BRICK – The Ocean Ice Palace has new owners.
They are the Harmony Hockey Group of Middletown, which has partnered with Work Play Arena, LLC.
“We have created a great partnership and we will operate for many years to come,” said George Haviland, the managing partner, chief executive officer and president of the Harmony Hockey Group.
Haviland said he is the owner and operator of the ice rinks, swimming club and artificial turf fields at the Middletown Sports Complex, managed by the Harmony Hockey group.
The Ocean Ice Palace had been owned by the Dwulet family since 1962. The family said on social media that the facility was scheduled to close at the end of this month. That post was later taken down.
“We have just taken over the Ocean Ice Palace,” Haviland told jerseyshoreonline.com, the website of The Brick Times, in an email at 7:18 a.m. Wednesday, July 21. “We’re coming in to save it.”
Haviland said the deal was closed Tuesday, July 20.
“We will keep it as an ice rink,” he said. “We will revitalize the ice skating and certainly the ice hockey programs at the historical ice facility. I have a great team of operators and hockey experts and a long-standing history not only in New Jersey but across the country as a leader in hockey development and the placement of athletes. I could not stand by and let it close. Its history is too rich. Brick Township and the surrounding communities should be able to use it for a long time.
The purchase drew positive reaction from ice hockey fans on Facebook.
Ex-Brick Township High School player Warren Charles Wolf, whose dad, Warren H. Wolf, founded the team on the club level and enjoyed a legendary career as the Green Dragons’ head football coach, said, “Beautiful! Wonderful! Outstanding!”
“Sounds like a great idea,” retired educator Richard J. Frank said.
“It’s reassuring to see that he (Haviland) recognizes the arena’s historical place in the community, former Jersey Shore sports journalist Tom Benn said. “Now, hopefully, parents will pry their children away from their TVs and laptops and have them lace up their skates. Good luck, Brick, on restoring the rink’s role in your community.”
“FANTASTIC NEWS!!!” said Darlene May Scheiderman.
“That’s terrific for Brick and all of Ocean County,” retired educator Frank Hughes said.
“Good to hear,” said Tom Webber, a former Brick assistant baseball coach.
“Thank God,” retired Brick head football coach Rob Dahl said. “Let’s get Brick Hockey back in there where they belong.”
“Maybe even get both Brick schools to play there again,” said Shawn Scott, an avid Green Dragons fan.
Haviland owns the New Jersey Titans and the Jersey Whalers hockey clubs.
The Middletown Sports Complex offers sports and entertainment activities. Their junior camp will be led by Haviland and former Brick Township High School, Lake Superior State and New Jersey Devils star Jim Dowd, who scored many a goal at the Ocean Ice Palace under legendary Green Dragons coach Bob Auriemma Sr., who retired a few years back.
“That’s great news,” Auriemma Sr. said of the purchase. “The Ocean Ice Palace has been a fixture for so long. George is steeped in ice hockey and I feel he will do well. He is always upbeat. He always has positive comments. His ownership of the Ocean Ice Palace is all on the plus side. I am relieved that someone who knows ice hockey and who knows how difficult things can be has bought the Ocean Ice Palace.
Haviland said Dowd will be involved at the Ocean Ice Palace.
“He will be an ambassador,” Haviland said. “Jim’s boys played in our New Jersey Titans program. He has been with the Titans for five years as a coach. He has been a part of our ecosystem in Middletown where he coaches a number of our teams. I call him, ‘Jersey Jim.’ We have known each other since we were kids. We will have him forever. He is a legend. He is super positive with all of the guys. He treats them fairly. He can give tips to our players that most guys can’t give as he played for 17 years in the National Hockey League.”
“My heart and soul are in Brick, New Jersey, and I want to help as many kids as I can,” Dowd said. “All roads lead back to Brick for me.”
Dowd said the inaugural Jim Dowd Holiday Classic, a Christmas event, will take place Dec. 27-30. It will consist of Shore Conference and non-conference teams.
Haviland said he hopes to bring the Green Dragons and the Brick Hockey Club back to the rink. Both have been absent.
“We want the Green Dragons back,” he said. “We want to talk to the Brick Hockey Club about bringing them back to where they belong. I have met with the Brick Township Recreation Department about them having a variety of programs at the rink. They are very happy about this.”
Haviland said the facility will have a new name.
“The Dwulet family asked us to change the name as the Ocean Ice Palace’s name has a trademark,” he said. “A possibility is the Brick Ice Palace.
“The equipment at the rink is in good shape,” he said. “We will upgrade the locker rooms. We want to make it a community center for those who want to skate.”
Haviland, 56, is a Wall Township resident and a 1982 graduate of Middletown High School South where he played club ice hockey. Haviland’s wife, Lisa, are the parents of four daughters, including Jess, who captains the women’s ice hockey team at Hamilton College, and Brianna, a member of the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team. He attended the University of Vermont where he played ice hockey.
In addition to his extensive coaching career, Haviland said he has been involved with the business aspect of ice hockey for 25 years.
“We have produced many college players,” he said. “We have developed unbelievable young men – NHL players, doctors, lawyers and realtors. I have coached 15,000 players. Ice hockey is a great sport because the players have to work together to accomplish team goals. It’s a fast moving sport and you need the whole team to produce.”
