WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Coal Street is going to have not one but two hockey rinks by the end of the summer.
But the Toyota Sports Plex’s newest addition isn't your typical ice rink.
“It looks a little bit different, but it's still just hockey. At the end of the day, kids can run around; adults can run around. You put on a pair of sneakers; you don't need all of the equipment that goes onto the ice," Jim Britt, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation Executive Director, explained.
Britt says it will allow hockey players at all levels to become stronger and hopefully create new players too.
“It's easier for more people to access the game and get into the game at any level. I think what's going to make a huge difference here in the city of Wilkes-Barre and northeastern Pennsylvania is to have an opportunity to try hockey that they've never had before,” he added.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation's Project Power Play has already built 15 street hockey rinks across western Pennsylvania.
Their donation plus a $250,000 state grant are making it possible to build the first outdoor dek rink in eastern Pennsylvania.
“To have something that no one else has here in northeastern Pennsylvania it's going to be a great addition to our list of amenities that bring businesses, bring people, bring companies here in northeastern Pennsylvania," said Senator John Yudichak of the 14th District.
Tourism leaders for Luzerne County say the rink will boost the local economy.
“Every year, and I think it's probably surprises a lot of people, there’s over a billion-dollar economic impact in Luzerne County from tourism. Whether they're coming to Ricketts Glen, or they're coming to a show at the arena, or they're coming to see the Penguins, or they're coming to a new facility like this, there are a lot of people coming here in any given year,” says Alan Stout, Visit Luzerne County Executive Director.
Construction will start next week; the outdoor dek hockey rink is set to open in August.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel.