In the former footprint of Northgate Mall, the city's newest ice center grew into a three-rink circus. Public skating hours—including ones in the late evening—are mixed with drop-in hockey development, scheduled classes, and small children play hours. Upstairs holds a Starbucks, the Kraken team store, and 32 Bar and Grill. Want to see how the pros do it? Some Kraken team practices are open to the public.

A trio of rinks hold down the skating scene on the Eastside, all of which have public skating hours. Sessions are broken into ones for under 5 years old and over 6, so little kids can avoid becoming sitting ducks on the ice. The rinks also host figure skaters doing elite work with their coaches and an extensive lessons and hockey program for kids and adults, not to mention plenty of birthday parties.

Don't get confused by nearby Olympic View Arena; that spot is for organized sports only, but its sister structure in Lynnwood has public skating hours. This nonprofit-run rink has been in the community for more than three decades. Public skating hours are interspersed with stick-and-puck sessions for developing hockey players and learn-to-skate classes through Seattle Skating Club.

Like its northerly neighbors, the Kent rink holds public skating sessions and various levels of lessons. What sets the complex apart are the options for other spots, like five batting cages and a mini golf course. Back on the ice, shooting stations during Stick and Puck schedule blocks allow wannabe Beniers to smack a puck at a goal without risking injury to others.

Ice skating is just one of many activities down in Tacoma; the community Sprinker center also has indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a rock climbing wall, and an outdoor skateboarding park. This place embraces the stranger ways to play on ice; beyond public skating, they have broomball (hockey but with shoes and carrying brooms) and ice bumper cars.