In The News

February 22nd, 2007

The Pettit Center Olympic Oval:   It's Not Just For Speed Skating
New Hockey Program Excites Coaches, Players

The Pettit National Ice Center, a U.S. Olympic Training Site, is proud to announce the success of local youth hockey organizations utilizing new training techniques on the facility's famous Olympic Oval.

The Pettit Center Olympic Oval was designed for speed skaters and made famous by some of the most exciting names in the sport: Dan Jansen, Bonnie Blair and Chris Witty, to name a few. But today a new group of skaters has discovered the Olympic Oval.

Youth hockey players from around the Greater Milwaukee area began practicing on the Olympic Oval in October - and according to their coaches, the results have been amazing.

"The Olympic Oval at The Pettit National Ice Center is hands-down the best SKATING development sheet of ice in the Midwest.   It's not just for speed skaters anymore," said Tim Fox, President of the Elmbrook Youth Hockey Association. The Elmbrook Youth Hockey Association and Southeastern Hockey Association of Wisconsin (SHAW) each developed new training techniques to execute on the Olympic Oval.

Cal Roadhouse, former Milwaukee Admirals player and Elmbrook coach cited the benefits of his teams practicing on the Oval: "The Oval has helped solve two major problems we always encounter as coaches; low prime-time ice availability and time to work on skill development.   Using the Oval at the Pettit is exactly the type of ingenuity that hockey clubs in Wisconsin should grasp. The Oval's benefits are numerous!"

The Pettit Center is one of two indoor Olympic Ovals in the United States, and is also designated a U.S. Olympic Training Site. The facility has long been recognized as one of the busiest speed skating venues in the United States (there are more U.S. Speedskating members from Wisconsin than any other state). And while the Olympic Oval has always been utilized for public skating sessions, this is the first time a youth hockey organization has utilized the ice for training.

"We hosted the NCAA Frozen Four YES Clinic for youth hockey players last year," said Pettit Hockey Director Tom Zienkiewicz, "and we put a few of the groups on the Oval. That opened our eyes to the potential of utilizing the 400-meter ice sheet for hockey skills and player development." The sheer size of the Olympic Oval provides the opportunity for multiple teams to practice at the same time.  

The size of the Oval allows for multiple teams to practice at the same time on different areas of the ice; where usually practice time would be limited to 2 or 3 teams (at the most) on a standard hockey rink or practice. It also is the additional practice time that the Oval offers, that is so vital for the youth player.   On the average, a hockey player, even an NHL player, only has the puck on their stick for 1-2 minutes throughout the course of a game.   Extra practice time outside the standard practices and games is the only time the skill of puck and stick handling can be developed.   As some hockey players and coaches have already found out, the Oval is perfect for refining this skill while the youth player is hard at work on the Oval.

In addition to Elmbrook and SHAW, the Pettit Center is home to Wisconsin AAA Tier 1 hockey and operates its own Pettit Youth and Pettit Adult hockey leagues. Independence First Wheelchair Hockey also plays at the Pettit Center, and the facility provides learn-to-play hockey classes and a variety of camps.

Based on the experience this season, both Elmbrook and SHAW plan to continue to utilize the Olympic Oval.

Dan Jansen and Chicago Blackhawks

Interestingly it isn't just youth players who have made a connection to the Olympic Oval and speed skating. Dave Cruikshank, a four-time Olympic speed skater and owner of Dave Cruikshank Hybrid Skating is utilizing the Pettit Center's Olympic Oval to train collegiate and professional hockey players. Dave's company is located at the Pettit National Ice Center. And while he hasn't had the team on the Olympic Oval yet, Gold medal winner and West Allis native Dan Jansen is the skating coach of the Chicago Blackhawks NHL team.

For more information on youth hockey teams utilizing the Olympic Oval at the Pettit Center please contact Rob Multerer 414.266.0100, ext. 132 or by email at rmulterer@thepettit.com.

Contact: Rob Multerer
Director of Operations
Pettit National Ice Center
414.266.0100, ext. 132
rmulterer@thepettit.com