The Bruins on Thursday unveiled Warrior Ice Arena, their "new state-of-the-art practice facility, a dazzling 75,000-square-foot rink in Brighton with 660 bright yellow seats and a rink-wide view of traffic zipping east and west on the Mass. Pike," giving the team "their first true workout facility since entering the NHL" in '24, according to Kevin Paul DuPont of the BOSTON GLOBE. Bruins President Cam Neely said that New Balance "paid for the construction of the facility and the Bruins are tenants." The facility is located "just 7 miles west" of TD Garden and is "adjacent to New Balance’s recently opened" HQ. New Balance Development Managing Partner Jim Halliday said that 75% of the arena’s non-Bruins ice time "already has been booked, a good portion of it reserved by local high school teams." Neely said that Bruins practices will "remain open to the public, including training camp." DuPont notes Warrior Ice Arena is "heavy on player amenities and training aids, including rich leather couches in their large, richly-appointed lounge at ice level." The "expansive training room includes an underwater treadmill." Neely also said that it is likely the Bruins will "stage their day-of-game morning workouts at the new practice facility." Meanwhile, Halliday noted that the Celtics next month will "break ground on their own new training facility, located immediately to the west of the Warrior rink" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/9). In Boston, Steve Conroy notes the Bruins were "long considered a tightly budgeted organization that ran everything on the cheap." It is a "tired perception, though not a completely dead one." The team has now "taken another giant step away from that undesirable image" with Warrior Ice Arena, which is "part luxury ice/workout facility, part ultimate man cave" (BOSTON HERALD, 9/9).
STATE OF THE ART: In Boston, Stephen Harris notes the new arena is part of New Balance’s "massive Boston Landing development," and "represents a tremendous upgrade from" Ristuccia Arena, which was the team’s home since '86. There is "no way of measuring the influence of Ristuccia on prospective free agents the Bruins coveted over the years, but it surely had some impact." Now the Bruins "can brag of one of the finest facilities in the NHL" (BOSTON HERALD, 9/9). Also in Boston, Fluto Shinzawa writes of the new venue, "Everything is meant to open eyes and drop jaws: the underground parking lot, the underwater treadmill, the four-lane running pad in the weight room, the creamy couches in the players’ lounge next to the Ping-Pong table, and the 28-seat theater that can be easily converted from hosting special-teams video breakdown to more casual affairs." If prospective Bruins have time on their schedules for a visit to Boston, Neely and his colleagues will "sprint to Warrior Ice Arena to give them tours" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/9). The HERALD's Conroy writes under the header, "Rave Reviews For New Practice Facility" (BOSTON HERALD, 9/9).
BRIGHTON SUNSHINE: In Boston, Donna Goodison notes New Balance will "start construction soon on its 295-unit apartment building," and that project, combined with the Celtics' and Bruins' practice facilities, are "part of Boston Landing, NB Development Group’s 15-acre, mixed-use development." A groundbreaking on the Celtics’ 70,000-square-foot facility, which will "include two parquet basketball courts, is planned for November." NB Development "hopes to wrap up that project" in June '18 (BOSTON HERALD, 9/9).
HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR: The Mavericks' Twitter account on Thursday "revealed some pictures" of the team's new new practice facility, which is about 30,000 square feet and will "include state-of-the-art practice equipment, sauna, weight room, two courts, office space and a Dirk Nowitzki mural" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/9).
