It’s not an NHL arena.
But for a backyard rink, it’s darn close.
Ottawa's Willie Klentz has taken the popular Canadian tradition to a whole new level.
At almost 2,300 square feet it actually takes up two backyards at his home on Halley Street in Barrhaven (with the blessing of his neighbour.)
But it’s not the size that makes it unique. It’s the attention to detail.
Klentz didn’t just put up boards, he painted them white with a red railing and yellow border along the bottom. He rounded the corners. He set up lights. He painted al the requisite lines and face-off circles on the ice. He erected netting on either end to catch errant pucks. There are gates and player benches. There is not one but two heated change rooms, including one with a viewing area for parents. There are even sponsorship ads around the boards.
And smack in the middle is a perfectly rendered Ottawa Senators centre ice logo.
“It is a lot of work. But it’s a joy,” says Klentz. “It’s a pleasure.”
“It’s so much better than all the other rinks,” adds his son, Nick.
Klentz first built a rink five years ago so his son could learn how to skate. Since then many neighbourhood kids have taken their first tentative strides there. “This year I’ve probably had about a dozen 4 and 5 year olds skating for the first time,” says Klentz. “And they love it.”
Willie Klentz figures the rink probably costs him around $2,500 a year in materials and operating costs. The end result is a backyard rink for the ages.
Remarkably, there is still more work to be done.
“I’d still like to put an electronic scoreboard in,” he says.
