Ice Hockey at Clark Park the suburban invasion begins

[gnome]

Sure it's always the little things that start wars... offing an Arch Duke, bitch-slapping the Gulf of Tonkin, sippin Saddam Soda ... well here it is: proof of an impending invasion. Ice Hockey! Catholics too!

http://www.freep.com/article/2010011...ame-in-Detroit

Michigan high school hockey will hit the great outdoors when Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood and Novi Detroit Catholic Central meet at a public park.

The inaugural Outdoor Classic takes place Sunday at Detroit’s Clark Park. It’s the 75th meeting of the private schools, dating to 1935.

The classic starts with a game between the schools’ junior varsity teams, followed by two alumni games and concluding with a contest between the varsity squads.

No times listed, but I'll wager they'll drop the JV puck around 1 pm.

[ggcanfield]

http://outdoorclassicdetroit.com/

Varsity game is at 2pm, but it is sold out. JV at 10am, alum games at 12 and 1. This game has generated a lot of buzz in the high school hockey community. Most of these kids [[and coaches) have never played an organized game outside. As my dad says, if you haven't had your nose broken by a flying puck, you haven't really played hockey.

[MichMatters]

Not much related to this, but does anyone know the dimensions of the seasonal rink
in C-Mart Park, downtown?

[kenp]

Hope its colder then this.
Clark Park this summer

[exmotowner]

[quote=gnome;109698]Sure it's always the little things that start wars... offing an Arch Duke, bitch-slapping the Gulf of Tonkin, sippin Saddam Soda ... well here it is: proof of an impending invasion. Ice Hockey! Catholics too!

Yea buddy, this is the reason detroit is like it is. There is the city versus the suburbs again. When is this going to stop? It really gets old. I'm sure you meant it as a funny, but I dont think it is.

[gnome]

lighten up

[Supersport]

[quote=exmotowner;109922]

Yea buddy, this is the reason detroit is like it is. There is the city versus the suburbs again. When is this going to stop?

When the skeered whities start moving back in significant numbers.

[Hamtragedy]

The rink is 185' long, the difference is made up between the blue lines. New boards and glass installed 2004. Refrigertion service not practical to update to 200'. Jack Adams is same dimension. Adams had no ice this year til november. Adray [[DISC) 180'. Difference made up between the blues and behind the nets, where it gets tight.

[Hamtragedy]

I do not believe locker rooms were added at Crack Park. You still have to change in the "lobby."

[gravitymachine]

which gangs are going to root for which teams?

[bartock]

Pardon my ignorance, but hasn't Clark Park improved greatly over the past decade or so? It is in one of the few growing and thriving areas of the City [[and not just by youngsters/hipsters...families as well) and I thought there had been a number of improvements...one was the baseball field funded by Jack White.

[jt1]

Pardon my ignorance, but hasn't Clark Park improved greatly over the past decade or so? It is in one of the few growing and thriving areas of the City [[and not just by youngsters/hipsters...families as well) and I thought there had been a number of improvements...one was the baseball field funded by Jack White.

You are correct - spend time there on a summer day and you will likely see a softball game, kids soccer or baseball games, families hanging out, etc.

You are also correct about Jack White spending a bunch to improve the baseball field

[Lowell]

I think it is a great idea. Sometimes it takes exposure like this to reverse attitudes particularly among young people brought up with myths. Followup with dinner somewhere in Mexican town.

Clark Park is a beautiful and still vibrant recreation site. I just wish the wading pond would be restored.

Mini-tour with ice rink can be seen here:
http://www.detroityes.com/news/070719/601pics/101.htm

[EastsideAl]

As someone who grew up playing hockey outdoors in city parks [[the old Gallagher Park rink, and on the canal ice on Belle Isle), I think this is a wonderful idea. Let some folks from Oakland County come down and see what the city has to offer in one of our better parks and more vibrant - but still working class - neighborhoods. Like Lowell says, perhaps helping to dispel some nasty myths along the way. And perhaps let some neighborhood kids, who may not have been exposed to it, see some pretty good hockey right in their midst, and give the rink and the park itself a promotional boost.

[Danny]

Classic Ice Hockey from the suburban high schools in SW Detroit. That's great. We need that in the city.

[kraig]

Dave Bing or someone from his administration and /or City Council should be there welcoming people with open arms. This is going to be good.

[ggcanfield]

Although I don't live in the area, I sometimes walk my dogs in Clark Park, followed by a visit to the bakery on the park or free wifi and coffee at Cafe Con Leche. I've never had any problems or seen any activity that made me uncomfortable.

A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Clark Park. The park will make money from parking revenue. The suburban high schools participating have contributed equipment to the Clark Park hockey program. One of the coaches will be doing a free clinic, and kids from Kingswood are participating in community service projects at Clark Park.

We may not need this in the city, but I don't see the the downside here, other than subarbaniteism

[ggcanfield]

By the way, in yesterday's Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...577050336.html

[DetroitSTAR]

Outdoor hockey has a very strong history in Michigan. The Falcons/Cougars/Red Wings often practiced outdoors when Olympia and other rinks were unavailable. MSU played their first ever game on the Red Cedar River in 1922, and of course more people watched the Cold War game in 2001.

The virtual motor city collection has some really cool [[no pun intended) photos of outdoor hockey from way back when.

As a former player, and a big fan of high school and college hockey, this game is very exciting! I hope it spurs interest in the amateur game which has fallen off a little bit in the last few years.

[Ezri]

I used to live right beside Clark Park. I never had any incident [[never been robbed, nothing...). I was never affraid to walk through the park or the neighborhood, even alone [[petite female). The place is safe [[or at least it was when I used to live there). I've seen pics and it looks like the neighborhood is even better than what it was when I used to live there.

[Hamtragedy]

Hockey kids from Clark Park and Jack Adams often come back as adults, sometimes with or without their own kids and actively participate at their respective programs. I have had a few players of mine come back and some are coaching their own teams now. As a Jack Adams graduate from the 80's, I've got almost 20 years there volunteering whether it be three hours a week or 30, and it's nice to see when the kids I coached come back, both male and female. Mo-Dog would be proud of us all.

Not to mention, the draw of free ice is hard to resist.

And over the last few years there have been a few Crandbrook/Kingswood players spending time at Jack Adams assisting with the learn to skate program. Someone has to help these kids stand up for the first couple times and give them confidence, especially when you've got like, oh, 40 of them.

Finally, as everyone has mentioned that knows anything about Clark Park, it is beautiful. I love it in winter at 10 oclock at night when it's 14 degrees, and you can see the bridge lit-up dominating the skyline. Or when you look north and see the old structures in the park, or the 90 year old houses along Clark Street.

[RickBeall]

Hey, sounds like pure poetry Hamtragedy, especially with the Ambassador lit up in the distance.

[dookie joe]

My son plays baseball at Clark Park. There's a wonderful coach there, Morris, who has become legendary in the neighborhood. He really knows how to get these kids loving the game -- and he doesn't put up with any crap, either. Every kid, no matter the talent level, gets an equal chance to play, but they had better play the game hard and the right way, or he'll let them know about it.

I've never had any problems in Clark Park, and anyone calling it "Crack Park" or making snide references to gangs doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. It's a fine place to take your kids on a nice summer day.

I don't know if I'll be going out there in the winter, though! Homie don't play that sub-zero stuff!!!

[Homer]

I have to agree with the above positive comments about Clark Park. Both my kids [[26 and 30) grew up there playing baseball for Moe and learning Hockey in the Winter. A great group of volunteers and a couple self sacrificing paid employees keep the park going along with the meager resources the City can spare. Come by sometime. Open skating, pick-up Senior Hockey Sunday mornings, Peoples Softball in the Summer, walk your dog, jog, etc you'll love it.

[Hamtragedy]

Can't talk about Clark Park without mentioning Mo-Dog. He coached me at Jack Adams way back in the 70's and 80's. "Man, you a scrub" was his favorite comment.