The University of Maine has always held a special place in the hearts of hockey fans across the state and beyond. On Saturday, the campus was buzzing with anticipation for the official ribbon cutting of the newly renovated Alfond Arena and the state-of-the-art Shawn Walsh Hockey Center. This event marked a significant milestone in the university’s commitment to athletics, student experience and community pride.
The PC Construction team joined university officials, donors, alumni, students and local residents for the festive occasion. The ceremony opened with remarks from university leadership, highlighting the significance of the project, and culminated in the unveiling of the new Hockey Center.
The enhanced Shawn Walsh Hockey Center includes new state-of-the-art locker rooms for the women’s and men’s ice hockey programs, a player development center with sports medicine and strength and conditioning spaces as well as a 42-seat film room, new and renovated offices for coaches and support staff, and expanded lounges and equipment rooms.
The Harold Alfond Sports Arena underwent upgrades to enhance the student-athlete and fan experience inside the historic building. Work included a new entryway complete with an expanded concourse area housing dedicated fan shop and concession sales spaces, the UMaine Hockey Hall of Champions and ticket sales.
Now we look forward to October 10 when both UMaine Division I hockey teams take to the ice for their first games in the new space, ushering in the next great chapter in UMaine hockey history!