Deeside Ice Rink can be found at the Deeside Leisure Centre in northeast Wales. The rink has been closed for the past 2.5 years, having been converted into a pandemic hospital followed by a vaccination centre.
However, the good news is that the Deeside Ice Rink reopening is expected any time now. This was originally scheduled for October 2022, but the arena website currently says “opening soon.”
Deeside Ice Rink is home to a number of ice hockey teams, including the Deeside Dragons of the NIHL 1 North league. The Dragons are currently playing away games only. It is just one of 41 ice rinks in the UK that are home to competitive ice hockey teams.
Information For Deeside Leisure Centre
Deeside Ice Rink Parking
Deeside ice rink parking is very convenient. The rink has a large car park, which is free of charge. If this happens to be full, then nearby Pierce Street and Station Road car parks offer free parking for up to 2 hours.
Deeside Dragons Ice Hockey Team
Deeside Dragons is an ice hockey team playing in the UK’s NIHL 1 North (Moralee) division. The team is based at Deeside Ice Arena.
The amateur NIHL 1 league is the third-highest in the UK, behind the EIHL and NIHL National leagues. Nine teams compete in the northern division (see below), and eight teams compete in the southern division.
NIHL 1 North (Moralee) Teams
| Billingham Stars | Sheffield Scimitars |
| Blackburn Hawks | Solihull Barons |
| Deeside Dragons | Whitley Warriors |
| Hull Jets | Widness Wild |
| Nottingham Lions |
The teams charge for entry for games, generally £5-£10 for a non-concessionary adult and reduced rates for children and OAPs.
NIHL 1 North teams compete for the regular season, playoff and national titles, and the Moralee and Challenge cups. The regular season runs from September to late March, and the season concludes in mid-April with a final between the northern and southern playoff champions.
How Cold Is Deeside Ice Rink?
If you haven’t been to a hockey game before, you need to know that ice rinks are cold places (not a surprise!). And the closer you are to the ice, the colder you will be.
Also, hockey rinks in the UK aren’t heated, so temperatures in the arena drop in line with outside temperatures. We would rank the temperature of the Deeside Ice Arena as average for a UK rink.
Deeside Ice Rink Seating
Deeside Ice Rink is a good rink for watching an ice hockey game. It has an Olympic-sized ice surface and raised spectator seating along one side of the arena. You are likely to have a good view wherever you sit.
8 Best Ice Rink Activities To Do At Deeside Ice Rink
Watching an ice hockey game is just one of many things to do at Deeside Ice Rink. There is a wide range of ice rink activities on offer, including:
- Public ice skating sessions
- Ice skating lessons
- Ice hockey lessons
- Join a recreational ice hockey team.
- Ice dancing or figure skating
- Try an ice disco with music, a DJ and disco lights.
- Learn to curl and join a curling team.
- Watch an ice show.
