New England Sports (NES) Center

To many, the New England Sports (NES) Center in Marlborough, Mass, is a hockey mecca. With its 5 rinks and never ending array of tournaments and other events, its hard to play hockey in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Vermont or Maine without a periodic visit to NES.  In fact, for the serious hockey player, NES plays host to a steady stream of showcase tournaments, most notably the Beantown Classic in the summer and spring.

Ice Rink or Airport?

And all of that is just unfortunate.

NES is to your hometown rink what a huge, dirty shopping mall is to a small town store.  It is a Walmart compared to a mom and pop shop.  It is a Mega-Taco Bell when you crave a good diner.

Other than the fact that it has a ton of hockey and a relatively decent pro shop, there is nothing to recommend this place. It has the feel of an beat-up major metropolitan airport (think NYC's LaGuardia), and the place has what is essentially a main concourse that might as well be an airport.. The locker rooms are small and dank; it is hard to find them and doing sooften requires going up and down a series of staircases.

Meanwhile, the ice is just plain cruddy.

And good luck if you need some help.  The good folks of NES Center might as well be operating a factory for all the customer care they offer (again, with the notable exception of the pro shop).  Surly doesn't capture the feeling; it is more of a numb-disinterested-and-not-to-be-bothered affect.

So, if you think that NES Center is a place to visit and a hockey heaven . . . . Think again.  NES Center is a place to be avoided, and, when that's not possible, a place to be endured.

Note:  On this date, "Henderson Has Scored for Canada."