Olympia Ice Center — Local services in West Springfield

I have been going to this rink for years to attend hockey games of both my school and my sibling. But after a few years of not going to this rink I went there yesterday and brought my service dog with me. I sat they had very clear signage that only service animals were allowed and Emotional support animals aren’t allowed etc. my service dog is trained to find people I know in a crowd and when we got there yesterday night she did just that, pulling me through the crowd to my parents that had gotten there before me. She at no time was out of control, barked, or jumped. As I was trying to purchase tickets for myself and my parents a staff member yelled at me from across the room before approaching and demanding that I leave because my service animal was illegitimate and “wild and out of control.” And when I tried to defend both myself and my dog and explain that they had just saw her performing a task she was trained to do, the gentleman wouldn’t take no for an answer, explaining that his son had a ‘real’ service animal. Eventually in just walked away, bought my ticket, and went to watch the game and he kept his distance for the rest of the evening. What bothers me the most is the woman that I have been training service dogs with for years has also had this exact same experience on multiple occasions at this establishment, never once has any off the animals actually done anything wrong. I understand that there are people out there who try to fake service animals, but that in no way gives you the right to harass anyone who walks in the door with a service animal the second the walk through the doors. I am incredibly upset and shaken by this encounter and I’m not sure if I will...

I was scheduled to do PA announcing for the 12/7/2024 Holyoke Papermen vs. Salem Sasquatch game, but last-minute changes to the rink caused some challenges. The game was originally set for Rink 1 but was moved to Rink 3 at the last minute. Unfortunately, only one of the sound ports on Rink 3’s sound system was working, which limited the ability to provide announcements like goals and penalties. Not only that but the clock wasn’t ticking at it’s original pace.

While the DJ managed to play music during the game, the overall sound system issues detracted from the game-day experience. Clearly, the sound systems and scoreboard at the facility need attention to ensure they’re fully functional for future events. Having reliable equipment is crucial for delivering an engaging and professional atmosphere for players...

The refs helped the homes teams during a tournament. The gole was not secure during the 1st 1/4 and and the goalie from Boston kept kicking the goal when the NJ team was about to score. The NJ team lost 2 goals die to the loose net and Boston goalie kicking the net and the refs stopping the game. But when the NJ net shifted the refs didnt stop the game and fixed it while the Boston team was at the goal. Besides the refs cheating the Arena is a...