NHL Hall-of-Famer Luc Robitaille was in town on Friday, lending his clout to a press conference held by the Greater Santa Barbara Ice Skating Association (GSBISA), which announced the donation of land at Girsh Park that will eventually house a state-of-the-art ice rink.
The facility will provide opportunities for the public to ice skate as well as opportunities for local youth to develop skills in several ice-based disciplines, including figure skating and ice hockey.
Robitaille, best known in these parts for being an all-star teammate of Wayne Gretzky with Los Angeles Kings, played 19 years in the NHL and won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. He retired in 2006 as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer at the left-wing postition. Robitaille, currently the Kings’ President of Business Operations, said he’s been active helping develop youth hockey in America.
The land donation announced Friday is a big step in a long journey to make the rink a reality. The project has been in the works since the Camino Real Marketplace was developed in the mid-1990s.
