’s and women’s teams for their opening days of the 2019-2020 season on October 18 and 19 respectively.
The renovations will include new locker rooms, a post-game lounge, improved on ice-lighting and will touch up the rafters and seats while , again, not jeopardizing the authentic ambiance of the arena.
The arena is done just in time for the farewell tour of the senior class and does not change much of anything for them, as the only change experienced so far is one cancelled exhibition game that would have been played at Canton Athletic Center where the Skating Saints are currently holding practices five days a week.
Another popular question asked by the St. Lawrence hockey community, fans and students alike, is how do the players feel about the project? The answer to this question is great, coming from Men’s Sophomore defensemen Jeff Clarke: “We are all very excited about the new renovation to our arena and for our fans to get to experience it with us. We are also extremely grateful for those who donated towards giving us a world class facility to win in.” Clarke also explained that the project is being carried out through a series of phases, the first of which makes sure fans can pile into the arena for opening day by having all seating finished, and the last being the completion of the men’s and women’s locker rooms, a symbol of the relationship between St. Lawrence hockey and it’s loyal fan base.
Aside from the obvious purpose of Appleton as a home for SLU’s D1 hockey programs, the project will continue to be carried out to provide facilities for our rowing and football teams. Here’s to the mecca of NCAA hockey, and here’s to the saints, here we go.