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New ice arena will catch on
Published 12:00pm Monday, January 11, 2010Many Fergus Falls residents who I highly respect, and who in many ways give back to their community and have contributed to many charities over the years, believe that in the short term there will be some growing pains with the new ice arena. In the long term, however, they believe — as do I — that most residents of this community will feel construction of the new ice arena was a good idea.
The new arena will be used for many activities, in addition to hockey. The school will use the facility in the fall and spring. The Convention and Visitors Bureau will also help coordinate events at the new facility such as expos, exhibits, archery tourneys, etc.
Some people previously questioned construction of the Bigwood Event Center, but today they’re glad we have it in Fergus Falls. That $3 million facility cost the city no more than $750,000. That’s because another $750,000 was donated by private individuals and businesses. That made for $1.5 million which was matched by another $1.5 million by the State of Minnesota.
People who know me well understand that I’m a long-time Otter hockey fan, for both the boys and girls. My son, Mark, and I attend many home games and a few out of town games each year. We traveled to all seven state boys hockey appearances by the Otters in the Twin Cities when Fergus Falls played in the state classic from 1997 to 2003.
We were in attendance at Ridder Arena on the U of M campus last year when the Otter girls hockey team won the state consolation title.
Our family became hooked on hockey in the 1980s when we lived on West Vasa Avenue in Fergus Falls, down the street from Wayne and Marilyn Horgen who had four boys playing hockey. Wayne, as many people know, coached Otter boys and Otter girls hockey teams before his retirement as a math instructor at Fergus Falls High School.
Wayne, as a high school junior in 1966, played on the International Falls state hockey title team. That squad is often referred to as one of the best teams in the history of the Minnesota state boys hockey tournament.
Horgen coached the Otter boys in 1978 when Fergus Falls lost to Roseau in the section finals, during a one-class system of high school hockey. The Roseau team from 32 years ago included future pro players Neal and Aaron Broten along with Bryan (Butsy) Erickson.
A teammate of the Brotens and Erickson was current Fergus Falls Otter girls hockey coach Brian Vatnsdal, a native of Roseau.
Neal Broten played on the 1980 U.S. Olympic “Miracle on Ice” team. He and his brother, Aaron, and Erickson all played for the University of Minnesota. All three also played pro hockey with Neal and Aaron in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Fergus Falls hockey player Paul Bjorklund, who played against the Broten brothers in the section finals in 1978, went on to play hockey at Concordia College. He later was inducted into the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Sports Hall of Fame.
Another Fergus Falls Sports Hall of Famer, Gene Donley, had two sons participate in Fergus Falls hockey. Donley quarterbacked the Fergus Otters to a perfect 9-0 record in the fall of 1955. He was blessed with two future Division One players in his backfield, Chuck Weiss and Jack Halland who went on to play D-1 in Colorado and Arizona, respectively.
Donley, in a letter to the editor Dec. 31, said it’s hard for him to understand the effort to undermine the ice arena project. He reminded people that families coming to town for hockey and other events at the new arena will financially support our motels, service stations, restaurants and, at the same time, likely do some shopping during their stays in Fergus Falls.
Donley and I, along with others who are Fergus natives, have for years heard complaints that this community is too conservative and never wants to move forward with anything. I agree with Gene who said at the close of his letter, “Let’s move Fergus Falls forward with a project that is good for us, our youth and our community.”
