Duluth Heritage Sports Center Launches Eight-Week Beginner Hockey Program This Spring

Eight consecutive Sunday evenings of beginner hockey instruction begin tomorrow at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center, with the first puck dropping at 5:15 p.m. March 22 and the program running through May 10.

The 2026 Spring Learn to Play Hockey program costs $50, paid through registration, plus a required USA Hockey membership ranging from $17 to $79. Registration includes the use of Duluth Parks and Recreation skates and helmets, with both hockey and figure skates available. The program is open to anyone ages 0 to 99 who resides within Duluth city limits, and eight weeks of on-ice instruction will be led by registered coaches. Those who need gear or financial assistance can reach organizers at learnhockey.duluth@gmail.com; financial assistance requires an application submitted before registration to receive a discount code.

The program is a collaboration among the Piedmont Hockey Association, the Duluth Amateur Hockey Association, and Duluth Parks and Recreation. Minnesota Hockey provided grants to launch the program, and Duluth Parks and Recreation supplied access to skates. Organizers have described themselves as "open to constructive feedback, volunteers and donations" and invited anyone with questions or needs to contact learnhockey.duluth@gmail.com.

The venue itself carries the weight of Duluth's hockey history. The Heritage Sports Center replaced Peterson Arena, a city rink built around 1972 that was destroyed by fire in December 2004. Private donations covered most of a $16 million price tag to build the new facility, with additional commitments from the Duluth school district, the city, and the state. Developer Alessandro Giuliani's adjacent retail development was privately financed beyond some tax breaks; according to source materials, Giuliani said he hoped to make money on the venture but also wanted to make a difference.

The building itself is a deliberate nod to what came before it. The brick interior was salvaged and cleaned from the Clyde Iron industrial site, where old masonry meets new construction in areas like the high school locker rooms. Patrons climb from Heritage Hall to the Heritage Arena concourse, which overlooks a bowl seating area holding 1,400 spectators in a configuration that organizers have compared to Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.

Inside the rink, ceiling-mounted banners honor notable Duluth-bred players: Tommy Williams, Butch Williams, Dates Fryberger, Dave Heaslip, Dave Spehar, Jim Claypool, Jim Watt, Mike Randolph, and Phil Hoene. A Collegiate Wall tracks the center's rink-to-college pipeline. At the top of the main staircase, artist Tim Cortes, a former Duluth East goalie, painted a mural depicting a youngster dropping a puck for a faceoff between two friends. Promoters have said the center's mission extends beyond the sport itself: "It's about more than hockey - it's about one of Duluth's needier neighborhoods."

The eight sessions run 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. each Sunday through May 10. The center is located at 29th Avenue West and Michigan Street in Duluth; a separate program listing also references 120 W. 30th Ave S. as the Sill Arena address, and organizers should be contacted directly to confirm the precise entrance for participants.