For nearly three decades, LA’s Kings Valley Ice Center has served as a second home for hundreds of youth hockey players in the San Fernando Valley. Now, that future is on shaky ice.
The Panorama City facility is set to have its main ice rink demolished, leaving athletes who use the center with a smaller, non-regulation rink. According to the owner of Valley Ice Center, the main rink will be replaced by a medical facility for senior citizens.
Some local parents say the situation is heartbreaking for them and their children.
“My kids are at the rink from 3:30 to 9 p.m. four to seven days a week,” said Abby Wall, registrar for the youth hockey team California Heat and parent of two players, ages 8 and 11.
Two players from the California Heat youth hockey team practice at the Panorama City facility.
(California Heat)
“Practice, games, training,” she said, “this is where they grew up. This is their community.”
The facility’s lobby and pro shop – where local youth are able to purchase hockey gear – will also be demolished in work beginning June 1.
Los Angeles Kings There is a branding and partnership agreement with the LA Kings Valley Ice Center, where they run a “Little Kings” program where children learn to play hockey.
The decision to reduce the size of the facility is partly due to rising costs.
“It’s very expensive to run an ice rink,” said Scott Floman, owner of Valley Ice Center. He said the cost of leasing the facility has increased, as well as the cost of utilities.
Visitors take part in a public skating session at LA’s Kings Valley Ice Center on Wednesday.
(Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times)
But the demolition will mean big changes for the California Heat, one of the region’s largest youth hockey programs.
“The closure of the main ice sheet means we don’t have a home rink,” said club president Michael Santiago.
The club has been based at the Heat Valley Ice Center since its establishment in 1992. According to Santiago, the club has about 200 players on 12 teams and a high school program.
To be part of the Southern California Amateur Hockey Association, teams must meet certain rink requirements to be able to host games during the travel season. Regulation-sized ice – larger than the rink that will remain after demolition – is necessary.
“If we can’t meet those requirements, our teams can’t compete,” Santiago said. “We will be forced to downsize.”
Rick Scott, 61, practices hockey at the Valley Ice Center. Scott said of the main rink, “I’ve been hosting skates and pickup games for many years. Losing it is devastating.”
(Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times)
Limited ice space will also restrict practice, reduce player development and limit the number of athletes in the program, according to Santiago.
Wall, who helps manage team registration and as the club’s registrar ensures the club meets league requirements, said the loss of a regulation rink could make it impossible to operate the program.
“Without a place to host games on regulation-sized ice, those teams don’t exist,” he said.
According to Wall, finding a new home rink is no easy solution. There are nine ice rinks in Los Angeles County, and he said most are already at capacity.
“A lot of these rinks are bursting at the seams,” Wall said. “We’re talking about 200 players looking for a home, and there’s just no room.”
But club leaders are exploring options, including a possible move to a rink center currently under development in Reseda. Floman says L.A.’s plans to open a competing facility in the Valley neighborhood just five miles away also factored into the decision to downsize the center.
Valley Ice Center’s smaller rink will remain open for at least 15 years, he said, and “everything will continue except our travel program.”
Valley Ice Center’s main rink is set to be replaced by a medical facility for senior citizens, according to the center’s owner.
(Kayla Bartkowski/Los Angeles Times)
The California Heat will still be able to practice at the rink but will have to find another location to host games.
“I hope the Reseda rink can be that for them,” Floman said.
Still, many in the community are hoping the results may change.
A petition The launch by the California Heat is gaining traction online, attracting the attention of hundreds of players and families affected. Supporters argue that the rink is an important community resource, especially in an area with limited access to ice sports.
“It affects not only the players, but their families, coaches and everyone involved at the rink,” Santiago said. “We’re just trying to make sure people understand what’s at stake.”
“We used to go there four or five nights a week,” said Larry Tobin, a parent with an 11-year-old son who plays at L.A.’s Kings Valley Ice Center. “My son made friends there, was eager to go and improved a lot. He was crushed.”
“My oldest kid is going into his fourth year at this rink with the same coach,” Wall said. “These relationships matter. It’s not just a game but … where they feel at home.”
Community members are also speaking out on social media to make their case for saving the facility.
“This place isn’t just ice and boards. It’s where I made lifelong friends, met my wife, watched wide-eyed kids put on skates for the first time and celebrated as they grew into strong, confident adults.” wrote Alexander Dunn, owner and director of hockey at the California Hockey Academy.
As the June 2026 rebuild date approaches, families are waiting for answers and hoping their home’s snow won’t be gone forever.
