On March 31, the passionate hockey community in and around the Calumet area earned the title of Hockeyville USA, sponsored by Kraft Hockeyville. The countless dedicated fans and volunteers of the small town received the reward for their hard work over many generations.

“Our community is proud to have that [Colosseum] be the epicenter of our lives,” Vice-President of the Calumet Hockey Association Damon Beiring said.

The Calumet Colosseum is a hockey arena that has stood since 1913, and is considered the oldest continually-used rink in North America.
Kraft Hockeyville awarded $150,000 in arena upgrades and $10,000 in equipment upgrades to the Colosseum.

There are discussions surrounding the use of the prize money, but an exact plan has yet to form.

“One of the things that needs to be addressed soon is the ice plant,” Beiring said. “I don’t have a concrete answer for what is planned for the money.”

The Colosseum has the chance to host an NHL preseason game but it’s possible the game may not happen due to ice and other rink regulations.

“I was told the NHL wants the game played at the Colosseum, the size [of the ice surface] is not a problem,” Beiring explained. “They want to play in the oldest continuously operating rink in North America. Why wouldn’t they, right?”

This historic building first opened its doors in 1913. The Colosseum has been home for multiple ice hockey teams including the Calumet Hockey Association youth levels, the Calumet high school team, the GLHL’s Calumet Wolverines and a semi-pro team the Copper Country Chiefs.

A walk inside the Colosseum would show you hundreds of pieces of memorabilia of players and teams dating back to the early 1900s. This history helped build the Calumet Hockey Association to what it is today.

The city of Calumet is deserving of this honor and citizens will treasure it for years to come.