In the spring, the foundation was laid for the Barron County Sports Center, Inc. and was opened in December of that year.  About $30,000 was donated and raised toward the $150,000 project.  Land was secured, from the City of Rice Lake, at the edge of a north side landfill.  The money in hand was enough to secure a loan from First Wisconsin National Bank.  A load of volunteer labor followed, complimenting Peninsula Construction of Chippewa Falls, which erected the building.  The first skating event on the 85x194 rink was a clinic for referees, conducted by Minnesota North Stars representatives on December 17, 1971.   The arena was open for public skating the next week, and the first indoor hockey game in Rice Lake was played on January 2, 1972, when the local PeeWees defeated River Falls 6-2.  A dedication ceremony was held on February 6, 1972 and attended by Governor Wendell Anderson of Minnesota, and University of Wisconsin Hockey coach Bob Johnson.  In the new shell, the rink was flooded and the west doors were opened and fans turned on to draw cold air across the freezing surface.  There was no early Zamboni to groom the ice.  Instead, carts of water were pushed across the ice, sprinkling water from a pipe with holes.  Sometimes a garden tractor with a blade would be used to clear the ice.  The arena did have warm spots with a small heated concession stand, part of the lobby and a heated upstairs which allowed some spectators to stay warm, even if the players were sometimes freezing.