I just saw on Facebook that an old hockey barn in a "non-traditional" area is closing. Anyone who’s child has played travel hockey in the southeast may know of this rink… located in a small industrial park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a pair of non-descript buildings that houses a couple of rinks, one roller, one ice. It’s old… worn down… a bit dingy… but wonderful... and has seen a lot of hockey played there.
Yes, hockey in the bayou. Hockey lessons, men’s hockey, open skates and birthday parties, LSU’s Club Hockey Team plays there, Tulane’s used to play there and youth hockey, lots of youth hockey.
It must be really hard running a rink in Louisiana… it’s hot and humid most of the year and in an older building it’s even harder. It’s a labor of love, but since the sale of the buildings in late 2017, that labor of love has an expiration date. Unfortunately, it’s this Sunday, March 25th. This weekend will feature the last open skates ever at Leo’s Iceland.
Leo’s Rollerland and Iceland have been staples in the Baton Rouge community. The roller rink was shut down at the end of 2017 after over 70 years in business and now, the same fate awaits Iceland. Leo’s is a place that holds a special place in my family’s heart… who knows, maybe you have been there too… Leo’s is the home of some great hockey memories.
One of my family’s fondest memories was a travel weekend to Leo’s in early February of 2005, (sheesh… has it been 13 years?) when my middle son’s travel team went to Leo’s for a tournament. When we walked in… well... let’s just say that we were less than impressed. Pipes and drapes were set up for “locker rooms,” a disco ball hung in the middle of the rink, the ceiling tiles were scattered about the low ceiling, with half of them missing over the Olympic sized rink. I remember thinking, “what the heck are we doing here?” The Zamboni looked like an original model, the ice had sand coming up through it, hard arounds were impossible as the puck would stop dead in the corners and the waves in the ice were like skating speed bumps.
First impressions may not have been great, but what a weekend. It certainly gave our team a sense of how nice they had it at their home rink. But that being said… it was the most fun hockey weekend I think we ever had as a family. The staff and ownership of Leo’s was awesome, making us all feel welcome. The parents of the host hockey team went all out in their hospitality.
The best part may have been the bubbling cauldron of gumbo that the local hockey team was selling by the bowl as a fundraiser. The incredible smell wafting across the parking lot… I know myself and the other parents couldn’t get enough of it... we may have single-handedly funded that team for the next two seasons!
The kids had a blast trying to loft pucks up at the ceiling, trying to knock down one of the ceiling tiles… and heaven knows what black stuff would come floating down… the parents had a blast enjoying Baton Rouge on the weekend before Mardi Gras and some of the players had an early completion of their education at a Mardi Gras parade… fond memories indeed.
We fell in love with that old rink so quickly, that we decided to take our team picture there, on the old rickety stands, with the snack bar in the background. It remains my favorite team picture of all the years and all the teams we played with.
Progress comes and sometimes it’s the right time… in this case it might be. I know I have a bit of sadness, a pang of nostalgia maybe for those wonderful years. Travel hockey was a complete family affair for the McCann's as I am sure it is for other travel families, and I am sure that Leo’s Iceland, that old hockey barn, will live on in the hearts and memories of those who played there, took dates there, maybe even fell in love there.
So… here’s to you Leo’s… thanks for making an enduring memory for me and my family.
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“Where We Stand” update… a daily tracking of where the Preds are in the standings and the games that impact them most, brought to you by Mark Lonsway - THE real estate professional for hockey fans!
After last night’s play the Predators remain first in the Central Division with 106 points, leading Winnipeg (1 GIH) by eight points … The Predators lead the Western Conference, holding a seven point lead over Vegas (1 GIH.) The Predators also now lead Tampa Bay (1 GIH) in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy by two points.
Impact games tonight (all times Central) – 7pm – BOS @ STL. 8:30pm – ANA @ CGY.
Playoff seed chances - The Predators chances of top seed in the West stand at 97%, their chances at the President’s Trophy stand at 70.2%
The Current Opponent - If the playoffs began today, the Predators would draw the number 8 seed in the second wild card position… currently the Anaheim Ducks.
Most likely first round opponent - The highest percentage goes to St. Louis at 26%... Anaheim is at 18.4%, Colorado is at 15%, Los Angeles is at 14.5%, Dallas is at 12.9%.
Teams that have punched their playoff ticket - Nashville, Tampa Bay.
Playoff odds and playoff point line courtesy of SportsClubStats.com
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Random Notes
- Scary moment for the Winnipeg Jets last night as Patrik Laine left the game after being hit in the leg with a slapshot. Post game comments indicated that the injury is not serious.
- In more injury news… Marc-Andre Fluery left the VGK game after the first period last night with an undisclosed injury. The speculation is that a puck that went off Fluery’s mask haflway through the first period may have something to do with the injury.
- The Chicago Blackhawks were eliminated from the playoffs yesterday… try not to smirk too loudly Smashville, it only the first time they have missed the playoffs in ten years.
- The NCAA Hockey Tournament begins this weekend. All games will be on ESPN2, 3, News and U.
- Eeli Watch – Eeli Tolvanen’s Jokerit team now trails their series with CSKA 3-1, after their 2-1 loss yesterday. Game five is tomorrow in Moscow.
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SlapShot Radio’s tenth anniversary season is on. As the longest running hockey show in the region, SSR feeds hockey fans what they crave… intelligent, fun, entertaining talk about their favorite sport and we do it from the opening of training camp all the way through UFA day… the only local hockey show that does that.
We are on every Wednesday night at 7pm on the Predators flagship station, 102.5 the Game. Our co-hosts, Dan Keczmer and JP Dumont bring a true insiders perspective to the show. Our next show is Saturday at 8am. We will be talking to hockey writer Adam Gretz and much, much more!
We have been delivering great hockey talk to the most energetic and engaged fans in radio and advertising with us drives results at a reasonable price. Just ask our sponsors… including day one sponsor
Dr. Jane Bacon at Hermitage Family and Cosmetic Dentistry … make your appointment at (615) 872-7762, Mark Lonsway at ReMax Fine Homes, call him for all your real estate needs at (615) 207-7799, and TurfMasters… check out their great service at
TurfMasters.com.
We are also happy to welcome our latest sponsor… Patrick Brown’s Farmer Insurance Agency in Mt. Juliet… I switched to them a few years back and their service has been incredible! Give Pat and his team a call at 615-288-2086.
Advertisers… reach out to me in order to access our activated listener base though great preseason advertising deals available for our tenth season when you email me at paul(@)slapshotradio(dot)com
You can also keep up with all the goings on with SlapShot Radio by following the show on Twitter @SlapShotRadio1 … Also... make sure to "like" SlapShot Radio on Facebook... here's the
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If you are outside of the listening area, listen live online at
The Game website or check out the podcast about two hours after the show at
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