17 replies to this topic

[Mapleleafs-13]

Played my first outdoor shinny session last night. It was awesome, such a nice switch from playing indoor and full equipment. It's definitely a big thing I look forward to every winter. It gives us having cold weather a purpose.

 

For those of you that don't know what i'm talking about, every season Toronto opens 51 outdoor rinks for use to the public. All you have to do is dress warm and bring your bucket (some rinks are more anal than others), stick, wheels and a couple pucks. The best part about outdoor rinks is that it's FREE ice, just show up. 

 

If any of you are playing in the west end hit me up. I venture out to the east end and north york sometimes to play with some friends but mainly stay in the west cause there's so many rinks and options. 

 

Who else is playing outdoor rinks this year? I think Montreal has some too and other cities.

 

I'm hoping to drop by greenwood rink this year. it's Toronto's first covered outdoor rink. Great idea because sometimes when it snows out it's impossible to find the puck.

 

[Ev--NYR]

Good luck with Greenwood. I'd be interested to know when the dead times are. 

In my experience it's always been packed. Shame I'm leaving my kit in the UK over xmas or I'd be out hunting for an outdoor skate too.

[stryland]

outdoor rinks are awesome. I grew up on the outdoor rinks in Northern Ontario. my old man used to work for the city so he was able to also set up an outdoor rink in our backyard using the old rink boards that they used to throw out. I live in Barrie now but I don't think we have too many here.

[airmaxone95]

im in the west end too and my local pads are buttonwood/valleyfield (literally just pads lol)

 

last year was mostly at sunnydale (leafs practice rink in rexdale) and dufferingrove

 

i wanna check out a few more that aren't so time-strict. for example the "18+ shinny" sunnydale starts at 8pm-10 or so and dufferin is 7-9.

 

post some good spots if you know fellas

 

cityrinks.ca has some decent info and contact information

[jcaldwell]

I go to Ramsden often (rosedale subway station). It is always good hockey, sometimes a bit busy but it is always a good time! It has good ice and they flood it a lot which is nice

[Mapleleafs-13]

Good luck with Greenwood. I'd be interested to know when the dead times are. 

In my experience it's always been packed. Shame I'm leaving my kit in the UK over xmas or I'd be out hunting for an outdoor skate too.

 

 

burnamthorpe in mississauga which is also close to me has a covered outdoor rink as well. 

 

im in the west end too and my local pads are buttonwood/valleyfield (literally just pads lol)

 

last year was mostly at sunnydale (leafs practice rink in rexdale) and dufferingrove

 

i wanna check out a few more that aren't so time-strict. for example the "18+ shinny" sunnydale starts at 8pm-10 or so and dufferin is 7-9.

 

post some good spots if you know fellas

 

cityrinks.ca has some decent info and contact information

 

 

I've played sunnydale a few times here and there. 

 

Technically it's not the actual practice rink. Each year the leafs along with RONA (before it was home depot) pick a rink in toronto and dump 100k or more into refurbishing the rink and making it nice again. They did that to west mall a while ago and 3rd street last year, they've done it to many other rinks as well, it's a really nice gesture to help clean up and revitalize rinks that have gotten old over the years and are starting to look a little "used" shall we say. They add new boards, maybe a better zamboni, renovate/repaint dressing rooms and a lot of other nice touches here and there. 

 

The raptors also do this with community centres and gyms. I used to work for a community center called John Innes AKA Moss Park downtown and the raptors came in and repainted, re floored and added new equipment to the gym. Also like the leafs, once the project is done they hold a practice which is public where anyone can come by and watch. 

 

Either way, it's a really nice way for both teams to give back to communities in toronto.

[Dupes]

Thar rink looks great. We have a few Habs rinks here in Montreal, which is basically an arena ice without the roof. Ive never been to one tho.

[mersss]

Thar rink looks great. We have a few Habs rinks here in Montreal, which is basically an arena ice without the roof. Ive never been to one tho.

BEST ice out there man.

I make the trip from Laval to MTL just to go to these rink as they are, IMO, a high quality outside rink. Helps also to know that they open at beginning of december while the outside rinks near Laval open at mid/end december

[Mapleleafs-13]

besides Toronto and Montreal what other cities have outdoor rinks for shinny?

[Gontrand]

51 outdoor rinks?  what the hell man    Toronto pisses cash......we only have 5 in Montreal and they are packed and they keep renting them out to kids teams at the wrong time and they even have the guts to have sessions only for free skating which hockey players cant come.   and the ice isnt that nice.....nowhere near a real indoor rink......and our real outdoor rinks sometimes has better ice..

 

Toronto is so much richer than Montreal lol.......Bank of Montreal is now headquartered in Toronto........all our financial district left for Bay Street (say thanks to law 101)     really sad..

 

at least we have prettier women and 24 cups

[Mapleleafs-13]

51 outdoor rinks? what the hell man Toronto pisses cash......we only have 5 in Montreal and they are packed and they keep renting them out to kids teams at the wrong time and they even have the guts to have sessions only for free skating which hockey players cant come. and the ice isnt that nice.....nowhere near a real indoor rink......and our real outdoor rinks sometimes has better ice..

Toronto is so much richer than Montreal lol.......Bank of Montreal is now headquartered in Toronto........all our financial district left for Bay Street (say thanks to law 101) really sad..

at least we have prettier women and 24 cups

I don't know about the prettier women part. We have all the flavours in the world here, so we'd win that argument.

As for the 51 outdoor rinks, they do have public skating times as well, but you can find a shinny any time for any day of the week all within a 10-20 min drive. There's a bunch of rinks that have two rinks in one spot. Giovanni cabota and greenwood are an example of this. They have a rink specifically for hockey shinny all day and beside it there is a rink/ice pad for pleasure skaters. This seems to be the best idea for both ppl. 2 outdoor rinks in one spot is the best!

Also they some rinks are just left open like gates unlocked. So sometime me and my friends go out there at midnight and just shoot around. More often than not u will see other players out there at times going early into the morning.

[Gontrand]

im sure about the women ......

 

 

but damn, youre lucky to have shinny so accessible in your city...really envious here.... specially with global warming, it was a no-brainer....none of our 5 rinks is opened and its colder over here

 

would be cool if you could post some pictures of people playing so we see how it looks like

 

but really? a bucket for pond hockey?  how many rinks will let you go without a helmet?

[Mapleleafs-13]

Technically you're supposed to have a bucket at each rink but some supervisors are less strict than others and don't enforce it, others are pretty anal, but as crazy as it sounds I got used to wearing a bucket, it's saved me face a couple times from some kids who can't control their twigs. It's funny though cause I came from 9 years of skateboarding and never wore a helmet and the fact that I like wearing one for hockey it's quite interesting.

Also I will try to get a photo the next time I'm out

[Mapleleafs-13]

Played outdoor last night and there was a sledge hockey player on the ice. It was pretty interesting.

[bagsbie]

we'd finally been hit with some cold weather here, in MA, so folks poured out for shinny on the ponds. not many options for proper outdoor rinks, though. there is one that I know of in Gilford, NH, not to far from late winnipesaukee. It is covered and the ice is decent.

[andrei9992000]

Hey guys,

 

There are some great rinks for shinny in Toronto (they are still open until March 22). Here are a few:

 

Ramsden Park

Greenwood Rink

West Mall Rink

Dieppe Park

Otter Creek

and more

 

If you would like to find the shinny times, there are a few alternatives to the city website, which is almost impossible to navigate:

 

SkateTime (Android users) - location-based listings of all skating/shinny activities in Toronto with navigation

RinkTime (web app) - search by location for either hockey or shinny

 

Cheers,

 

Andrei

[Gontrand]

What kind of outdoor shinny are you guys gonna have this "winter".
I think its a shame that Torontos outdoor refrigirated ice opens sooner and closes later than montreal's considering we, montreal, have a colder climate. And also shameful that you guys have 50+ of those rinks and we have only 6.

Right now its 10 degrees in mid December and theyre not remotely close to be ready.
What about T.dot

[Mapleleafs-13]

http://www.sports2k....outdoor-shinny/