Edina hockey is growing, says Susie Miller, general manager at Braemar Arena. The culture of playing hockey outdoors and braving the Minnesota weather is also popular again. Despite the bitter cold, Edina residents skate outdoors throughout winter at many of the city’s outdoor rinks. So when Braemar Arena needed extra space for the hockey association to practice, an outdoor rink just made sense.
The covered ice rink in Braemar’s backyard also includes an outdoor fire pit and seating area. Although the space is mostly used for hockey practice, there is open skating on Friday nights. “It’s such a beautiful area,” Miller says. “I think it has added to that desire for people to be participating in the sport of hockey outside.”
Open skating at Braemar’s backyard rink, Fridays 8–9:30 p.m. The backyard rink is open until early spring.
