| Valley Ice Center in Panorama City is home of the West Valley Wolves. It was formerly Ice Chalet, then Iceoplex and now the VIC. The arena has a newly constructed second sheet of ice (we were sorry to see that roller derby track torn down) along with numerous other renovations. A little history..... Enron not only ruined the lives of thousands of investors when it artificially drove up California energy prices in 2001, it ruined the North Hills Iceoplex home of the Wolves (also the practice facility for the NHL Los Angeles Kings before they moved to El Segundo; it was a really cool place - it's snack bar was a real McDonalds). The once thriving rink was shut down when the lack of proper insulation made the cost of running the ice compressors under the new energy environment uneconomical. The Wolves scurried to PC and struggled for many years with an inadequate facility. After many years of just getting by, the Wolves finally have a home they can start to be proud of again. Vending machines remain the only source of snacks since the proposed enclosed restaurant never came to fruition. At the upgraded pro shop which keeps a good inventory of supplies, players can get skates sharpened. The VIC has no formal arcade but assorted video and arcade games can be found down one of the side walkways. In the arena, the main ice rink is small with an almost non-existant neutral zone, and the newly built second sheet is even smaller. In the past, the locker rooms had no ceilings so coaches often had to whisper the secret stuff - we're not sure if they fixed this during the construction. For the folks in the stands, the site lines are about as bad as they come - it's a terrible place to try to watch a game. On the plus side, radiant heaters above the seating area keep the patrons toasty - they stay warm but just can't see anything. Unfortunately, this facility also gets low marks for its neighborhood's high crime rate (confirmed by several hockey parent police officers). Areas like Van Nuys Boulevard between Roscoe and Nordoff is just not a normal site for an ice skating rink. Probably the best thing about the VIC's location is the really excellent authentic Mexican restaurant next door. A brand new Valley Ice Center in a different location in the city has been rumored for many years. Hopefully soon. |
