About 30 years after the first slapshot was fired at the new New Prague Community Center, ice hockey enthusiasts and community supporters have begun a campaign to expand the existing arena to bring more opportunities for on-ice participation in the sport.
The New Prague Hockey Association (NPHA) has begun a fundraising campaign to raise $5.9 million or more to build a second sheet of ice and other amenities at the community center. Plans call for a “clone” of the existing arena along NW 12th Avenue. It would be located on land south of the existing facility. Raising between $2 and $3 million, plus financing, might allow the beginning of construction, said Dan Sacco, president of the NPHA. The NPHA is hoping its non-profit status, volunteers, donated labor and materials could help expedite completion of the new rink. A “legacy donation,” something in excess of $1 million or more, would expedite the start of construction as early as 2027, Sacco said.
“We’ll probably have to finance some of it. It’s just a matter of how much,” said Jason Witt, of KA Witt Construction and president of the board running the ice arena.
The initial plan calls for raising enough money for a second sheet of ice, a rink without bleachers intended for practices. If enough money is eventually raised, additional locker rooms and a training facility could be added later. The existing locker rooms were designed and built for expansion, Sacco said. With enough money raised, the new arena could eventually become the game arena and the original sheet of ice could be used for practices, some games and hosting tournaments, he said.
The existing facility was built for $1.25 million. Replicating it would cost about $7 million, Witt said.
The land to the south of the existing building currently has an outdoor rink on it and is owned by the New Prague School District. Sacco said supporters of the expansion plan have begun “quiet conversations” with the school district about expanding the building on to the one acre south of the existing arena. The city owns the land the New Prague Ice Arena sits on and an appointed board manages the arena’s operations.
While the city helped supporters win a $250,000 Mighty Ducks Grant back in the 1990s, the expansion plan involves no funding from the city, Sacco said. Non-profit organizations own and operate the facility itself. The city has not been approached at this point about being involved in the expansion of the building, said Josh Tetzlaff, New Prague’s city administrator. Any formal expansions would require...
To see more on this story pick up the March 12, 2026 print edition of The New Prague Times.