April 2022 | THE LAKER | Page 3
Pop Whalen Ice and Arts Center By Rosalie Triolo Remember when The Pop Whalen Ice and Arts Center located on Pine Hill Road next to the Abenaki Ski Area was an outdoor ice-skating rink? Whether actively skating, or watching from the sidelines, the bitter cold air and blustery winds were, at times, a test of one’s level of endurance. In 1987 the outdoor rink was built using steel framing enclosed with un-insulated metal walls. The metal roof was insulated. The building provided skaters and spectators shelter from the outdoor elements and icy temperatures. Three years later the addition of a heated front lobby was constructed to include high school locker rooms, restrooms, a snack shack, and a warm area for hockey fans to watch games. Today, for those fans wanting a closer look at the game, there are two choices in the unheated area: sitting on one of three sets of 3-tiered bleacher benches or standing directly behind the protective dasher boards and plexiglass barriers. Whether sitting or standing, the nearer one gets to the ice the colder the temperatures. Who was Paul (Pop) Whalen and why was an ice center named for him? A positive influence on many youths’ lives, “Pop” was a coach, mentor, father figure, friend, and loved the game of hockey. During his high school years at Medford High School in Massachusetts, Pop played varsity hockey. After graduating in 1945, he served in the
Floor Plan for the updated Pop Whalen Ice and Arts Center. Photo Courtesy Friend of Pop Whalen US Navy. Four years later he entered Boston University, a 22-year-old freshman. During his four years at Boston University Pop was named an all-star center and MVP for BU’s win over Eastern College Title. After graduation he played with the Berlin Maroons and the Laconia Lakers of the Granite State Hockey League. Arriving in Wolfeboro in 1954, with his wife by his side and diploma in hand, he taught for the next 17 years at Brewster Academy. He was instrumental in the revival of Brewster Acad-
emy’s hockey program winning the Lakes Region Title 11 of his 16 years as coach. After leaving Brewster Academy he moved to Maine and Berwick Academy where he was a member of the faculty and coach of Berwick Academy’s hockey team. Throughout his years with Berwick Academy, the hockey teams became renowned for winning four Lakes Region League titles, two New England titles and a 1974 NE Junior A title with a #4 national ranking. After a brilliant thirty-six-year career
as educator and coach of winning hockey teams, Paul (Pop) Whalen retired in 1990. He died on October 10, 2008. In 2019, realizing the need for expansion and renovation, a volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Friends of Pop Whalen was established. Their goal “to enhance and preserve” the Pop Whalen Ice and Arts Center, thereby creating a year-round (four-season) venue. Instead of opening from mid-October and closing the • Pop Whalen continued on page 4
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