When the idea of bringing hockey to Las Vegas became a reality, kids around the valley began to hit the ice and the driveways with hockey sticks in their hands.

As the sport continues to grow in southern Nevada, hockey fans in Henderson are just scratching the surface with what hockey can bring to their community. For Chief Infrastructure Office and Assistant City Manager Robert Herr, the surge of passion for hockey in Henderson is about more than just pucks hitting the net.

“I was meeting with a developer friend and he was telling me stories about his kids being totally into hockey,” said Herr. “He used to go home, and they’d be in the house or in the backyard, but now when he drives home from work, they’re out with their nets out with a street hockey game going on. It’s grown from the ground up and everyone’s loving to get up and go play.”

Soon, families in Henderson will be able to enjoy their hockey time at Lifeguard Arena where two sheets of ice are going in on Water Street. As construction on that facility continues to progress, Herr is excited about the prospects of the opening of a new hockey hub.

“The contractors are really moving,” said Herr. “It’s been a great partnership between the city and the Golden Knights. We’re really bringing our strengths together to develop the project. The metal building is up and they’re working on the roof right now.”

A significant percentage of youth and adult players populating the hockey programs at City National Arena in Summerlin are Henderson residents making the drive up the 215 to get their ice time. Herr has seen the buzz that builds around City National Arena and is confident that same buzz will radiate from Lifeguard Arena and into the downtown Henderson area.

“It’s part of a redevelopment area for the city,” Herr said. “We’re trying to breathe new life into the area. Business have been here a long time, but businesses come and go. We see the activity at City National Arena, obviously it will be a little different without the Golden Knights practicing there, but it’s about the activity it’s going to drive to downtown Henderson. We’re excited to have MacKenzie River there to add to the restaurants we have here on Water Street. We want more activities and more options to bring people to downtown Henderson again.”

When Lifeguard Arena is finished, residents will have access to a large events plaza set outside the arena with a 40-foot screen installed to make Golden Knights watch parties a community affair.

The City of Henderson is also taking steps toward building another arena to house the American Hockey League team set to come to the Valley for the start of the 2020-21 season. While the Golden Knights’ farm team is slated to begin its play at the Orleans Arena, the team and the City of Henderson are hard at work to bring a premier hockey facility to the site of the Henderson Pavilion to serve as the home for the new team and as a community center.

Herr said there are a few more steps to take before construction can begin on the new arena and events center, but he’s confident that when the arena is built, that Henderson will continue to flourish. All in all, Herr said he’s happy to provide a service to the people of Henderson who deserve to have something special to call their own.

“I think the people here take a lot of pride in the community,” said Herr. “Something we put a lot of effort toward in this city is wanting to be a premier community. We’re a pretty lean city compared to our neighboring communities but we’re trying to provide a first-rate experience for our residents. Our mayor likes to talk about how we’re a city but we’re part of a larger regional area as well and we make sure we cooperate and coordinate with our neighboring communities. We love southern Nevada and there have been a lot of changes with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Vegas Golden Knights. We just want to bring opportunities to our residents.”

Take a look at the progress being done on the arena in the photos below!