Ocean Ice Palace In Brick Set To Close After Nearly 60 Years

BRICK, NJ — It's the rink where thousands of kids laced up skates for the first time, where pee wee hockey players grew into National Hockey League players, and high school and club championships were won.

Ocean Ice Palace, where hockey players and kids logged thousands of hours of ice time, is closing its doors at the end of July.

The rink's owners announced the closure on the Ocean Ice Palace Facebook page Tuesday afternoon.

"After almost 60 years of Family Owned & Operated businesses, Ocean Ice Palace & Ocean Hockey Supply will be closing their doors at the end of this month," the post said. "We are extremely thankful to all the friends who have become family and customers who have become friends over the years. The decision was not made lightly and certainly not without being given much thought."

The pro shop will remain open through the end of July, and the programs and camps scheduled will continue through July 31, the post said.

The rink on Chambers Bridge Road was built in 1962 by Dr. Leon J. Dwulet; his daughter, Joan Dwulet, owns it now, and the rink is managed by Raven and Andrew Barten; Raven is Joan's daughter.

Ocean Ice Palace was home to Brick Township's youth and high school hockey teams for most of its history and has seen a number of its players go on to the college ranks and some go to the pros. Most notable is Brick Township High School graduate Jim Dowd, who had a 17-year NHL career and won the 1995 Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils. Also playing in the NHL is James van Riemsdyk, who played youth hockey with Brick Hockey Club but high school hockey at Christian Brothers Academy in Middletown. He plays for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 13.34-acre property was rumored to be for sale in early 2020 but Andrew Barten said the rumor was false.

According to records filed in the Ocean County clerk's office, Leon Dwulet transferred the deed on the property from the names of himself and his wife, Helene, to Ocean Ice Palace Inc., in 1983. The property has remained in the ownership of Ocean Ice Palace Inc. ever since.

Joan Dwulet negotiated a potential sale of the rink to Brick Township in 2007-08, while Mayor Stephen Acropolis was in office. But after a year of discussions and a move to force a referendum on the potential $5.25 million purchase, Dwulet withdrew from the sale.

In more recent years, a controversy arose in 2016 between the rink and the Brick Township School District over fees for ice time when the rink in Howell offered a discount. Though the school board ultimately decided to continue using Ocean Ice Palace for the 2016-17 season, the Brick and Brick Memorial hockey teams moved to the Howell Ice Arena the following year anyway.

The Brick Hockey Club also moved out of Ocean Ice Palace, moving its teams and operations to the Jersey Shore Arena in Wall in 2020.

Ocean Ice Palace added bumper cars on ice in 2018 in an attempt to diversify its offerings and bring in new customers.

The Ocean Hockey pro shop will be offering discounts on all of the items in the store until the shop closes July 31.

This article has been updated to include information on when Brick's high school hockey teams and the Brick Hockey Club moved their operations from the facility.

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