By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


A local hockey team is moving to a new, much more convenient, home ice arena.

Cleary University has announced that it has partnered up with the 140 Ice Den, formerly known as the Grand Oaks Ice Arena, to serve as the new home for the university’s hockey team. Located on Grand Oaks Drive, directly across from Cleary’s Wellness Center, 140 Ice Den will become the home ice for Cleary’s men’s hockey team, as well as for student life activities.

“This partnership is a win-win for us and for Cleary,” says Joe Riccardi, president of San Marino Capital Partners and owner of 140 Ice Den. “As a community ice arena, we strive to provide access and opportunity for those in the wider community. With Cleary University right across the street, it makes perfect sense to partner for all their ice skating needs.”

Riccardi says he changed the arena’s name to 140 Ice Den to reflect its easy access at exit 140 off of I-96. He also wanted to continue what he called a “community-centric ideology” that includes being a home for Howell Hockey, Livingston Figure Skating Club as well as boys and girls Biggby Coffee AAA Hockey teams and the nonprofit Grand River Hockey Association.

Dr. Matthew Bennett, Cleary’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement, said while the university enjoyed a “long and fruitful partnership” with the Hartland Ice Arena, which served as a home to their hockey team for many years, the convenience of the 140 Ice Den was undeniable. “We were sad to leave such a familiar space, but it is easier for our students to have a home ice within walking distance so they spend less time commuting to practice. We look forward to partnering with 140 Ice Den to provide ice skating opportunities for our entire campus!”

The 140 Ice Den began more than three decades ago as Grand Oaks Arena. At that time, the arena was formed by volunteers seeking to continue the legacy of Livingston County hockey and figure skating. In 2019, San Marino Capital Partners, with Joe Riccardi as President, purchased Grand Oaks Arena and took it over as “a labor of love.” Since then, Riccardi says they have refurbished the locker rooms, updated the “Snack Shack,” added new paint and upgraded and paved the parking lot as well as LED lighting.