Appleton Arena
Encyclopedia
Appleton Arena is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena
in Canton, New York
. It is home to the St. Lawrence University
Skating Saints
ice hockey
team. It was named for Judge Charles W. Appleton, class of 1897, the main benefactor of the arena as well as the riding center, which is named for his wife Elsa.
Appleton Arena opened in January 1951. The Canton Community assisted with the construction of an adjacent outdoor rink previous to 1951. Appleton Arena was remodeled in the late 1970s and early 1980s to its current configuration. In 1999, the facade of the arena was renovated to allow for improved locker rooms (particularly for the growing women's program) and a larger lobby. Additionally, the playing surface was expanded to 85 feet by 200 feet, and a weight training facility was added. These renovations were specifically designed to improve the arena while only minimally changing the traditional wooden bleachers and general ambiance of the interior.
Aside from being home to the Skating Saints, the arena also hosts intramural hockey and broomball
games, Canton College's hockey program, a figure skating club, and Canton Pee Wee Hockey
. In addition to its athletic uses, the University has also utilized the arena for concerts and for an alternate, indoor location for graduation ceremonies.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Canton, New York
Canton (village), New York
Canton is a village in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The village is centrally located in both the town of Canton and the county of St. Lawrence. The population was 5,882 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of St. Lawrence County...
. It is home to the St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
Skating Saints
Skating Saints
The Skating Saints of St. Lawrence University, in Canton, New York, is part of the Division-I ECAC ice hockey league. The University hosts both a men's and women's ice hockey program.Since 1951, the Skating Saints' home arena has been Appleton Arena...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team. It was named for Judge Charles W. Appleton, class of 1897, the main benefactor of the arena as well as the riding center, which is named for his wife Elsa.
Appleton Arena opened in January 1951. The Canton Community assisted with the construction of an adjacent outdoor rink previous to 1951. Appleton Arena was remodeled in the late 1970s and early 1980s to its current configuration. In 1999, the facade of the arena was renovated to allow for improved locker rooms (particularly for the growing women's program) and a larger lobby. Additionally, the playing surface was expanded to 85 feet by 200 feet, and a weight training facility was added. These renovations were specifically designed to improve the arena while only minimally changing the traditional wooden bleachers and general ambiance of the interior.
Aside from being home to the Skating Saints, the arena also hosts intramural hockey and broomball
Broomball
Broomball is a recreational ice game originating in Canada and played around the world. It is played in a hockey rink, either indoors or outdoors, depending on climate and location. Broomball is popular in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where Glenella is the Broomball Capital of the World...
games, Canton College's hockey program, a figure skating club, and Canton Pee Wee Hockey
Minor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from class to class...
. In addition to its athletic uses, the University has also utilized the arena for concerts and for an alternate, indoor location for graduation ceremonies.
Trivia
- While Appleton Arena is generally thought of as an ice hockey rink, the first sporting event played there was a men's basketball game on January 6, 1951. St. Lawrence played the University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, winning 66-58. - According to David McKee, Appleton Arena is the second most difficult arena to compete in the ECACHL, after Lynah Rink.
External links
- Appleton Arena at StLaw.edu
- SLU's women's hockey program, including a short history of the arena