The Sports Facilities Companies Launches Ice Division

The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), which manages the nation’s largest network of sports and recreation facilities, announced today that it has launched a new Ice Division and acquired Firland Management. The acquisition includes a partnership between Central Park Conservancy and SFC, which assumes the management of the new Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink and Pool) in New York City.

SFC will also take over management of the Skating Edge Ice Arena in Harbor City, Calif., located in the Harbor region of Los Angeles. Additionally, Montclair State University Ice Arena in New Jersey and the SportONE Parkview Icehouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will join the SFC family as part of the Firland Management acquisition. 

With the creation of its Ice Division, SFC now operates over 60 facilities with over 3,000 team members, welcoming more than 25 million guests and producing over $500 million in economic impact annually. As part of the announcement, Firland Management’s longtime Co-Owner and VP of Finance, Kelly Kryukov, has been named Vice President of SFC’s Ice Division. 

“With this acquisition and the creation of our Ice Division, we are expanding our capabilities to better serve communities across the country,” said Jason Clement, CEO of The Sports Facilities Companies. “Firland Management has a long history of excellence in ice facility management, and we are excited to build on that legacy, enhancing our portfolio and continuing to deliver exceptional experiences for athletes and guests alike.”

Founded in 1999, Firland Management became a leading consulting firm specializing in designing, developing, constructing, marketing, and managing ice rinks and multi-purpose recreational facilities. Under the leadership of Co-Owner and President James Cain, Firland Management has consulted on over 100 projects across North America. Cain will remain with SFC as a consultant, supporting the Ice Division and future SFC ice projects.

“I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished at Firland Management over the past 25 years,” said Cain. “We’ve transformed facilities and built strong relationships with the communities we serve. I’m excited to continue working alongside SFC in a consulting capacity to help grow the Ice Division and support future ice projects. Firland’s venues are in good hands under SFC’s experienced leadership, and I’m confident they will continue to thrive. I’d also like to congratulate Kelly on her new role as VP of the Ice Division.”

Formerly known as Lasker Rink and Pool, the newly transformed Harlem Meer Center in Central Park will be a state-of-the-art facility and the most significant and complex project ever undertaken by the Central Park Conservancy. Under SFC’s management, the fully accessible center will offer year-round recreational opportunities, including enhanced ice skating in the winter and a larger-than-Olympic-size pool with an outdoor spray pad in the summer. Construction on the complex began in 2021 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.

The Skating Edge Ice Arena offers a variety of programs for the Los Angeles community, including public skating sessions, freestyle, ice dance, stroking, hockey, broomball, and off-ice training. It is home to the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, the Bay Harbor Red Wings, the Ice Angeles Adult Ice Hockey League, and Loyola Marymount University’s Lions Ice Hockey team. Vic’s Pro-Shop, located on-site, provides equipment and skate-sharpening services for hockey and figure skating.

The Montclair State University Ice Arena has been a central hub for ice sports in New Jersey for over 20 years, featuring two full-size NHL rinks, a performance training center, a pro shop, and a local café. It hosts various programs, from youth and adult hockey leagues to figure skating and university-level competitions. The arena also supports community initiatives, including the NJ Monarchs, a special needs ice skating and hockey program.

As one of the largest ice facilities in the region, SFC takes over the management of SportONE Parkview Icehouse. The facility includes three NHL-sized rinks and hosts extensive youth hockey programs, figure skating academies, and adult leagues. It is also home to Fort Wayne Spacemen Junior Hockey and Indiana Tech’s collegiate hockey teams.