There’s a scene at the end of Field of Dreams, the iconic 1989 baseball movie starring Kevin Costner, where a stream of cars makes its way through Iowa cornfields toward an illuminated baseball diamond shining in the night like a beacon calling them home.

A somewhat similar sight can be found at the end of the Long Island Expressway, in the town of Riverhead, where a large white dome glows in the winter night beckoning hockey players and figure skaters of all ages to come join in the fun.

It’s quickly becoming an icy field of dreams for those who not long ago had to drive several hours to get their hockey or skating fix. But thanks to the passion and perseverance of a group of well-connected and resourceful hockey enthusiasts, these once nomadic hockey players and skaters now have a place to call their own.

The Peconic Hockey Foundation, a non-profit based in Wading River, is dedicated to growing the game of hockey at the youth level. It consists of a group of men and women whose passion for the game runs the gamut, from PHF President Troy Albert, who grew up playing hockey in Minnesota and now runs the iconic Sebonack Golf Club, to Chris Keber, a father of three hockey playing boys who moved his family from Manhattan to Long Island during the height of the Covid pandemic. 

Along with the support of so many in the community, this team has done what few believed was possible by bringing a year-round sheet of ice to the eastern end of Long Island. 

Given the rich history of the New York Islanders, who have called Long Island home since the early 1970s (other than a brief hiatus to Brooklyn) and an ever-growing list of great hockey players who hail from the area, many wondered why it had taken so long to turn this hockey dream into a reality.

Somewhat fittingly, that all changed this past Thanksgiving weekend when a group of hockey supporters were joined by local and state government officials, sponsors, coaches, players, and families who helped make the rink a reality. Among those in attendance were Islander greats Ed Westfall and Pat Lafontaine, who helped christen the new rink. Westfall, the first Islanders captain for whom the rink is named, dropped the first puck to get things under way.

“When you think of the pleasure that these buildings are going to give families, it’s not just kids playing hockey, but figure skating, family skating,” Westfall told a local newspaper. “It’s a wonderful way for people to say, ‘Let’s go get a pair of skates and go for a skate.’ You wouldn’t believe what that does for a family and a community.”

And much like the mantra fitting of Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come has leaped off the silver screen and on full display on a daily basis. No sooner did locals have time to let their turkey dinners digest that the rink came alive with the sounds of skates carving the freshly minted sheet of ice as laughter echoed throughout the white plastic bubble.

“One thing is for sure, the demand is absolutely off the charts,” Keber said. “People say it all the time, because if you see this thing, especially at twilight you’ll see this big white glowing dome out in the middle of a 36-acre field. It feels like a scene from Field of Dreams. It’s just a cool thing.”

Hockey on the eastern end of the island has always had a bit of a spotty history. With no full-time rink, players had to make do with one tiny rink that ran from Halloween to St. Patrick’s Day in one village. Or at a local tennis club that flooded its courts during the winter months, which was at the mercy of the storms blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. Most opted to make the long drive west to find whatever ice was available, and usually not at the best hours.

“Because we weren’t the home team anywhere, we got zero preference. We were always scraping and clawing for any time we could get,” Keber said. 

“Our Mite team would have practice at 8 o’clock on a Thursday night, which is terrible because the boys travel two hours to get to a one-hour practice and they travel two hours back. They’d get in bed at 11:30 at night, and they’re 8 years old. 

“Or we’d have 6 a.m. games that were an hour and a half away from us, which meant getting up at 4 in the morning.”

If that doesn’t inspire parents to find a solution, nothing will. That’s where Troy Albert and his wife, Caryn, took charge. 

After creating the Peconic Hockey Foundation in 2015, the Alberts set about raising awareness of the game by purchasing floor hockey sets and distributing them at local schools. In addition, the owner of the Sebonack Golf Club hosted a fundraiser to raise money for the cause. The event attracted several high-profile people in the hockey community, including NHL Hall of Famer Mark Messier and Islanders co-owner John Ledecky.

Eventually, Albert petitioned USA Hockey for a charter to organize several travel teams that put the moniker to the test by driving hours to find competition.

When Covid arrived in 2020, New York was hit particularly hard. Keber and his family left their Manhattan home and headed to their house on the eastern end of Long Island. It didn’t take long for the Kebers to discover what others already knew, that there was no place to skate close to home. That’s when he met Albert and joined the cause.
Having spent his career in real estate, Keber thought he could help take the project to the next level. 

“I said ‘I don’t think you have a hockey problem; you’ve got a real estate problem. And if you don’t mind, I’ll ride shotgun with you and maybe we can figure some things out as we go through this pandemic,’” he recalled.

Working with a consultant in the ice arena industry, they managed to track down and purchase a complete rink setup in Cranston, R.I., and have it shipped to Long Island, where it sat in a warehouse as they continued their search for the perfect place to put down roots. 

They negotiated with the city council in Riverhead on leasing a 36-acre piece of Veterans Memorial Park in an area of town known as Calverton. In exchange for the rink, the town agreed to provide a parking lot, bathroom facilities, utilities and exclusive rights to operate and manage the rink.

The Islanders have also pitched in to show their support, which means a lot to the loyal fans in this part of the state.

“The Islanders ownership and staff have been very generous with us,” Keber said. “This is Islanders’ country, no question about it. We love the association with our home team.”

For their part, Peconic Hockey Foundation was now in the rink business. Almost overnight, the rink became a magnet for hockey players and skaters of all ages. From learn to play clinics to adult leagues and public skating sessions, the rink is always busy. So much so that plans are already in the works to build an outdoor rink.

“The demand has been outrageous,” Keber said. “The community, from young to old, is proud to have a rink to call its own.”