Ice Land is closed and will continue to keep our doors shut until it is safe for the public to return. We will continue to update you as best as we can and when more information is available, you will be the first to know. Due to the severity and fluidity of this situation, we are continually following updates and guidance from the CDC and our local health authorities.
Our programs at Ice Land will continue when it is safe to do so. At that time we will deal with missed classes, skates, tryouts, etc. Sessions will eventually continue and believe us, we understand everything won’t fit into everyone’s schedules. We kindly ask that you give us the benefit of doubt to work through all of this. Our main concern is the safety of our employees, our skaters + their families and the spread of this virus. Continue to bear with us as we navigate this unprecedented situation. We are working through it just like everyone else. Information will come as it is available.
Ice Land will continue to plan programs for the Summer and as soon as it is safe - we will reopen our doors! No one will miss being on the ice more than we will. The rink is not only where we work, but for many, it is our home.
Be safe. Be well. Take care of yourselves and your family and we will see you all on the other side of this!
Rob Broderick GM of Ice Land and Mercer Chiefs
Upcoming Events, Dates and Programs
Click on most photos for more information and to register!
RINK NEWS
Princeton Tiger Lilies - Girls Ice Hockey 2020!
Do you want to be part of the PREMIER girls ice hockey club here in Central Jersey? Did you know the Princeton Tiger Lilies play right here out of Ice Land?! Make sure to sign up to be considered for a team next season! Click the link to continue and to become a Princeton Tiger Lily! Present + Future Lilies follow the link!
Adult Mini Camp - POSTPONED!
Bringing our first Adult Figure Skating Mini Camp to Ice Land!
Our first mini camp will be Saturday, April 25 at 9a-11:30a! This mini camp is open to adult skaters in any level of freestyle.
*30 minutes of stroking + moves in the field
*60 minutes of freestyle
*15 minutes of interpretive
* 30 minutes of off-ice classes
* Practice time included
* Refreshments will be served!
Introductory price of $79. ($89 at the door.)
Congrats to Mercer Chief drafted into USHL!
Major congratulations go out to Mercer Chiefs player Mike Sullo for being drafted into the USHL draft by the Youngstown Phantoms! ‘Mike is a terrific young man and a very special hockey player! He has a tremendous work ethic, as strong as anyone I have coached,’ said Rob Broderick of the Chiefs. ‘Mike is a hard working kid. Very coachable. Great speed and can put the puck in the net. He is a great kid from a great family,’ said Coach Barcless. We look forward to seeing all the great things that are coming Mike's way. Congratulations Mike!
Welcome to the Mini Chiefs!
NEW! Have littles who are interested in ice hockey? Enter the Mini Chiefs! The Mini Chiefs (3-6 years old) will join our regular Learn to Play program, the Junior Chiefs, on Saturday mornings at 9:10a. The Mini Chiefs MUST be enrolled in our Learn-to-Skate program to do the Mini Chiefs program, as they still need their skating skills through Basic 4, to move on to our Learn-to-Play program. Classes will run for a half hour and will be discounted to just $69 for 5 half hour lessons. Hockey helmet, hockey skates (Can use rentals!), hockey stick, hockey pants, shoulder pads, elbow pads and shin guards are needed. Talk to Heather at heather@ice-land.com if you have any questions about gear or the program. We have Mini Chiefs jerseys to purchase if you are interested, but they are not required! Names and favorite numbers may be added to the back of jersey for an additional fee. Sign up with/under your Learn to Skate registration. Additional information at www.ice-land.com/minichiefs.
*Mini Chiefs will need a USA Hockey number. Birth years 2013 and later can obtain a USA Hockey number at NO cost at membership.usahockey.com.
2020/21 Ice Land Hockey Academy
2020 Ice Land Hockey Academy - Midget AAA/Juniors
Off-Season Training Program run out of Ice Land Arena!
The AAA program offers a professionally developed training program geared towards the elite, tier one players. The players will be in one of four groups - U15, U16, U18 and/or U20 for Showcases. Emphasis is placed on player development and skill development. The program offers the following for players at most levels:
- Skill and game-system based on-ice training.
- Professionally developed off-ice training.
- Exposure to Ice Land’s junior affiliates, the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) and Maryland Black Bears (NAHL).
- Full-ice tournaments with high exposure - see tournament schedule below.
- Advisory role for the players - coaching staff has helped place over 40 players into D1, D3, tier one and tier two juniors. Full reference list upon request.
Philosophy
Our focus is on complete player development and exposure for this important time in a player’s path to college/pro hockey. Our program is tailored for individual player skill, strength and mental development in a team environment. It is called the off-season for a reason. Our goal is to make sure every athlete leaves the off-season a significantly better hockey player, with a better plan for the following season.
Coaching Staff
- Rob Broderick - Ice Land and Mercer Chiefs GM, VP of Hockey Operations for Youngstown Phantoms, Scout for Maryland Black Bears, US Scout for Ottawa Junior Senators, CCHL, Midget Coach at Mercer Chiefs AAA.
- Ashley Munafo - hockey powerskating instructor and former competitive skater.
- Guest coaches from Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) and Maryland Black Bears (NAHL).
If you have any questions, please contact rob@ice-land.com.
Mercer Chiefs Mites Tryouts - POSTPONED!
2020/21 Hockey Tryouts!
Head over to www.mercerchiefs.com for updated Tier 1 hockey tryout info!
Considering the pandemic, it has been decided to have tier one clubs sign players to contracts on June 1, 2020. The Mercer Chief coaches have been meeting remotely for the last few weeks and we will continue to meet a few times each week deciding who to sign based on previous play, word of mouth, past experiences, etc. We take this very seriously – both the endeavor to pick the “best and right” player for each team, but to also communicate to ALL players early on in the process, so they can look at other options if needed.
If you are interested in playing for the Mercer Chiefs (returning or new), please contact the Head Coach below of your birth year:
▪️Mites + Squirt Minor (2014-2011)
Brett Aimone - Brettaimone27@hotmail.com
▪️Squirt Major + Peewee Minor (2010-2009)
Marco Escalona - shutout85@gmail.com
▪️Peewee Major + Bantam Minor (2008-2007)
Chris Barcless - cbarcless@ice-land.com
▪️Bantam Major (2006)
Oscar Watson - OLWatson7@msn.com
▪️U15 (2005)
Krzysztof Oliwa - info@vortexmedianetwork.com
▪️U16 (2004)
Rob Broderick - rbroderick9912@gmail.com
Anthony Matarazzo - coachmazzo@gmail.com
▪️U18 (2003-2002)
Rob Broderick - rbroderick9912@gmail.com
Dan Pressl - dan.pressl@gmail.com
The goal of the Mercer Chiefs is to be the most successful youth hockey organization in the country. Winning is not the only, or even the most important benchmark in measuring success. We believe winning at all costs at the youth hockey level is not winning and is quite frankly, usually just for a coach’s ego.
Success means developing our players to be the best they can be, both on the ice and off the ice. Preparing and playing to win is important. That said, development takes precedent over everything. When we win, we win the right way. The players are not pawns in youth hockey and every player matters; yes, even in tier one hockey. Playing a kid more often than others at the Mite, Squirt and Peewee levels to win a hockey game, sets back every player’s development. We want to be an organization that wins at the highest levels, but wins the right way and has the proper perspective on what is truly important in youth hockey – and that is individual development and learning how to be a great teammate and all around hockey player. And yes, we want the players to love this great game and love coming to the rink each and every practice, off-ice session and game!
When the players get to the Bantam and Midget level things change a bit – having a coach who is an EFFECTIVE ADVOCATE for them is not only vitally important, but imperative to their future hockey goals. On top of that, the off-ice component is especially important. The Chiefs have brought in Joe DeMarco to be the full-time off-ice coordinator for the Midget program. Joe is dedicated to this and in each and every one of them. He dedicates his time and passion to bettering our athletes physically and mentally. Also, we believe in our developmental model and we will look to make the flow from Mites to Midgets to Juniors efficiently. We do NOT need to look to build new teams from scratch at the Midget level because we will already have good players that we have developed from the "ground" up.
We do not only have a pipeline on paper with the Black Bears and Phantoms, but we send players there all the time. The communication between the Chiefs and the coaches is constant and the connection and pipeline is REAL. Midget players skate with Youngstown and/or Maryland consistently throughout the season. Last year we had 12 players skate with Youngstown and/or Maryland during the season. This season we should have at least four players play for the Black Bears full-time.
Good luck to everyone for ‘tryouts’ this year. It certainly won’t be easy for any of us involved!
Learn to Skate Summer Camp 2020
Our Learn-to-Skate ice skating camp is designed for the complete beginner to pre-freestyle* (LTS USA levels) skater (age 4+) who wants to learn how to skate, discover and practice new and exciting skills both on and off the ice, make new friends and have fun! Beat the heat and join us at the 'coolest' camp in town!
Skaters will be busy all day - both on and off the ice - with many activities! We hope they learn to love the ice, just as much as we all do!
* Skaters Freestyle 1 and higher, will join our Figure Skating Camp! Pre-Freestyle may also, but it is up to each skater and how much time they wish to spend on the ice during camp. Message jenn@ice-land.com with any questions to help you decide!
FIgure Skating Camp 2020
Our summer figure skating camp accommodates all levels of freestyle skaters* through advanced competitive levels. All on -ice classes will be taught by our professional certified staff and will be divided by skill level. Over 4 hours of ice time daily with 2 hours of professional instruction on-ice and 1 1/2 hours of off-ice instructed activities!
This year, Joe DeMarco will be working with our skaters for off ice training. Joe will be an amazing asset to our camp this year leaving our skaters stronger, both on and off the ice.
Introducing Adult Learn to Play!
You asked and we answered! Adult Learn-to-Play at Ice Land! Sunday nights from 7:30-8:30p! We have no doubt you will be joining our Adult League in no time!
Under the direction of Heather O'Connell and her team, you will learn the basics of hockey, game play, skating skills and stick/puck handling! Join the FUN - it is NEVER too late to learn to play hockey and fall in love with the game!
Next session starts January 26!
Seeking Billet Families for the 2020/21 season!
Every season the Mercer Chiefs seek local families to become billet families.This upcoming season is no exception!
What is a billet family you might ask? An exceptional young player who lives outside the area and wants to come play for the Chiefs. Enter the billet family. Billet families provide a caring, supportive, family environment to be the home away from home for each of our players. Billeting can be a very exciting and rewarding experience for those willing to open up their homes to our hockey players.
‘I know from personal experience – I have billeted boys the last 4 years and I can share that the experience was a wonderful one for my family. We will always consider these young men a part of our family. Also, I was once a billet player and I will always consider my host family my second family,’ says Rob Broderick.
The player pays the billet family for their ‘room and board.’ While financial compensation is part of being a billet family, the real rewards are found in the relationships that are made with these players. Often times, lifelong bonds that cannot be broken and the player becomes part of your family! Providing a home and family atmosphere to these kids who are away from their own families, as they pursue their dreams, is very special. These players have all been vetted and are special young men. You are not responsible for driving them to or from the rink or for paying for any of their activities. They will keep busy with both on and off ice activities as they are very serious about looking to move on to play college and professional hockey one day.
Join the billeting world and host one of our Chiefs players this year! We have many players coming from a few different states and we need you!
If interested please contact Rob at rbroderick9912@gmail.com.
Congratulations to 3 of our Mercer Chiefs players!
A huge congratulations goes out to three of our Mercer Chiefs, Mike Citera, Damian Carfagna and TJ Semptimphelter, for being selected to the USA National Camp! From 80 players, only 6 forwards, 4 defenseman and 1 goalie were chosen!
The USA 17 National Camp was in Buffalo, June 25th - July 1st from the Atlantic District. “This is a testament to Mike, Damian and TJ. Not only to their talent but also to their work ethic. It is also a huge indication of the quality of coaching at the Chiefs and in particular Coach Chris Barcless. Chris is one of the best hockey coaches in the country,” said Chiefs General Manager Rob Broderick.
Congratulations boys!
Hamilton Huskies
The 2019/20 season will consist of -
- 10-20+ full ice games.
- Two practices per week including skills clinics three times per month with Chris Barcless, Ice Land’s Hockey Director and 07/08 Chiefs Head Coach.
- Five Showcase Tournaments (18-20 games guarantee!) in the East Coast Development Hockey League (ECDHL).
- Participants must have AAU insurance.
Welcome Princeton Youth!
Ice Land is proud to announce that the Princeton Youth Tier 2 program will be the primary Tier 2 tenant out of Ice Land for the 2019-20 season. From Tier 2 mites to midgets, Princeton Youth will play their Tier 2 teams out of Ice Land and Hobey Baker. The Mercer Chiefs will still operate their Tier 1 program (Mites to U18).
The Mercer Chiefs family has grown exponentially this year with the addition of the Maryland Black Bears of the NAHL and the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. New and exciting things are just getting started and we are very excited to continue growing and expanding our programs here at Ice Land including the addition of Princeton Youth and their Tier 2 program!
As always, thank you for your continued support of Ice Land, the Mercer Chiefs and now, the Princeton Youth Tigers!
New Learn-to-Skate classes!
New Learn-to-Skate start on Friday, March 6 and/or Sunday, March 8. Missed the first classes? No worries. You can easily do a makeup on one of the other days! Head over to www.ice-land.com/learntoskate to register and for more information. (Make sure to head over to www.learntoskateusa.com to obtain your 2019/20 membership!)
www.ice-land.com/totsicles
Mercer Chiefs Player Signed to Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL!
A huge congratulations goes out to Ross Colton, a lifelong Mercer Chiefs player, for signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. On Tuesday, June 26th, the NHL Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced, “The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Ross Colton to a two-year, two-way contract.”
Ross played his youth hockey career almost exclusively under the tutelage of Mercer Chiefs coach and Hockey Director Chris Barcless. Ross still trains with Coach Barcless at Ice Land throughout the off season. Coach Barcless said, “Ross is an extraordinary person and player and he deserves everything that his coming his way.” Ironically, Ross also played one season with the current Chiefs General Manager and Coach Rob Broderick, at the Midget level after his youth career with the Chiefs. Coach Broderick said, “Chris Barcless being the person he is, called me because that season Mercer did not have a strong Midget team and he knew that we did. Of course I knew and coached against Ross and knew how incredibly gifted he was, but I also knew that he played for Chris and you just know that means he is a good player on both sides of the puck because of Chris’s coaching. Ross certainly has the talent, but his work ethic is special and the coaching he received from Chris Barcless certainly played a big role. They both should be very proud!”
Ross said, “I owe a lot to the Chiefs organization and especially to Coach Barcless. I would not be where I am today without them.”
The Mercer Chiefs family and Ice Land congratulate Ross for signing to play for the Tampa Bay organization and we couldn’t be prouder! We can't wait to see him on the ice!
Mercer family now owners of USHL Franchise!
The Mercer Chiefs own a franchise in the EHL and the Maryland Black Bears of the NAHL and now also the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL (the ONLY Tier-1 Junior league in the United States). Please see the information below on the Tier-2 and Tier-3 Junior landscape. The Chiefs separate ourselves from all youth organizations with a clear path to college and/or professional hockey.
"The NAHL is simply light years ahead everyone else. No other league comes close to matching the player marketing of the NAHL. From very well executed events, an incredibly active stream of player marketing, to a propaganda department like none other. The NAHL simply out works every other league when it comes to moving players on to higher levels."
Mercer Chiefs expand into Junior Hockey
Chiefs’ affiliate acquires NAHL and EHL Junior Hockey Franchises Hamilton, NJ – An affiliate of the Mercer Chiefs has acquired the rights to franchises in the North American Hockey League (“NAHL”) and the Eastern Hockey League (“EHL”) to begin play in the upcoming 2018-19 season at the Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, MD.
“This is a very exciting step for the Mercer Chiefs. We are committed to building the premier program in New Jersey and creating a pyramid for our players to advance to college hockey,” said General Manager, Rob Broderick. “We are developing more talented players in the state of New Jersey then ever before and the Chiefs organization is looking forward to offering opportunities to advance. The NAHL’s reputation for Division I placement and the professional ranks speaks for itself, and no league does a better job placing athletes in Division III than the EHL.”
The NAHL and EHL programs will recruit nationwide for both teams, but priority and preference will be given to Mercer Chiefs players. NAHL and EHL draft camps will be held at the Ice Land Skating Center this summer.
Ice Land & the Mercer Chiefs welcome Robert Broderick as the General Manager
Ice Land and the Mercer Chiefs are excited to announce Robert Broderick as the General Manager.
Rob Broderick has served as President of the New Jersey Rockets and Managing Director Midget Program and Head Coach of U18 team. He has coached with the Rockets for the last 14 years. He is the head US Scout for Ottawa Junior Senators in the CCHL. Rob was drafted by and played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL and he was captain of his ECAC hockey team his junior and senior years. Over the past fourteen seasons, his Rockets teams have averaged thirty wins per regular season and his teams have made the playoffs every season in the AYHL and USPHL. Prior to joining the NJ Rockets, Rob was the head coach of Team Carolina, with that team being the first in the organization's history to win the AAA Regionals.
Contact Information
General Manager of Ice Land and the Mercer Chiefs - Rob Broderick - rob@ice-land.com
Assistant Manager - Jenn Del Rosario - jenndelro@ice-land.com
Hockey Director - Chris Barcless - cbarcless@ice-land.com
Skating Director and Office Manager - Jenn Schaffener - jenn@ice-land.com
Facilities Manager - Ed Seeley - ed@ice-land.com
Adult Hockey League Director - Heather O'Connell - heather@ice-land.com
Pro Shop - Brian Arnott - proshop@ice-land.com
Skating Club of Ice Land - skatingcluboficeland@gmail.com
Hockey Inquiries - hockey@ice-land.com
General Information - information@ice-land.com
Hamilton Huskies Full Ice Mite Hockey Director - Mike Kelly mkelly12876@aol.com
Official Social Media Links
Ice Land Facebook - facebook.com/icelandskating
Ice Land Twitter - twitter.com/icelandhamilton
Ice Land Instagram - instagram.com/icelandskatingcenter
Mercer Chiefs Website - www.mercerchiefs.com
Mercer Chiefs Facebook - facebook.com/mercerchiefshockey
Mercer Chiefs Twitter - twitter.com/mercer_chiefs
Mercer Chiefs Instagram - instagram.com/mercerchiefshockey
Skating Club of Ice Land Website -
www.ice-land.com/skatingcluboficeland
Skating Club of Ice Land Facebook - facebook.com/skatingcluboficeland
Skating Club of Ice Land Instagram - instagram.com/skatingcluboficeland
Princeton Youth Website - www.princetonyouthhockey.org
Princeton Youth Facebook - facebook.com/princetonyouthhockeyassociation
Tiger Lilies Website - www.princetontigerlilies.org
Tiger Lilies Facebook - facebook.com/keysinhand
Tiger Lilies Instagram - instagram.com/princetontigerlilies_official
Ice Land Skating Center
Ice Land Skating Center opened its doors in the early 1990s and has been providing the community with a place to enjoy ice related competitive sports and recreational activities for many years. Ice Land's current owners purchased the facility and business in early 2018 and are firmly committed to the support and advancement of youth athletic programs in the region.
It is the overall goal to make Ice Land the premier ice skating facility in the area with its mission to provide disciplined, competitive and fun hockey and skating programs to teach and to nurture the potential budding hockey and figure skating stars of the future. Additionally, the owners want to provide a venue to promote fun and physical activities for both adults and children out on the ice with a variety of in-house leagues, clinics, figure skating, Learn-to-Skate and open skating for all to enjoy.
Plans for the future include remodeled locker rooms and the expansion of existing hockey and skating programs to meet the needs of our valued customers. New happenings around the rink include brand new rental skates, 2 brand new dehumidifiers in each rink, remodeled bathrooms and lobby, Chippy's Café (Korean fusion and traditional snack bar fare) and Shore Hockey Shop West at Ice Land - our new and remodeled pro shop!
The future looks bright at Ice Land…come see for yourself and enjoy the fun while you are there!
Join Ice Land's email list!
Shore Hockey Shop West - Hours
Closed until further notice!
DeMarco Training is the official trainer of the Mercer Chiefs and the Skating Club of Ice Land!
Get your gift certificates and give the gift of skating! Available in any denomination or for a certain event (Ie: Learn-to-Skate, Public Skating, etc.)! Stop in today!
Home of...
Congratulations to Aidan on this amazing accomplishment. We are beyond proud of you!
Summer Hockey Camp with Chris Barcless! Click photo to register and secure your space!
Rec and Learn to Play level hockey camp at Ice Land with Coach Barcless! Click the photo to register!
Sign up for our Spring High School League! Click the photo to register!
Sign up for our Spring 3v3 today! Click the photo to register!
* Membership renewals and new members being accepted now!
* Only online applications will be accepted. No more paper apps.
Click here to register!
*Next test session -
Tuesday, February 25
*Spring Show -
The Roaring Twenties!
Sunday, May 17
Happy 1st official Anniversary to the Skating Club of Ice Land! What a year it has been!
2020/21 Season Tryouts -
Click the link below!
Click the photo to register!
New logos are in at Ice Land!
Additional Rink Info
Click photo for more information on Learn-to-Skate Summer Camp!
Click the photo for more information on Figure Skating Camp at Ice Land!
Click the photo for more information and to register for Learn-to-Skate at Ice Land!
Click the photo for more information and to register for Learn-to-Play hockey at Ice Land!
Adult Learn-to-Play at Ice Land is off to a smashing success! Click the photo for more information!
Click photo for more information on adult skating lessons at Ice Land!
Contact
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