Warrior Ice Arena - Stonehill Skyhawks
- Paul Baker
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 28 minutes ago
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00
Warrior Ice Arena
90 Guest St.
Boston, MA 02135
Year Opened: 2016
Capacity: 700
A Temporary Nest
Stonehill began playing varsity hockey in 1978, joining ECAC 3, the lowest division in college hockey at the time. Over their first 22 seasons, Stonehill had exactly 4 winning seasons and zero postseason appearances. The team joined Division Two in 1999, winning three conference championships at that level. Since joining Division One in 2022, the Skyhawks have competed as an independent, as their conference, the NEC, does not support hockey. In their three seasons at college hockey’s top level, Stonehill has gone 31-62-2.
For their first three seasons, the Skyhawks men’s team played their home games at the off-campus Bridgewater Ice Arena. This facility, located nine miles from campus, was the smallest D-I facility in the country. In need of an upgraded facility in order to attract recruits, Stonehill moved a portion of their schedule to Warrior Ice Arena in Boston. In 2025-2026 the Skyhawks will play 13 of their 14 home games at Warrior. In addition, the women’s team will play four of their home games at Warrior.
Warrior Ice Arena, located in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, is primarily the practice rink for the Boston Bruins. It was also the home of the Premier Hockey Federation’s Boston Pride for seven seasons from 2016-2023. This busy community rink is named for its sponsor, Warrior Ice, which is the hockey brand of New Balance.
Stonehill, which used the nickname Chieftains for decades, changed its mascot to the Skyhawks in 2005 to honor the type of planes used by the Navy at the airfield located on the campus until 1955.
On May 28, 2025 Stonehill College announced that due to a record $15-million donation from Tom (class of ’72) and Kathleen Bogan, planning has begun on a new hockey and basketball arena on campus. In recognition of their philanthropy, the arena will be named the Tom and Kathleen Bogan Arena. There is currently no timeline for construction of the arena.
Food & Beverage 3
The one concession stand at Warrior Ice Arena sells a basic menu, highlighted by grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken tenders and pizza slices. In keeping with Warrior’s status as a busy community rink open throughout the day, breakfast sandwiches are also sold here. There’s an impressive array of snacks sold at the stand, featuring arena standards such as nachos, pretzels and popcorn along with some healthier snacks you won’t usually find at a hockey arena.
Fans looking for a beverage will be interested to learn that the cola wars have skipped Warrior Ice Arena entirely. Instead of soda, a selection of water, juices, seltzers and energy drinks are sold. Hot drinks including coffee, tea and hot chocolate are popular choices in this chilly rink. No alcohol is sold at Warrior Ice Arena.
Atmosphere 2
Fans who visit Warrior Arena expecting the busy, loud and zany game day atmosphere from the days of the Pride are sure to be disappointed with the very basic presentation put on by the Stonehill staff. Perhaps this is due to the distance from campus, perhaps it’s because Stadium Journey happened to visit very early in the season, but there’s not a ton going on here besides the game on the ice. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Music is played at a very reasonable volume, and the playlist is heavy on classic rock, both positive points in this writer’s opinion. The PA announcer goes about his duties in a very unobtrusive manner, and there are no shenanigans, t-shirt tosses, giveaways or the like to be found during play stoppages or intermissions. Simple scoreboards on either end of the rink display time and score. It’s all very old school here at Warrior for a Skyhawk game.
Neighborhood 4
Warrior Ice Arena is part of Boston Landing, a mixed-use development located in an area that once housed the city’s largest stockyard. Besides Warrior Arena, the Auerbach Center (the Boston Celtics’ practice facility), and the headquarters of New Balance are located here. Several local television and radio stations have their studios near Boston Landing.
Visiting fans will find some excellent dining choices near Warrior Ice Arena. The Stockyard is one of Boston’s oldest steak houses. The Railstop, adjacent to the arena, offers craft beer and upscale pub dining. Flatbread Pizza offers specials to Pride fans and a variety of, you guessed it, pizzas. Mainely Burgers offers a variety of gourmet burgers and pub food.
Downtown Boston is just a few miles from Boston Landing, and easily accessed by the MBTA’s Commuter Rail. While the nearby Allston neighborhood is not known as a destination location in a city full of them, there are many excellent restaurants, pubs and lodging options throughout the area.
Fans 2
It might be a bit early to accurately gauge the attendance at Stonehill hockey games, as Stadium Journey visited Warrior Arena for the second game of the 2025-2026 season. The first two games of the season, attracted announced crowds of 300 and 215 fans. These crowds are comparable to the announced attendance for the 2024-25 season of 220 fans per game.
The crowd at Warrior Ice Arena for Skyhawks hockey can accurately be described as a “friends and family” crowd, with the emphasis on family. Everyone in the stands appeared to be connected to someone on the ice. They were reserved and respectful while taking in the action. This was not a rowdy or loud crowd by any means. With Warrior Arena located 34 miles from the Stonehill campus on the far side of Boston, it’s likely that you won’t see much of a turnout from the student body here in Brighton.
Access 4
Boston traffic notwithstanding, Warrior Arena is fairly simple to get to from most points in and around Boston. Located right off of the Mass Pike, the Boston Landing neighborhood offers both on-street and garage parking. A complete map of parking and transportation options in the area can be found here.
As is the case with many Boston locations, public transportation is the recommended method to arrive at Boston Landing. The Framingham/Worcester branch of the Commuter Rail has a stop a block from the Arena. This line continues on to downtown Boston. In addition, several bus lines serve the area, including the #86 route, which provides access to the Red and Green MBTA lines. With shuttles available to Harvard and Kenmore and a Blue Bike rental station nearby, visiting fans have many options for getting to Warrior Ice Arena.
Fans entering the Arena will find themselves in a small lobby, where you may bump into some of the players warming up before the game. The ice surface, locker rooms and skate rental are located on level 2, with the spectator area on level 3. Stairs and elevators access all levels.
Warrior Ice Arena is a modern, attractive facility. Fans will enter the arena (fair warning: it’s cold here, so dress appropriately) at the top of the seating area, which lines one side of the rink. Standing room, the snack bar and event room are located along the concourse that runs the length of the rink. Fans will walk down to their seats, which consist entirely of bright yellow folding stadium seats.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for Skyhawk hockey games are sold as general admission seating. Seats are priced at $18 for men’s games and $15 for women’s games. Stadium Journey recommends the standing room spots which line the top of the seating area, including the decks on either end of the ice. Be warned that space is limited, so get here early.
Parking for Skyhawk games in the garage at Warrior Arena will cost you an additional twenty dollars. There is ample on-street parking in the area, which is free of charge on weekends when the Skyhawks play.
Extras 2
Since Warrior Ice Arena is owned and operated by the Boston Bruins, it’s expected that you will find the facility heavy on Bruins touches. Banners honoring the team’s Stanley Cup championships and retired numbers hang over the ice surface, and the 17.5-foot Bruins logo that overlooks the Mass Pike is the arena’s defining feature.
Additional Bruins touches that are worth a look are the giant bear in the lobby that is made out of old Bruins equipment (and if you look closely, you’ll see a microphone autographed by TD Garden anthemist Todd Angily in the bear’s mouth). There are life-sized paintings of Bruins legends Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron as well as Pride legend Jillian Dempsey in the lobby. And the old rod hockey Bruins vs. Canadians game on the concourse deserves a shout.
Final Thoughts
After playing three seasons in the Bridgewater Ice Arena near campus, it was obvious that something needed to be done in order for Stonehill to compete for recruits in hockey-mad New England. While playing in an arena 30 miles from campus is far from ideal, having Warrior Ice Arena as a home nest has allowed Stonehill to schedule nationally ranked opponents while they await their shiny new on-campus home.
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