During the winter months, when boredom is at its peak, the Westfield Rink at Gumbert Park provides Westfield residents with an exciting activity that embodies the winter spirit.
Arena Reality Partners have been contracted by the town to operate the rink for the past seven years from the months of November to February. The rink is popular among Westfield residents as it allows the community to come together and get in to the winter spirit. Owner and General Manager of the rink, Ken Anderson, said, “We typically get somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 people attending public sessions over the course of the season.”
Along with public skating sessions, the rink hosts adult hockey teams and has programs to teach hockey to young children. It offers Learn to Skate sessions as well as Learn to Play, a national program sponsored by the NHL and in this case, the New Jersey Devils. The program provides young children with discounted equipment and teaches them basic hockey skills. Anderson said, “Equipment can be very expensive in hockey, but the program helps to lower the cost of entry for young kids, so they can get familiar with [the game].”
One of the primary purposes of the rink is to give local hockey teams more time on the ice. There are not many ice rinks in the area and due to the Westfield’s and surrounding towns’ many club and high school teams, the demand for ice time is always at a high.
Senior Jolie Bruder, the goalie for WHS’ girls ice hockey team, said, “Any rink added to the hockey community is beneficial because ice time is very hard to get.” Both WHS’ girls and boys ice hockey teams are in season from late November to late February and will use the rink for games and practices throughout their seasons.
The close proximity of the Westfield Rink to WHS is one of its best attributes as it is convenient for the high school ice hockey teams. Additionally, the fact that it is the only rink in Westfield makes it easier for residents to have the opportunity to skate as well.
However, being in a residential neighborhood with limited space poses some difficulties for the rink. Anderson said, “In a residential neighborhood, there are some challenges for us to live peacefully and coexist with the neighborhood, so having more parking would be helpful.”
Despite this, the rink remains popular with Westfield residents as it provides a sense of community during the winter season. Anderson said, “I think we’ve been good for Westfield, and Westfield has been good for us. We’re a popular amenity in town, and I think there would be a lot of people that would be disappointed if there wasn’t a rink in town.”