Email dated December 7, 2006 as sent to members and captains of the teams left rinkless by the Fall 2006 destruction of the  Chelsea Piers Roller Rinks:

Dear ShaRkZ players and others I’ve contacted about a new roller hockey league:

As you all should know we lost the Pier 62 rink at Chelsea Piers to the Hudson River Park Trust so construction could be started on the Chelsea Waterside Park segment of a new park (see Segment 5 on the Hudson River Park Planning & Construction page for news about the project and also the 10/23/06 update pasted below from the Chelsea Piers General Manager).  While the link mentions “a new skate park facility” nothing is said about a hockey rink.

In the hopes of getting together a league for play next Spring I have applied to the NYC Department of Parks for a permit to use the rink at Stanley Isaacs Park (96th Street and the FDR Drive).  I listed the rink at River State Park uptown as an alternate.  The permit, if granted, would be good April through September.  The Stanley Isaacs rink has no lights so games would have to be played on weekends until we had enough early evening sunlight to stage weekday games starting at 6:00PM or so.  My hope is that we can get started with eight teams playing out of one rink.  If things do go forward we would have to address league rules and the hiring of referees (one of the other captains mentioned providing refs ourselves from each team to save on this expense).

I also attach below a very crude JPEG of what I thought would be a decent logo for a Manhattan Roller Hockey League.  I’m sure some of you have Photoshop skills that can come up with something better so please have at it if you’re so inclined.

I’ll keep you posted as developments warrant.  I hope you all have a great holiday season.     Mark Barbour

Mike Braito, Chelsea Piers General Manager

10/23/2006

Construction Underway at Pier 62

Pier 62, former home of the Chelsea Piers Roller Rinks and Skate Park, has undergone lots of changes recently. On October 1st, construction began as Pier 62 was turned over to the Hudson River Park Trust. The new section of the park, which will comprise Piers 62 through 64 is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2009. We have lots to look forward to, including great lawns, groves of trees, gardens and walking paths! For more information on Hudson River Park and the ongoing renovation of Pier 62, please visit www.hudsonriverpark.org