Okay, okay, I know they tore down Cherry Hill Arena, aka The IceHouse, aka Delaware Valley Gardens, aka The Centrum in the 80s, and finally put in the grocery store that they had been threatening to put up through the life of the Arena. But I still paid a visit to the hallowed grounds (mostly because I haven't found a shot of the half-empty mall on the web, and I'm here to bring history alive, even if it's from today and not terribly interesting.) Today, the grocery store, in it's last life a ShopRite, is still empty after at least 4 years. But if you stand far enough back you can feel like you're in the parking lot of the Cherry Hill Arena, except there aren't any potholes. Below: Cherry Hill Arena in the 1960s, and more or less the same view in January 2013 (Click on any of the photos to enlarge)...
For those who arrived at this particular blog while searching for something totally else, the Cherry Hill Arena was famous in EHL land as being the home of the Eastern Hockey League Jersey Devils in from 1964-1973. Martin Brodeur started his career playing as an 18 year old for the 1964-65 Jersey Devils and still refuses to retire at age 67.*** For the 1960-61 season the Arena was known as the Icehouse, and was located in Delaware Township, because they hadn't finished the Mall that gave the town its name (Cherry Hill), yet. That year the EHL Jersey Larks played there at the corner of Brace and Berlin Roads. The team was also known as the Haddonfield Larks. Though you could walk to downtown Haddonfield from there, it was not in Haddonfield, unless PO Boxes count.The Larks, carrying debts from their previous season as the Washington Presidents, sold so well that the following year they moved to Tennessee to become the Knoxville Knights. The Philadelphia Ramblers played some home games at the renamed Delaware Valley Gardens, until they moved to the once again renamed Cherry Hill Arena themselves in 1964, becoming the Jersey Devils until going defunct in 1973, along with the EHL.
But enough about history, lets see what is up at the current location. The view from Berlin Road (the ShopRite is straight back in the center)...
And finally, one last look across the parking lot as we say "Good Night and Good Hockey"...
***Okay I fibbed on Martin Brodeur, but you initially bought it, right? However, his father Denis Brodeur did play goal for the EHL Charlotte Clippers, leading the team from first to worst in the 1958-59 season. http://theehl.blogspot.com/2009/03/matin-brodeurs-father-played-goal-for.html
I did see Martin Brodeur's actual first game with the New Jersey Devils, which he won 4-2 over the Bruins. We didn't really know it was Martin, instead assuming that the Devils had acquired veteran goaler Richard Brodeur. The game was especially memorable, since my Bruins fanatic friend, got to see my contention, which was that Ray Bourque, while an offensive star was also a defensive liability. Bourque gave up the puck on the Devils first two goals, and then basically assisted on a beautiful pass right up the slot on the Devils' game winning goal. I think that was the game I asked my buddy to be my best man at my wedding. So, all in all, a memorable event. But, seriously Martin, time to retire. Okay, I still resent the NHL New Jersey Devils stealing the EHL Jersey Devils' name, and not even getting that it's about the "Jersey Devil" a mostly South Jersey phenomenon, and not Satan.
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