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Plan for indoor ice hockey rink shifts back to EPCAL rather than Stotzky Park

Barring further changes, it looks like the plan for an indoor ice hockey rink at Stotzky Park is now being shifted to Veterans Memorial Park at the Enterprise Park at Calverton, where it was originally proposed. 

A majority of Riverhead Town Board members said in interviews this week that they support locating the rink at EPCAL.

Back in June, the Peconic Hockey Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to bring ice hockey to the East End, met with the Riverhead Town Board and proposed bringing an ice rink “bubble” to Riverhead Town, with Stotzky Park being the target. The foundation planned to give the bubble to the town free — except for a $300,000 charge to move it from Cranston, R.I.

Troy Albert, president of the Wading River-based group, said the original plan was to locate the rink at EPCAL, and that the town suggested the Stotzky Park location.

The bubble has yet to be transported, officials said. Mr. Albert said the $300,000 that the town was originally asked to pay is no longer part of the plan. 

The rink is proposed to be placed in an an undeveloped area just east of the parking lot at EPCAL.  

Councilman Ken Rothwell said Peconic Hockey would specifically be using the grasslands east of the parking lot at Veterans Memorial Park.

In terms of finances, Mr. Rothwell said in an email, “They are not asking for any ongoing continuous amount of money. They are asking the town to assist with the overall development of the area, which we are currently doing, such as installation of bathrooms within Veterans Memorial Park.”