Palm Beach Ice Works (PBIW), an Olympic-style ice rink in West Palm Beach, FL embarks on a new chapter.
Lori Alf, owner and founder of the Palm Beach Ice Works (PBIW) since 2009, sold the Palm Beach Breakers youth hockey and ice-skating program to Larry Robbins and Longwood Hockey and is also leasing the PBIW space.
Under a five-year lease agreement, Rob Laferriere, president of Longwood Hockey, assumes responsibility for overseeing PBIW rink operations and the hockey program in tandem with the current leadership.
Robbins is an 18-year veteran of coaching youth hockey at the North Jersey Avalanche, which flourished into the Midget Hockey program, reaching nationals 11 times and producing 75 Division 1 college hockey players in the past seven years. Recently, Robbins has focused on coaching Mite hockey for kids ages 8 and under, “fostering an early passion and love for the game among the youngest participants.”
In 2015, Robbins acquired the USHL’s Chicago Steel and transformed the program into a junior hockey program, nurturing talents, including Owen Powers, Adam Fantilli and Macklin Celebrini, all former #1, #3, and projected #1 picks in three of the last four NHL drafts.
Robbins prioritizes educational excellence and character development through philanthropic works, which include his support of the Hockey in Harlem and the Sled Rangers organizations. In 2018, the Positive Coaching Alliance honored him alongside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for their shared commitment to character development in youth hockey and the broader community.
This transaction “launches the beginning of Robbins, Laferriere and the Longwood Hockey team’s efforts to revolutionize hockey in South Florida, with plans to invest in additional facilities and recruit top-tier coaches to establish the state as a center for on-ice development excellence.” In keeping with their consistent approach, free youth clinics will be hosted at PBIW this month, featuring prominent guest coaches “as a welcoming gesture to the community.”
Image courtesy Palm Beach Ice Works
