After 15 years of serving the ice skating community, The Rinks – Westminster Ice will close its doors on March 31.

The COVID-19 pandemic was largely the catalyst for the decision to close the facility, said Alex Gilchrist, a spokesperson for the Anaheim Ducks which operates the rink. Gilchrist said Westminster Ice was the Ducks’ last location to reopen after the pandemic, occurring after most of the skaters had already moved to another facility.

The 36,000-square-foot ice rink was the Ducks’ first ice rink other than the team’s practice facility in Anaheim as part of its efforts to bring ice hockey to local communities.

But the ice rink had existed long before the Ducks’ involvement. It opened in 1996 in a former grocery store before eventually becoming the Westminster Ice Arena, drawing Arctic Blades, a well-known figure skating club at the time, and hosting champion figure skaters along with hockey players.

The NHL team bought the older skating rink and re-opened it in 2009 after it had closed down the year prior. It has offered daily public ice skating sessions, beginner skating classes, figure skating group classes, youth and adult ice hockey programs and private lessons.

The Ducks also own ice rinks in Anaheim, Lakewood, Poway, Yorba Linda and the Great Park in Irvine, which are still open with no current plans of closing, said Gilchrist.

“We will continue to invest in hockey and skating in Southern California,” said Gilchrist.

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“Since our establishment in 2009, we have had the honor of serving skaters and hockey players of all ages and experience levels, from beginners taking their first steps on the ice to seasoned professionals refining their skills,” Westminster Ice said in an email to the community earlier this month. “Over the years, our patrons have become more than just customers — they have become our extended family. We have shared countless memories, from the joy of a child’s first skating lesson to the exhilaration of landing a difficult jump.”

Skaters expressed disappointment over the news on social media, with one Reddit user saying, “I’m so sad to hear this. I used to train there for figure skating. … I have some great memories there.”

There are no plans yet of whether the ice rink, located at 13071 Springdale St., will be repurposed or demolished, said Westminster city manager Christine Cordon.