In 1937, the student "Improvement Squad" and some aspiring hockey players constructed a wooden dam at the east end of a wetland near the center of campus to create the school's first skating surface.

 

This first stab at a hockey program only lasted three years. The dam rotted away, and the pond reverted to wetland for fifteen years. Memories of the original rink endured, however, and in 1955, renewed interest in the sport prompted construction of a new, more formidable dam. Proctor Pond was created, and served as the school's rink over eighteen seasons.

 

As a season progressed, the boards--which had angular corners--settled into the slush to become dangerously low, but the games must go on, and fans had a great view of the action.

 

The actual rink dominated the west end of the pond, with room for skating on the near side in the image below. Notice, too, the lighting on telephone poles.

 





In 1974, "artificial ice" (as it was known) was installed at a new, outdoor rink essentially on the site of the current facility. The pipes were laid in a sandy bed without great underlying drainage, so the entire surface tended to buckle--with a large crevasse looming lengthwise through the middle.

 

The alarming image below features your author between David Fowler and Chris Norris in the back row!



And who can name the current Admission Director pictured at right, below?

 

Proctor hockey--and its facilities--have come along way since 1938. Today, Teddy Maloney Rink is home to three Proctor teams as well as the entire Kearsarge program. The rink has new refrigeration, great ice, brilliant lighting and a close, personal ambience that brings fans into proximity with the game and with one another.

 

Change, however, is coming! The parents of a recently graduated player have pledged $250,000 toward significant improvements to the south (entrance) side of Teddy Maloney Rink. Small, poorly ventilated changing rooms will be replaced with several spacious locker rooms, bath and shower rooms, referee space and storage areas. The new facilities will serve not just hockey, but soccer, field hockey, baseball and general athletic needs.

 

Architectural plans are complete, and momentum is growing fast. Here's the kicker: the pledge must be matched, and construction initiated by the end of August, 2011! On Saturday evening, friends of Proctor hockey gathered at Lake Sunapee Country Club to celebrate the initiative and commit to its success.
 
We are grateful to all who support the school, and look forward to seeing this dream become a reality.