Adult ice hockey leagues offer fun and fitness at The Pavilion
After a $5 million renovation in 2020, the ice rink at Greenville County’s The Pavilion on Scottswood Road in Taylors, South Carolina, has elevated its game.
“We have ice hockey, figure skating, and even curling now,” Pavilion Manager Jai Gillian says of the 185-foot-long-by-80-foot-wide sheet of ice. “Our ice is smaller, but it’s good ice. We really baby it. We take good care of it.”
And with the great ice comes a thriving adult ice hockey league, where men and women from all walks of life lace up the skates and face off every Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday (depending on one’s skill level).
The Pavilion has several (sometimes four, depending on sign-ups) adult co-ed ice hockey leagues for anyone ages 18 and up, and games are spread across winter, summer, and fall seasons. Participation requires registration with USA Hockey, and players must provide their own gear, and pay a $220 in-county fee, or $275 out-of-county fee, depending on residency. It’s a gentler form of play than one might see in a National Hockey League game, as players are not permitted to body check one another when trying to get control of the puck.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, the Anchora Insurance team faced the Leftovers, a more experienced C-league team, captained by defenseman Riley Taylor. Taylor, 24, moved to South Carolina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to attend the College of Charleston a few years ago. He moved to Greenville to work as a digital marketer at the RingoFire agency. “When they pushed the B and C league together to make this league, we were the leftover players that were unassigned,” he explains. “We’ve been together for three seasons now.”
A lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan, Taylor grew up playing ice hockey and says there’s a good mix of talent on the Pavilion ice. “When the top lines are out there, you see the pace move up a bit. There are some players who can take over the ice, and there are others who just move the puck along.”
Pickup Adult Ice Hockey in Greenville
The Pavilion also offers spirited Friday afternoon pickup games for adult players in a less structured setting, again for those ages 18 and up. For less than $14, the pickup games give players another chance for ice time in a no-contact environment, honing their skills and building camaraderie.
Angel Grassano recently watched her brother, Tommy Grassano, a former Division 1 goalie, mind the net during a pickup match at the Pavilion. Born in Bronx, New York, the Grassanos moved to Greenville with their parents as children and started ice skating at The Pavilion. “We learned to play ice hockey here,” she says. “We grew up hockey fans, and since my dad grew up in Detroit, we’re Detroit Red Wings fans.”
Brianna Duba, a civil engineer from Connecticut, played field hockey in college, but grew up playing ice hockey. Like Riley Taylor, she moved to Greenville in 2023. She is a project engineer for Reeves Construction. For Duba, ice hockey brings a sense of teamwork and community, and it’s a great workout.
“It’s really just a chance to get out there and skate,” she says. “Anyone who wants to learn should give it a try. It’s a very welcoming community.”
Want to try it?
Adult Ice Hockey League at The Pavilion
The Pavilion: 400 Scottswood Rd., Taylors, pavilion.greenvillerec.com
Eligibility: Ages 18+
Requirements: Players must have full equipment and be registered with USA Hockey.
Cost: $220 (in-county), $275 (out-of-county)
