Rink Review: Yale's Ingalls Rink

Next up on Rink Review is Ingalls Rink, the home of the Yale. This review is based off my only experience as a spectator. I've played at the rink a handful of times.

Here is what Wikipedia says about the Auditorium:

David S. Ingalls Rink is a hockey rink in New Haven, CT designed by architect Eero Saarinen and built between 1953 and 1958 for Yale University. It is commonly referred to as The Whale, due to its appearance. The rink stands at the intersection of Prospect and Sachem Streets. The building was constructed for $1.5 million, which was double its original cost estimate. It seats 3,500 people and has a maximum ceiling height of 23 meters. The building is named for David S. Ingalls, Yale class of 1920, and David S. Ingalls, Jr., Yale class of 1956, both of whom were hockey captains. Members of the Ingalls family were the primary benefactors of the arena. The building was included on the America's Favorite Architecture list, created in 2007 by the American Institute of Architects.

The rink employs an innovative structural system in which a 90 meter reinforced concrete arch, from which a cable net is hung, supports a timber roof. This causes a stable, double curvature form. Exterior cables linking the arch directly to the outer edges of the roof were added during structural design development. These cables address forces caused by asymmetrical wind loads. Fred N. Severud was the structural engineer for the project.

Ingalls Rink was renovated at a cost of $1.5 million in 1991, when a new concrete refrigerant slab was added. The locker rooms were also refurbished.

In 2007, it was announced that the rink would undergo a $23.5 million renovation which would include approximately 13,000 square feet (1,200 m²) of varsity operational space as well as a complete renovation of the facility, including new men's and women's varsity locker rooms, training and strength and conditioning rooms, an added press box, a lower level hockey heritage area, offices for coaches of both programs, a student-athlete study area, new lights, as well as a sound system and de-humidification unit. The lower level interior would also be decorated with photos displaying the history of Yale hockey. Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates are the architects. These renovations were completed in 2009.

You can learn more about the arena on the Yale Athletics Website.

Here's my evaluation:

Atmosphere:
I enjoyed the atmosphere during the game. The rink was packed, which makes sense since most games are sellouts (see CHN). Many people were standing along the rails, which I assume were standing room only tickets. There was definitely that "buzz," which let's you know that there's a good atmosphere in the rink. It was obvious that people were definitely into the game.

The only gripe I have with the atmosphere was that there were no "organized" cheers. I like going to the different rinks and seeing the different creative cheers each fan base has. Maybe that was because I didn't see any real student section. I'm pretty sure school was in session when I was there last month, but maybe I'm wrong. Can someone enlighten me on if there is a Yale hockey student section?

Tradition:

There is a good amount of tradition inside Ingalls Rink. The Yale hockey program is one of the oldest in the nation, considering the first competitive US college hockey game took place between the Bulldogs and Johns Hopkins University on February 14, 1896. Yale's over 100-year old hockey can be seen in a few display cases in the lower level of the rink, and two more on the main level right when you walk into the main entrance. There are some really cool pictures and memorabilia in the cases that celebrate the great hockey tradition. I also liked the "heritage" room on the lower level, which I think is meant for season ticket holders and other guests of that stature. There were tons of Yale hockey pictures going back over 100 years.

I also loved the small "museum" on the lower level. It had some cool artifacts and highlighted some great moments in Yale hockey history. It's awesome to see a program honor their past in a cool way. There were also some display cases when you walk into the rink with some interesting Yale hockey artifacts. Near the small displays downstairs, there was also a timeline that spanned across an entire wall going through over 100 years of Yale hockey.

Functionality and Amenities:
I did like how the seats went all the way around the rink, and there really wasn't a bad seat in the house. My guess is that the highest row is about the 15th row. But, I think the walkway is a bit tight for a sold out crowd. It was bit difficult moving in between periods. I didn't think the amenities were that great. There didn't seem to be too many (I counted two concession stands and one men's bathroom), and some of them were on the lower level. Also, the press boxes were nice and faced center ice, but they were very tight to navigate. Even though the seats were benches, at least they had backs to them.

Other Thoughts:
How can you talk about Ingalls Rink without mentioning the roof?! The roof makes the building look like a whale, hence the name the "Yale Whale." It has to be one of the most unique rink features in all of college hockey. If anyone is visiting the New Haven area, you have to stop by the rink just to see what the roof looks like. There's definitely nothing like it.

Overall, I think Ingalls Rink was done right. It's not flashy and is old, but has pretty much everything you'd want in a rink. Besides the roof, there really isn't anything that stood out to me about the rink, but I just had a feeling that this was the right way to upgrade an old facility. Maybe they should add some "real" seats and video board that shows graphics, replays, etc., but that's about it. It's definitely a great place to visit and watch a game.

Here are some pictures I took:

View of center ice from the visitor's bench

The center ice scoreboard with the banner celebrating all of Yale's hockey championships

Inside the Yale "heritage" room

Yale's hockey team picture from 1897 in the "heritage" room

Old ECAC Hockey puck on display in the small Yale hockey "museum" downstairs

The mini museum

All-time great coach Tim Taylor

Timeline of the history of Yale hockey

Small display screens showing team pictures, stats, and schedule

View of the rink from the main entrance

Front door entrance

Display cases when you come through the main entrance

ECAC hockey school banners with school seal

While the seats are more like benches, they're still nice and do the job