275:, with the Kings ice hockey team being re-formed in the third tier of English ice hockey under the ownership of local businessman Mike Darnell. Popularity of the venue was just as high as when the venue first opened in 1990, with Planet Ice's learn to skate courses being over-subscribed for several years. The arena featured several changes when it was re-opened, including; large scale re-decoration, the ice sports shop in the arena concourse being bricked up, the alcohol kiosk at bar level converted into a store room, a new 'Skate Xpress' shop opening in the skate hire area of the building. Not all areas of the ice rink complex re-opened, including the restaurant which remained closed.
209:. The Leisure Plaza facility offered a leisure and retail complex to Milton Keynes: the location featured trees, shrubbery, family picnic areas and a large pond hosting wildlife and plants with a footbridge crossing the water. In addition to the ice rink, the new complex also featured Flamingo's nightclub, Megabowl 10-pin bowling alley, Cafe Moonshine (later Heroes sports bar), an
367:, Leisure Plaza lost its prestige and had become rather neglected as the popularity of this once popular complex diminished. Flamingo's nightclub closed and was re-opened as 'Empire' but closed down again in the mid-2000s and has been shut since. Heroes sports bar also closed before re-opening as 'Smile Gentleman's Club'.
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Public protest and the popularity of the Kings ice hockey team were not enough to find a new owner for the ice rink and the doors became locked, apparently for good, in the summer of 1996. Users of the ice rink instead were forced to travel over an hour to ice rinks in Oxford, Stevenage, Peterborough
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Plans to refurbish the site, including upgrading the ice arena and the opening of apartments, retail units, a supermarket and casino, had been planned for some years; in March 2013 the redevelopment of the rink was confirmed as starting in summer 2013 with the permanent closure of the bowling alley.
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The ice rink itself boasted 2,200 seats, 3 licensed bars (one overlooking the ice surface, the other a kiosk at ice level), a restaurant, 3 function rooms (2 of which overlooked the ice surface – one having a bar), an ice sports shop, cafeteria, video games area, skate hire, 8 team changing rooms (1
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to use the arena as their training base. This saw the junior club's purpose built changing room converted into a luxury dressing room with a two of the smaller changing rooms converted into an office and gym, all for exclusive use by the
Knights. Delays in the opening of the Knights new arena in
225:. Its facilities and ice pad was one of several rinks which opened in the 1980s and 1990s. In the early 1990s two of Bladerunner's smaller changing rooms were converted into a large changing room, office and meeting area for the specific use of the Milton Keynes Kings Junior Ice Hockey Club.
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Thunder and
Lightning have remained in the arena since, with Lightning achieving multiple league, playoffs and cup championships over their 10 seasons – both teams have also moved up one league tier since their inceptions – although attendances at games have diminished since
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and First
Leisure. Public demand saw the ice rink re-open in time for the 1992/93 ice hockey season. However this was not the last time the ice rink would close its doors, a second short closing and re-opening in the early 1990s was followed by a permanent closure in 1996.
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Bladerunner would regularly sellout on Kings game nights and would often have to turn customers away due to the success of their public ice skating sessions. Other events included ice shows, figure skating competitions and concerts. On several occasions the
335:, began using the arena as their home venue, albeit in the lower leagues of British ice hockey. A dispute over which league the Kings team should compete in led to Planet Ice evicting them from the arena in 2002, with the new
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to play at the fourth level of
English ice hockey, key for local players not good enough to make the step up to the Kings team who had by now moved up to the second tier
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moved to Milton Keynes in 2003. In 2012 the MK Lions basketball side explored the possibility of using Planet Ice as a permanent home following the closure of nearby
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In 1992 arena owners First
Leisure closed the venue, however it was opened soon after following public outcry, including public rallies outside the offices of
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and
Haringey – including the MK Kings Junior Ice Hockey Club who re-located first to Stevenage and then to Haringey under the Milton Keynes name.
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whilst the team trained and lived in MK. Planet Ice was sporadically converted into a basketball court and used as home venue for
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The ice rink closed on 14 July 2013 and redevelopment work started. The new rink opened in late 2014 in conjunction with a
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used the arena for training camps and games and it was also used as the training base for
Olympic champion figure skaters,
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to be based closer to their home arena. The next year in 2001 saw the formation of a new senior ice hockey team,
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London saw the team play several home games in Milton Keynes before they were finally able to host games at the
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In March 2020, the venue was temporarily transformed into a morgue to help deal with the casualties of the
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After two years of closure the arena re-opened under the new ownership in April 1998 and was renamed
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494:"EXCLUSIVE: Lions to leave Milton Keynes after 15 years - MK Lions - Milton Keynes Citizen"
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reserved for the home professional ice hockey team), DJ box, management offices and an
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574:"Milton Keynes based ice skating rink is to become a temporary morgue"
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bought the freehold interest in the arena building from Planet Ice.
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as part of the brand new
Leisure Plaza complex, located close to
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The
Knights left Milton Keynes in the summer of 2000, moving to
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Supermarket and another as yet unannounced shopping unit.
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for home games selected for live television coverage on
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450:"Milton Keynes Lightning | British Ice Hockey"
282:re-formation, Planet Ice reached an agreement with
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516:"AEW acquires Milton Keynes Planet Ice Investment"
184:, as part of the Leisure Plaza complex (near the
339:formed in their place who joined the third tier
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236:Great Britain men's national ice hockey team
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365:Xscape development in Central Milton Keynes
331:. In 2001 a second senior ice hockey team,
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740:Buildings and structures in Milton Keynes
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407:, took place at the Planet Ice Arena.
207:Milton Keynes Central railway station
7:
172:is a 2,800-capacity multi-purpose
65:The Thunderdome, Bladerunner Arena
25:
628:English Premier Ice Hockey League
476:"Crozier 'appalled' by Dons move"
201:In 1990, the rink opened as the
170:Planet Ice Arena Milton Keynes
37:Planet Ice Arena Milton Keynes
1:
522:(Press release). 7 April 2017
43:The MK Arena, The Thunderdome
735:Ice hockey venues in England
542:"Strong Style Evolved UK N1"
284:Anschutz Entertainment Group
761:
26:
363:Since the opening of the
301:British Basketball League
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73:Planet Ice, 1 South Row,
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48:
41:
745:Indoor arenas in England
547:Revolution Pro Wrestling
27:Not to be confused with
18:Planet Ice Milton Keynes
405:New Japan Pro-Wrestling
397:Strong Style Evolved UK
337:Milton Keynes Lightning
329:British National League
286:for their newly formed
146:Milton Keynes Lightning
730:Sport in Milton Keynes
550:. 2018. Archived from
498:www.miltonkeynes.co.uk
436:www.thefreelibrary.com
401:professional wrestling
341:English Premier League
182:Milton Keynes, England
158:(1990–1996, 1998–2002)
432:"Milton Keynes Kings"
371:2013–14 refurbishment
333:Milton Keynes Thunder
325:Milton Keynes Thunder
251:Milton Keynes Council
223:olympic sized ice pad
141:Milton Keynes Thunder
75:Central Milton Keynes
412:coronavirus pandemic
358:Prestige Homes Arena
109:2,800 (2,200 seated)
702: /
305:Milton Keynes Lions
278:In addition to the
156:Milton Keynes Kings
151:Milton Keynes Lions
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403:event promoted by
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504:on 2 August 2012.
482:. 22 August 2002.
203:Bladerunner Arena
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16:(Redirected from
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706:52.032°N 0.771°W
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452:. Archived from
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244:Christopher Dean
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580:. 31 March 2020
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520:Avison Young UK
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186:Central station
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395:In June 2018,
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292:London Knights
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161:London Knights
148:(2002–present)
143:(2001–present)
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29:Marshall Arena
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192:Arena history
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672:Peterborough
582:. Retrieved
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556:. Retrieved
552:the original
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524:. Retrieved
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502:the original
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458:. Retrieved
454:the original
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399:, a two-day
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354:Wimbledon FC
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297:London Arena
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258:1996 closure
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240:Jane Torvill
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169:
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114:Construction
62:Former names
33:
709: /
657:Basingstoke
635:Main venues
288:Superleague
180:located in
178:hockey rink
163:(1998–2000)
153:(1998–2012)
724:Categories
694:52°01′55″N
418:References
321:Lea Valley
309:Sky Sports
273:Planet Ice
98:Planet Ice
89:AEW UK Ltd
697:0°46′16″W
662:Sheffield
647:Guildford
642:Bracknell
480:BBC Sport
378:Morrisons
347:2002–2013
130:2013-2014
127:Renovated
584:24 April
558:24 April
526:24 April
460:2 August
280:MK Kings
217:centre.
215:Homebase
174:ice rink
105:Capacity
94:Operator
70:Location
677:Telford
667:Swindon
315:2000–02
229:1990–96
197:Opening
135:Tenants
81:MK9 1BL
390:AEW UK
242:&
119:Opened
384:2017–
303:side
290:side
211:Argos
86:Owner
586:2020
578:MKFM
560:2020
528:2020
462:2012
122:1990
188:).
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246:.
77:,
619:e
612:t
605:v
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176:/
31:.
20:)
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