Ralph Engelstad Arena (The Mini Ralph) (REA) is an indoor

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

located in

Thief River Falls, Minnesota Thief River Falls, sometimes abbreviated as TRF, is a city and county seat of Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. History Thief River Falls takes its name fro ...

. It is used primarily for ice sports, such as

hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

, and was built by Jim Kobetsky of Schoen Associates based in

Grand Forks Grand Forks is a city in and the county seat of Grand Forks County, North Dakota, United States. The city's population was 59,166 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the state, after Fargo and Bismarck. Grand For ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

. The Venue was the home arena of the

Thief River Falls Norskies The Thief River Falls Norskies were an American Junior A ice hockey team based in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. They participate in the Superior International Junior Hockey League, a Canadian Junior Hockey League The Canadian Junior Hockey Le ...

of the

SIJHL The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a Junior ice hockey#Junior A, junior A ice hockey league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The league operates in the Canadian province of Ontar ...

and currently the home of the Lincoln High School Prowlers Hockey Programs (often referred to as the 'Thief River Falls Prowlers'). It replaced the older Huck Olson Memorial Arena which was home to the prowlers since 1970.

History

On February 4, 2002, it was announced the

Ralph Engelstad Ralph Louis Engelstad (January 28, 1930 – November 26, 2002) was an American businessman who owned the Imperial Palace casino-hotels in Las Vegas and in Biloxi, Mississippi. He also owned the Kona Kai motel in Las Vegas, which later became the ...

and his wife Betty, whom were living in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

at the time, had donated $10 million which was to be used for a new multi-purpose facility in his hometown Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The project was approved in a city council meeting on February 12, 2002. Despite the donation, it was clear that additional funds would be needed for the project to come to fruition. Thus, a local fundraising campaign began in September of that year, which raised approximately an extra $3 million which was enough money to finish the project. The Arena would be officially dedicated on November 29, 2003. Though Ralph Engelstad would not live to see this. He would die of

Lung Cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

on November 26, 2002 at 72 years old. In June 2005, The Construction of the Community room, or "Imperial Room" was finished. In the same year, A basketball floor and Arena decking were added. After Construction was completed, the Engelstad family would donate a further $13 million. The arena hosts regional playoffs for high school basketball also. The arena also hosts small concerts, large vendor shows, and a rodeo.

Priscilla Block Priscilla Ann Block (born August 11, 1995) is an American country music singer–songwriter. After graduating high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in the country industry. In 2020, her song " Just About Over You" went viral on ...

played during the rodeo in 2023. The

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters is an American Exhibition game, exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 ...

played there in 2022.

Features

*2,800 Theatre-style seats *281 Bar stools along the perimeter of the bowl *2 concession stands *8 bathrooms *Weight Room *Hall of Fame section, which includes a bronze statue of Ralph Engelstad from when he played high school hockey at Thief River Falls as a goaltender

References

External links

Ralph Engelstad Arena - Thief River Falls websiteVintage Minnesota Hockey - Ralph Engelstad ArenaThief River Falls Norskies Official Website
Ice hockey venues in Minnesota Buildings and structures in Pennington County, Minnesota Sports in Thief River Falls, Minnesota {{Minnesota-stadium-stub