There is plenty of time to find ice, snow, and chances to skate
I live in Elgin, Illinois. My family is a big time hockey family. We love following the hockey season and playoffs are a big deal to everyone. What we do is try to get tickets to major games about once a month. We then pack in the car and go to the rink to see the Chicago Blackhawks. They are doing better every year. One of these years they are going to get the Stantley cup. For now it is just really ince to have a team to support. Chicago is only a forty minute drive. So we can save money by taking the car or using an uber if we want to drink. The kids love going to the rink and getting nachos, pop, and other snacks. My husband and I love having a sports team we are both into. We all have our favorite players that we support and cheer on. My boys are both in small time hockey leagues in Elgin. Once they get older and a little better, I will move them into the Chicago leagues. I know they aren’t professional athlete level, but it is great that there are multiple skating opportunities for them. It is also nice that Elgin, Illinois mostly has cold weather. There is plenty of time to find ice, snow, and chances to skate. The boys practice basically all year around and even will play on the pond that freezes in our backyard. For us, the cold weather isn’t a big deal at all. It is actually one of the reasons we like Illinois so much.