Open House
Guided Tour
Presented ByHello!
Thank you for coming to the Langley Rivermen Open House. We are excited to invite you back to the Lodge at the George Preston Recreation Centre this fall. We are pleased to be putting BCHL hockey on the ice in the community of Langley once again this season.A message from the Burt Henderson, Head Coach & General Manager:
Thank you all for coming to see our camp and supporting our team by attending our open house. I am eager to get the season underway while bringing hockey back to Langley after the COVID lockdowns. I hope you have a good experience touring our arena as well as our dressing rooms. I hope to see you at the games here at the Lodge this winter.
Did you know?
The George Preston Arena is the oldest ice sheet in Langley! Originally called the Civic Centre, The GPRC opened its doors November 8th 1973 (48 years ago) and was built for a grand total price of $1,750,000. The facility has been home to a number of Jr. hockey teams including the Langley Lords, Eagles, Thunder, Hornets, Chiefs, Knights, Rivermen, and Trappers. Currently, the rink is home to the British Columbia Hockey League Langley Rivermen and Pacific Junior Hockey League Langley Trappers. The facility is also home to Langley Minor Hockey Eagles, Langley Lacrosse Association Thunder, Langley Figure Skating Club, Langley Girls Hockey Association, Langley Ringette Association, and Valley Ball Hockey.
The Langley Rivermen have called the GPRC home for the past five years and are looking forward to being in Langley’s Brookswood community for the 2021-2022 season.Come on inside and take a look around. Because of the Covid restrictions we are only able to host half capacity in the facility. For this reason we request you follow along this guided tour to see our beautiful rink in its entirety while also keeping a flow of direction.
On the ice you will notice our tryouts are taking place. Players are giving it their all to compete for a spot on the roster for the upcoming season. Feel free to take in the action at any point along the tour by pulling up a seat or watch in our standing spectator areas.You are currently standing in the facility’s concourse which has been branded the Preston Chevrolet Colorado Cookhouse. Take a look at the ice and view the surface from the standing spectator area.
This area is buzzing with energy during Rivermen games! With the concession to your right side and the arena to your left, you are surrounded with that hockey feeling. The Colorado Cookhouse concession will be serving burgers, hot dogs, popcorn and many other snacks all season long. Beverages and beer will be available to fans as well here in the concourse. The restrooms are located on either side of the concession. Ladies and accessible washrooms are to the right or south of the concession and the mens washrooms are to the left or north.
Walk through these doors and feel the cool breeze of the ice. Let your senses excite you while welcoming the sights and sounds of hockey back into your life! These doors are the main access to the arena and stadium grandstand seating. Please be aware of what is occurring on the ice through these doors because a puck may come flying over the glass at any moment.
Feel free to explore the seating in this section or walk up the stairs to the arena’s north mezzanine that will take you down the entire length of the ice from the highest viewing point in the arena.
The north stadium mezzanine has stairways attaching to sections A through E. Section A is closest to the front concourse located at the rink’s east side. It is important to note the Rivermen will be shooting on the east side in front of section A twice per game while twice defending the west side in front of section E. Section E on the west side will be the designated family section where we encourage families to be loud and silly with their kids. The Rivermen and Trappers ice entrance is at the bottom of section E. Kids in attendance enjoy lining up to get a fist bump from the players as they enter and exit the ice surface.
Are you interested in purchasing season tickets for the Langley Rivermen or Trappers 2021-2022 season? Feel free to try out different seat locations and vantage points. What section and row do you prefer? Would you like to be closer to the ice or further away? Both options come with different experiences. Take a moment to watch the game on the ice right now for the real experience. When you’re ready to move on, head to the far stairway in section E at the west end to get to the Rivermen room.
Want to see where the Rivermen players hangout, get dressed, watch game film, workout, and get athletic therapy? Follow the hallway on the left to the dressing room.
Welcome to the Rivermen dressing room.
Be careful!
Did you know it is a bad omen to step on the team logo? It is considered disrespectful to walk on the team logo and those on the team who do will be assessed a fine. While here, feel free to sit in the stalls and take some pictures. We only ask that you do not touch the jerseys and equipment that are on display.
This room has 25 player stalls to fit the entire roster. There are two hot and cold tubs, an ice making machine, six shower stalls, and two sinks. There is also a projector screen that drops down from the roof where the team watches game film to hone in on their skills and tactics.Welcome to the gym. This area is used for team or personal workouts. The gym has 13 stationary bikes, an assault bike, three squat racks, a cable machine, and free weights from 5 pounds to 100 pounds. Players will be issued two to four workouts per week depending on the game schedule. This room is outfitted with medicine balls, rollers, resistance bands, bosu balls, and balance boards. When you are finished with the gym and Rivermen dressing room head back out the same doors you entered to continue the tour.
Follow the arrows to the door that leads below the grandstands, to the team office hallway and Trappers dressing room.
It’s a long hallway.
The Trappers dressing room door entrance is the fifth door on the left past the filing cabinet (wait, why is there filing cabinet in the hallway?) you can’t miss it!Welcome to the Langley Trappers dressing room. This room has housed all junior hockey teams that have come before, including the Rivermen when they first moved to the George Preston Recreation Centre. No need to worry about stepping on a logo in this dressing room; because there isn’t one!
The room is long and narrow, therefore we decided to use the pillars as our focal piece(s). We have also created our white boards on the pillar’s north sides. Feel free to sit in the stalls, take some pictures, and play some NHL on the playstation console. We only ask that you do not touch the jerseys and equipment that are on display.When exiting the Trappers dressing room turn left and walk down the hallway towards the arena’s front mezzanine (there may or may not be another filing cabinet in this hallway…)
When you’re back in the arena, walk through the sliding doors and through the front concourse to the south side.
Walk through the south sliding doors and stay to the left to walk up the stairs.
As you are walking up the stairs you’ll notice a newly constructed wall that houses the two new deck levels. This side of the arena will be catered by the building’s Lodge Steakhouse Restaurant of which you will see next on the tour.
To enter the deck levels take a right turn behind the pillar.
Welcome to the south side decks. We apologize these are still under construction. But, we believe this area will give spectators a great dining and entertainment experience. We have mocked up a couple seating arrangements and are looking for some feedback from you. Which arrangement do you prefer? Do you see yourself sitting here? Inquire about season tickets and deck packages by sending an email to trish@langleyrivermen.com. When all is said and done there’s going to be 8 suites and 1 accessible seating suite for a total of 9. The decks will house 18 cabins or chalets with differing seat numbers. We are also looking for feedback on what these should be called. Do you prefer Cabin or Chalet? What about Cottage? Let us know! Directly behind the players benches on deck level 2 is a unique experience being offered. Six (6) high-top tables will be installed behind each bench with two seats per table for a total of 12 tables and 24 seats. To continue on with the tour walk up the ramp and through the doorway to the restaurant.
It’s your choice!
The Horse and Ryder Pub is on the right and the Lodge Steakhouse is on the left. Pop in to both to see their respective ambience.The Lodge Steakhouse is one of Langley’s fine dining experiences. Outfitted with high top tables, bar seating, 11 booths, and 13 patio tables, it is quickly becoming known around town. Tap the link here to go to the Restaurant’s website and view the full menu—> https://www.thelodgesteakhouse.com
The Horse and Ryder Pub is a favourite spot for the Rivermen coaching and administration staff. The Pub has views of all 6 curling sheets out the large west facing windows. There are TV’s everywhere to watch every and any game. It also has two dart boards, a shuffle board table, and two large wall mounted fireplaces creating a relaxing surrounding. Along with the great food, there is a full bar to serve you. Tap the link here to go to the pub’s website to see the full menu—> https://www.thehorseandryder.com
Hungry? Find a table and pull up a chair. You’ll be glad you did.The Horse and Ryder Pub is hosting live music every Friday and Saturday night beginning at 7:30pm throughout the month of August. Catch The Groove August 6/7, Cease & Desist 2 August 13/14, The Piano Men August 20/21, and March Hare 2 August 27/28.
To get back to the facility entrance head down the stairs in the restaurant lobby or use the elevator.
Thank you, from all of us at:
The Langley Rivermen Jr. A Hockey Team
The Langley Trappers Jr. B Hockey Team
The Lodge Steakhouse
The Horse & Ryder Pub
The George Preston Recreation CentreWEBSITE
