Members of the Clarence Bulldogs take the ice this evening at 6 p.m. The team is the first to use the new arena for its intended purpose. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / ENP PHOTOGRAPHER)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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The scoreboard is up and the ice is ready.

After a thin layer of ice and white paint were put on the northernmost hockey rink at Cornerstone CFCU Arena over the weekend, the sponsor's logos were added. Then several more layers of ice.

It looked great, but it was still missing something — until tonight. Tonight the first local hockey teams got a chance to try don skates and try out the ice in the newest ice rink in Western New York.

First up: The Clarence Bulldogs. The team hit the ice at 6 p.m., breaking in the new ice, which has visible cracks in it. Bob Filighera, manager of the rink said the cracks are normal for new ice and as the ice gets used, they'll disappear.

The Lockport Express took the ice at 10 p.m., something head coach Frank Vecchio said he's been excited to do. The team has been practicing and playing home games at other area rinks. But now, Lockport is home. For real. The team's first game in Lockport is Oct. 18.

The southern rink, currently known as NHL Rink #2, is not yet completed but is coming along quickly. When it is finished, it will be the primary rink for the Bulldogs, while NHL Rink #1, known currently as the "Heinrich Rink" will be the primary home for the Express.

There's more photos of the ice at the arena here.

Sponsors' logos were laid down over the weekend.

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