SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Scheels IcePlex in Sioux Falls is closing down for repairs to the chilling system which will last long enough that Ice will not be maintained.
This repair, according to the IcePlex, is hoped to be complete by late October, and in the meantime, it leave Sioux Falls Flyers youth hockey without ice.
Cherry Hunter, Director of Operations for the Flyers, said this repair will impact all pre-season activities, camps, clinics and tryouts for the Flyers — though the hope is the ice can be restored in time for the start of the season on October 28.
While Hunter did say a repair of this sort would have been more convenient in the summer, it is at least a silver lining that it did not happen mid-season. She added the Flyers are very appreciative of the work IcePlex employees are doing to fix the issue.
In the meantime, however, the Flyers are a team in search of ice. Option No. 1, according to Hunter was the Midco Arena in Sioux Falls, but unfortunately it is more or less fully scheduled for use already.
Hunter says the Flyers are considering Luverne, Minnesota as a potential location, but are also considering dry-land options for running drills.
Sioux Center and Yankton have reached out to the Flyers with offers of ice, but Hunter said it’s not ideal asking teenagers and families to drive an hour or more after school for hockey.
While the lack of ice is a serious issue for the team at this time, Hunter assured that it is only a temporary issue, and they are fortunate that this is the first major issue they have had at the IcePlex in her experience.
