The NHL regulation-sized ice rink will host all practices and home games for the Metropolitan Riveters, women's hockey team, under a three-year agreement. Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The Metropolitan Riveters, a women’s professional hockey team, will soon begin hosting all their practices and home games at The Rink at American Dream.
The team, which is part of the Premier Hockey Federation, was previously based out of ProSkate Ice Arena in Monmouth Junction. The agreement with American Dream is for three years.
“We are extremely excited to provide our players with a state-of-the-art facility that they can call home,” said Digit Murphy, President of the Metropolitan Riveters. “Our organization focused on finding a permanent location where Riveters games would be played, and we wanted to ensure the facility had top-notch professional amenities. The unrivaled entertainment and retail at American Dream will let us reimagine hockey together with a revolutionary fan experience that breaks the traditional game day experience.”
The Rink is located on level one of the entertainment, retail and dining complex next to the DreamWorks Water Park. It opened when American Dream made its long-awaited debut in October 2019. It hosts open skates for $25-$35 per hour with skate rentals and private events. It has also been used by youth hockey programs, the Ottawa Senators for practice, an Army vs. Navy club game, the New Jersey Devil’s Learn to Play program and the Riveters held practices there in 2021.
“After practicing at American Dream, it felt like the perfect time to take that partnership to the next level,” said Riveters captain, Madison Packer. “American Dream is committed to growing the game and supporting female athletes, and I am beyond excited to call the complex home for many years to come.”
“It will truly redefine the in-game experience for sporting events and expand our reach to fans across the tri-state area,” she said.
Exactly how American Dream plans to accommodate hockey fans is still unknown. The developer believes the 3 million square foot building can be fitted for as many as 2,000 spectators with options of tiered suites.
“Additional details on the game day experience will come, but … this won’t be a typical hockey game,” a spokesperson for American Dream said.
“As a lifelong hockey fan, I am thrilled to have a professional team call American Dream home,” said Don Ghermezian, CEO of American Dream. “I am even more thrilled to have the Riveters – a forward-thinking organization that wants to revolutionize the sports industry, much in the same way that American Dream is revolutionizing of so many industries. I am excited to embark on an endeavor with the Riveters to re-imagine the sporting event and to provide a new form of entertainment for all of our fans.”
The Premier Hockey Federation was started in 2015 and has grown from four to seven teams: Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force and the Toronto Six.
The Metropolitan Riveters were one of the charter teams but they were originally known as the New York Riveters and played out of Brooklyn until 2017 when they moved to New Jersey and established a partnership with the New Jersey Devils. During that time they played their home games at the Prudential Center. But that partnership dissolved in 2019 and the team moved to Monmouth Junction.
The Riveters’ name is based on Rosie the Riveter, made famous with the the WWII poster used to recruit female workers for the defense industry with the slogan, “We can do it!” During the 2017-2018 season they won the championship for their league, the Isobel Cup.
“The entire PHF is committed to building the best, thriving and most sustainable home for women’s professional hockey and facilities are a critical component to our mission,” said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. “The significance of the professional experience that comes from development opportunities and competition in a single venue cannot be overstated.”
The dates and times for the Riveters home games at American Dream will be announced later this month when PHF releases the 2022-23 regular season schedule. Live coverage of the games will be available on ESPN+ as part of a two-year agreement with ESPN.
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Allison Pries may be reached at [email protected].
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