MASSENA - The Massena Joint Recreation Department plans to pull the plug on their ice season a week earlier this year since there’s nothing on their schedule that would warrant keeping the ice in the Massena Arena.

Recreation Superintendent Richard A. Boprey told members of the Massena Joint Recreation Commission Tuesday that they had “no solid bookings” for the last week in March, leading up to Easter weekend, so they plan to pull the plug and begin the process of ice removal starting March 24, once the Massena Figure Skating Club invitational and broomball playoffs are complete.

“It’s one week earlier than normal,” Mr. Boprey said. “We’ll save on a week of compressor costs, electric costs and water costs.”

“Economically it makes sense,” Joint Recreation Commission Chairman David M. MacLennan said.

Even shutting down the ice a week early, he said they keep their ice in longer than other area rinks. Mr. Boprey said ice was taken out of the Pine Street Arena in Potsdam on March 10, out of the Canton Pavilion on March 3, out of the rink at Salmon River Central School a week or two ago, and will be out of the Louisville Arena on March 20.

“We are still always one of the last to take it out,” he said.

As the ice season winds down, Mr. Boprey said it has gone out with a bang thanks to the addition of a playoff game at the Massena Arena for the Massena High School boys’ hockey team.

“It was a bonus for us this year,” he said.

The Raiders had beat Canton in triple overtime at the Massena Arena, earning a chance to face off against NAC regular season champion Potsdam Central in the Section 10 final at Cheel Arena in Potsdam.

They notched a 3-2 overtime win over Potsdam in that game, bringing another game to the Massena Arena - a state quarterfinal contest against Section 9’s Monroe-Woodbury.

“The fact is, they did good for us. It means another week of practice” and the game against Monroe-Woodbury, Mr. Boprey said.

They won the game against Monroe-Woodbury, 3-1, advancing to face Section 5 champion McQuaid Jesuit in the semi-finals of the New York State Division I playoffs at the Utica Aud. Their season ended with a 5-1 loss in that game.

“We gained at least another practice before they went to Utica,” he said.

Concession sales also gained from the extra game, according to the recreation superintendent. He said they had $600 in concession sales during the Monroe-Woodbury game, as well as $1,030 on March 2 when 12 Mosquito teams were at the arena from 12 to 5:30 p.m. for a Mosquito jamboree.

“It was a fantastic five hours for us,” Mr. Boprey said.

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