Navigating NESC

This page is about Navigating the vast complex of what is the New England Sports Center. If you're already familiar with the center, then you can just read "Getting to the Timekeeping Booth "

Vocabulary used on this page

 * Rink-level: the area immediately circling each rink. This area is inside the rink, not in a heated hallway.
 * Central hallway: the main hallway that runs down the center of the complex, from the main entrance to shortly before the back rinks.
 * Interconnecting hallways/passageways: hallways that are smaller and go around to other areas.
 * Timekeepers booth: The box where the timekeeper does their job. This is located in between the benches and penalty boxes for each team.
 * Team Rooms (also called locker rooms): The rooms that are assigned to each team for games. These rooms provide facilities for the players to get dressed, as well as for the coaches to give their pre-game talks. Each of the eight full-sized rinks have four team rooms.
 * Main office: This is the office where the team rooms keys can be picked up and dropped off (coaches do this), and the scoresheets can also be picked up and dropped off. (timekeepers do this)
 * Pro shop: A store with hockey equipment supplies and skate sharpening facilities.

Getting to the Timekeeper's Booth
NOTE: In order to use some of these methods, you must be prepared to climb over some boards (no glass) and/or walk on the ice for a short distance next to the boards. Rink 1

 ​Rink 2
 * Since rink 1 has bleachers completely surrounding the scorekeeping booth, the only way to access these areas (aside from walking on the ice) is through a hallway under the back bleachers. You can find this door easiest from the atrium by going on the "Walkway to Rink 6 treamrooms". When you get to the part of the hallway between Rink 1 and Rink 6, walk through the door on the left. Walk down the hallway to the center, and the timekeepers booth will be on the left.

 ​Rink 3
 * Go around to the side of the rink with the passageway between Rinks 2 and 5. Walk through the Guest bench into the timekeeping booth.
 * Go around to the zamboni-side of the rink. Walk through the Home bench into the timekeeping booth.

 ​Rink 4
 * Go around the side of the rink closest to the entrance door. Walk through the Guest bench to the timekeeping booth.

Rink 5
 * Go around the side of the rink closest to the entrance door. Walk through the Home bench to the timekeeping booth.

 ​Rink 6
 * From the Rink 5 team rooms, Walk through the guest bench to the timekeeping booth
 * Walking from the atrium and Rink 2, Walk through the home bench to the timekeeping booth

 ​Rink 7
 * Walk along the side of the rink 6 closest to the entrance from Rink 1 and the complex entrance (front of the building) through the home bench to the booth. NOTE: because of the narrowness of the Rink 6 benches, you will have to walk on the ice from the Home bench to the Guest bench, because the only way into the timekeeping booth is from the guest bench.
 * You may also walk from the zamboni-side of the rink, and go through the Guest bench.

 ​Rink 8
 * Walk along the side of the rink closest to rink 5. Walk through the Guest bench into the timekeeping booth


 * Walk along the side of the rink closest to the entrance door hallway. Walk through the home bench into the timekeeping booth.

Navigating the Rinks
NESC consists of eight full-size ice rinks, as well as two mini-rinks. Scorekeeping assignments will only happen in the eight full-sized rinks.

A full map of the facility is now availible on NESC's website here !

Floors Navigating the Rinks
 * First Floor: This floor is the main rink level. All of the rinks, as well as the interconnecting passageways and team rooms (locker rooms) are all on this floor. This is the floor you come into at the entrance, and also has the Main office and Pro shop right off of the main atrium.
 * Second Floor: This floor is the main viewing level. This level includes a large, heated viewing area, with entrances to the in-rink viewing areas in each rink. This level also has both restaurants, the arcade, the and the fitness center.

All of the rinks are interconnected by passageways on the first floor. There are also stairways down to each rink from the second floor viewing areas.

The Central Hallway

On the first floor, there is a main central hallway that goes from the entrance down through the center of the building on the first floor. We will call this the central hallway for this explanation page. This central hallway is the main way of accessing the rink levels for rinks 1-4 (the four original rinks).

Starting at the main entrance, the main hallway passes through the glass atrium. On the right is the Main office. On the left is the pro shop. There are also large, curved staircases on either side up to the second floor. Continuing down the central hallway, you will come to a second lobby area with a straight staircase going up to the second floor. On your right will be a door to the Rink 1 rink level, and on the left will be a door to the Rink 2 rink-level. Also, here on the left is the elevator. If you go around behind the staircase, the central hallway continues. There will be a sign saying "TEAM ROOMS-Players and Coaches Only". This is the start of the main Team room area. Starting here, the Team rooms for rink 1 (rooms 1-4) are on the right, and the Team rooms for rink 2 (rooms 2-8) are on the left. The Team Rooms for rinks 1 and 2 are the only ones where the doors don't lead out to the rink, but instead to an interior hallway. In the central hallway, after team rooms 1-8, the hallway splits to the left and right. On the right split is a door to the rink 1 rink-level, as well as the rink 3 rink-level (team rooms 9-12). On the left split is a door to the rink 2 rink-level, as well as the rink 4 rink-level (team rooms 14-17)

Rinks 5&6 Rinks 5&6 are not accessible from the central hallway, because they were added on years after the original complex was built. At rink-level, rinks 5&6 are accessed not by the central hallway in the middle of the front (entrance) atrium, but instead through the smaller hallways at the side of the front atrium. The smaller hallway on the right goes through the side of rink 1 over to rink 6, while the smaller hallway on the left goes through the side of rink 2 over to rink 5. When going to rink 5, you will pass through the side of rink 2, go around a set of stairs and all the way around the side and back of rink 5. Team rooms 18-21 are on the far wall of rink 5. When going to rink 6, you will pass through the side of rink 1, and go around the side of the back bleachers. You will enter rink 6, and team rooms 22-25 will be on the nearest (front) wall.

Rinks 7&8

To access rinks 7 and 8, follow the walkway described above for access to the rink 5 locker rooms. Turn left just before reaching the rink 5 locker rooms. You will find yourself in rink 7, with locker rooms 26-29 on the right hand wall. Turn right from here and go through the adjoining hallway to access rink 8. Once in rink 8, locker rooms 30-33 will be on the left hand wall.

The Second Floor

The second floor mainly consists of a large, heated mall-like area with glass windows looking over each of the six rinks. There are also doors form the second floor into the viewing areas of each rink. The second floor also has the restaurant, the arcade, the fitness center, and the function rooms. The stairs from the second floor down to the first floor are as follows:
 * Main curved staircases in the front atrium
 * Second staircase from central hallway to second floor mall
 * Stairs in between second floor mall and rink 5 rink-level.
 * Stairs going up and down the rink 1 bleachers. The following are extensions from the bleachers to the first floor:
 * Stairs going down to sixth floor rink-level, rink 7 side.
 * Stairs going down to sixth floor team room walkway.
 * Stairs going down to rink 1 rink-level, near second central hallway staircase
 * Stairs going down to rink 1 rink-level, near rink 1 restrooms and rink 3.
 * Stairs going down from rink 2 main viewing area (2)
 * Stairs going down from rink 2/rink 5 secondary viewing area (by rink 2 scoreboard) to rink 5 team room walkway.
 * Stairs going down from rink 3 viewing area
 * Stairs going down from rink 4 viewing area
 * Stairs going down from rink 5 main viewing area.
 * Stairs going down from rink 7 main viewing area (2)
 * Stairs going down from rink 8 main viewing area (2)
 * Stairs in between the second floor mall and rink 7&8 rink level
 * Stairs going down from rink 7 secondary viewing area/rink 5 tertiary viewing area to rink 7
 * Stairs going down from rink 4 secondary viewing area