Northfield breaks ground on new arena

by Robert Brent, Let’s Play Hockey

Northfield hockey players and fans will soon have a new state-of-the-art home rink. The city council approved the $26.5 million project on May 6, with the arena expected to open in August 2026.

The timing couldn’t be better. The original Northfield Ice Arena, which has served the community since 1977, is showing its age and struggling to meet the demands of a growing hockey community.

The new building will feature several key upgrades, including increased accessibility, energy efficiency, a dry-land training facility, improved seating and concessions, better traffic flow, and vastly upgraded facilities for players.

Chris Kennelly, former President of the Northfield Hockey Association and current Chair of the Arena Committee, was one of the primary figures spearheading the development of the facility. Kennelly says the project will be a massive change for the players and community members who have the opportunity to use it.

“The player experience is a huge piece. When we used to host even just a high school coming in, both the home team and the visiting team would be in three separate locker rooms because the rooms were so small,” Kennelly said. “There were no showers. Facilities were shared between the public and players. From a player and fan perspective, this will be a whole new ball game.”

The updated arena reflects a hockey community on the rise. When Kennelly first joined the NHAP, they had 200 registered players. That number has grown to 250. 

The Northfield High School Raiders have registered four consecutive 20-win seasons and won the Class A Consolation Game during the 2024-25 State Championships. A standout player from those teams, Ben Geiger, recently committed to play his college hockey at the University of Minnesota. 

The construction of a new arena is a key event in continuing Northfield’s momentum as a premier hockey destination. Discussions about building a new facility in Northfield have been circulating for some time, with the town holding a referendum for an arena with two ice sheets in 2018.

The referendum failed at the time by just 500 votes, but Kennelly and the Hockey Association knew that securing a deal for the new building would be crucial to retaining their talent at home.

“It got to a point where we were considering either doing this new arena, or having no ice at all in town… I don’t think you can be a town of our size in Minnesota, the State of Hockey, and not have an ice facility,” Kennelly said. “We know how passionate hockey families are, and if they’re not going to have the opportunity to play at a high school level or in their community, they’re probably going to go somewhere else.”

The project represents a strong collaboration within the community, as the local hockey association, the town’s school district, the city of Northfield, and nearby Dundas have all come together to raise the funds necessary to make the project possible.

The arena hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, August 14, with the arena on track to open in August 2026.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, the community came together to celebrate a building that will host tournaments, hockey games, public skates and amenities for all visitors. Ashlyn Paukert, a current player for the Northfield Raiders, spoke about how she envisions the new facility bringing people together.

“This will be more than just a building, this will be a place where athletes will grow, families will gather, and our community will come together.”