Ducks owners, Irvine Ice Foundation open $110 million ice facility

IRVINE, Calif. -- Anaheim Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli and the Irvine Ice Foundation unveiled a multipurpose state-of-the-art ice facility on Thursday.

Great Park Ice, which cost $110 million, was built on a former U.S. Marine base and funded through a foundation run by the Samuelis, who purchased the Ducks from The Walt Disney Co. in 2005.
"When we bought the Ducks back in 2005, one of the biggest issues was we wanted to build the community around ice hockey and get kids involved in learn-to-skate programs," Henry Samueli said. "There just wasn't enough ice around to do it, so we started that mission back then of how to grow more ice in the community."
Construction began on the 280,000 square-foot facility, the largest ice facility in California, two years ago and play began on the four ice rinks late last year.

The centerpiece is FivePoint Arena, an Olympic-sized rink with a capacity of 2,500; the other three rinks are NHL size. The facility also features a full-service restaurant, team store, rental area, pro shop and extensive off-ice training facilities.
"This building is one of the most beautiful ice facilities I've ever been in," Henry Samueli said. "We should be really proud as a community to have something like this here."
In addition to youth hockey, the facility will also host competitive figure skating competitions, curling, speed skating and other events.
The Ducks currently hold preseason camp and some in-season practices at Anaheim Ice, a 24-year-old facility with two ice surfaces and limited parking. Samueli is confident they'll be happy with Great Ice Park and all its amenities.

"It's going to be an attraction for players to want to come to be an Anaheim Duck, just so they can use this as their practice facility," he said. "We're excited for the team to see this and get out and start skating."
Looking further down the road, Henri Samueli believes the facility will begin developing the caliber of players who could eventually play for the Ducks.
"We're going to start seeing that. Local kids becoming NHL hockey players," he said. "That's really want you want to see. Not only the young kids, but all the way through the professional ranks, having been home-grown in Southern California."
-- Photos by Josh Hulstein/Anaheim Ducks