Vets Park of Ann Arbor Draft League Hockey Players

05/12/2026

The following announcement is from the City and it’s not good for us hockey players. >>>

Due to significant damage from the April 15 tornado, the Veterans Memorial Ice Arena will not reopen for the 2026–27 skating season. Storm recovery efforts continue throughout Veterans Memorial Park, with some amenities expected to reopen Friday, May 15, including the playground, pop-up dog park, skatepark and ballfields #3 and #5.

The Veterans Memorial Pool is also undergoing repairs and will not reopen by Memorial Day weekend. Residents can still enjoy outdoor swimming this summer at Fuller Park and Buhr Park pools.

Read the full update, including park reopening details and recovery information at

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04/15/2026

“We can rebuild it, we have the technology, we have the capability…”

04/03/2026

With ice temporarily down at the home barn, Draft League players improvised and rented the Yost sheet for some much overdue competition. Fun had by all… let’s keep it going!

03/16/2026

John announcement…

Hello Masters Draft Players & Goaltenders,

Tomorrow night we will have our second round of Q & A for the Masters players and goalies. This is an informal discussion on the rules of adult ice hockey using MAHA and USA Hockey rules. Anyone wanting to play in the Masters league, this will help to understand how the game is played.

It is free to attend and those attending please write down a series of question for us to all discuss in an open forum. I will again invite referees for everyone to see they are regular people too.

The session will go from 7-9pm. We look forward to seeing everyone interested. We will continue these sessions through the summer months so stay tuned.

Best regards, El John

Keep your stick on the ice!

03/15/2026

White won the McGovern Cup “warmup” game vs Yellow, we’ll see what happens this summer with the rivalry rematch @ The Cube for McGovern Cup 2026!

03/07/2026

The latest from El John...

Hello Everyone,

A few updates....

The Vets Ice Plant will be up and running in the fall of 2026. So you can plan on being part of the Master Draft community soon.
We have been brainstorming on what we can do to get folks in the building in the mean time.

Broom ball - This could be played "Cross-Ice" like the 3 v 3 tourney. Suggested gear; Helmets, gloves, shin guards, elbow pads, tennis shoes. This is a No Charge event! We could even do a youth game and Adult game if you would like to do this.
Pickleball- We have the nets, and gear to use. This has a nominal fee but still a lot of fun.
Rules Meetings: We had the first rules meeting and the questions were great as well as the interaction with the group. The next rules meeting will be Tuesday 3/17 from 7-9pm in the Vets meeting room/Lobby.

As always we welcome your comments on how we can better serve the hockey community.

Best regards, El John

Send a message to learn more

03/06/2026

FYI - Buhr closed due to warm temps until further notice.

02/20/2026

See everyone in the fall hopefully!

02/18/2026

RINK CLOSED remainder of the season!

The following just emailed by A2 City Big Cheese…

Dear Veterans Memorial Draft League Participants,

We regret to share that due to an unexpected compressor failure, Veterans Memorial Indoor Ice Arena will be closed for the remainder of the 2026 skating season. We understand how important the rink is to our skaters, families, and community, and we sincerely apologize for the disruption this causes. This was not an outcome we hoped for, and we know how disappointing it is to lose ice time so suddenly. All participants who registered for programs, lessons or activities that can no longer be held will automatically receive refunds. Our team is working to process these as quickly as possible, and no action is needed on your part. We remain committed to providing skating/hockey opportunities and encourage you to stay tuned for additional open skating times and programs at Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena (2751 Packard Road) as an alternative option this season.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support of our ice programs.

The draft league games tomorrow, 2/19/2026, at Buhr will still proceed as planned.

Sincerely,

Cameron Schmitt (he, him, his) | Recreation Supervisor

02/17/2026

NO GAMES TONIGHT ‼️

From JM…

Greetings Masters Draft players & Netminders,

It is with great sadness that I write to you this morning. However our Ice plant has decided to nap on us and the ice temperature is 29 F. As you know, safety is number one with our program and soft ice, sharp skates = Injury.

We play the game for fun, not to visit the hospital. We are canceling games tonight 2/17/2026 and will move them to the first Spring games. (Tuesday 3/3/2026).

Take the evening to:

Register for Spring (Only 56 thus far) 10 new players who may take your spot.
Watch the Olympics.
Spend time with your family.
You could do all 3!
Best regards, El John

Keep your stick on the ice.