Although KC Ice has open ice time for the public, the focus of this facility is competitive.

KC Ice is the home of the Kansas City Stars Youth Hockey Association. The Stars, founded in 1999, is the area’s largest club with 400 members, The team is led by elite level coaches including several who have played at the NHL and Division I college level.

“I coach hockey so, for me, being with kids and being involved in a kid’s life,” Maloney said.

Stars’ coaches are educated and certified through USA Hockey, the national governing body for all hockey in the United States.

The facility is a popular destination for figure skaters and hockey players in addition to the general public.

“We get really busy especially in the winter time. Dealing with the masses is probably the hardest thing,” manager Jordan Maloney said. “We have public skate on the weekends where we can have 200 people on the ice. It can get up to 1,000 for hockey tournaments though, especially with 16 to 20 kids on each team and all their parents and grandparents.”

In addition to hosting hockey tournaments, the ice rink will host a Christmas sweater-themed night from 8-10 p.m. Dec. 18. Wear your favorite Christmas sweater and skate for $5. On Dec. 20, come skate with Santa from 4-5:30 p.m. For these events, admission and skate rental is $5.

Evening public skate sessions are available most Fridays and Saturdays on the outdoor Pavilion area from 8-10 p.m. This can change, so patrons should always check the schedule on their website (www.kcicecenter.com). These sessions will run through March 1. Public session admission is $8 and skate rental is $3.[polldaddy poll=9235654]