Hockey, skating, outdoor facilities at Aviator Sports to continue for another year

Good news for hockey players and ice skaters! Some facilities at Aviator Sports and Events Center at Floyd Bennett Field, which attracts athletes young and old from all over the borough, will remain open for another year.

The National Park Service (NPS), which administers Floyd Bennett,  reached an agreement with Aviator Sports and Events Center on Friday.

Aviator’s outdoor facilities to remain open include outdoor turf fields; the golf driving range and golf course (at nearby Riis Park); and Green Meadows Farm, which offers opportunities to pet farm animals, pony rides. hayrides and more. In addition, the facility’s indoor hockey and figure skating programs are slated to resume on April 28.

“We are ecstatic because the community really came to bat for the ice program and all the programs for that matter,” Chris Werstine, the director of Aviator’s hockey and figure skating programs, told this paper. “It really showed the significance of what two sheets of ice here bring to the community.”

He said that while right now the two ice rinks are the only indoor facilities that are remaining open, Aviator hopes that in the future, there will be future offerings, with the rest of the inside facilities relatively soon. Some of the other indoor activities include gymnastics, volleyball, basketball and a climbing wall.

“This is for another year with an option to extend with National Park Services. We are working cohesively with them, and we’re really excited,” he said. 

U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and Assemblymember Jaime Williams shared their thoughts about the news on social media.

“This announcement ensures continued access to the facility for both our community and the youth sports leagues that have long utilized Aviator,” Malliotakis said. “We thank Aviator Sports and Events Center and Aviator Hockey & Ice Figure Skating for their cooperation and partnership with the National Park Service, and we appreciate the unified efforts of parents and local elected officials who helped make this possible.”

Williams also applauded the deal.

“We’re glad that the National Park Service and Aviator Sports have agreed to a contract extension through April 2026, ensuring continued access to key outdoor facilities,” she said. “I’m pleased that a temporary solution has been found to keep the hockey and figure skating programs running, and hope that additional compromises can be made to ensure access for the many other sports and recreational activities that call the Aviator home. 

“These are important steps, and we’ll continue working to support a permanent solution that keeps the entire facility active and available to the community,” she said.

Back in March ,management announced that the indoor facility at Floyd Bennett Field will be permanently closing in April 14, and that they were negotiating for outdoor activities to remain open until the fall. The shutdown was scheduled because the sports center’s current contract with the NPS expired, Aviator management said.

A rally was held in March by Aviator Sports members. They pleaded that the space remain since its programs mean a lot to the borough, especially for children.