CHUBBUCK — As the blades on their skates cut across the ice at the hockey rink near Chubbuck City Hall, Jim DiSanza smiled broadly at the 10- and 12-year-olds chasing the puck.

    DiSanza, the coaching chief for USA Hockey’s Idaho Amateur Hockey Association, loves to be on the ice. A Cleveland, Ohio, native, DiSanza played hockey for years before his family moved to California and took him away from the rinks he called home.

    “I’ve been driven by working to make sure nobody has to experience that,” DiSanza said about being separated from a sport he loved.

    In 2010, the city of Chubbuck and the Chubbuck-Pocatello Hockey Association gathered the funds to create the outdoor rink located about a block from city hall. Efforts to provide funding have continued and the facility now hosts five different hockey teams. They have high school aged, 16U, 12U, 10U and an adult team that practices at the Chubbuck rink.

    “We’ve got a good group of people,” DiSanza said.

    Maintaining good ice has always been problematic, but that may change in the near future, according to DiSanza.

    Coy about giving specifics, the coach and trainer said an announcement would be made at a public skating event set for Thursday at the Chubbuck rink beginning at 4:30 p.m. Hot chocolate and a warming fire will welcome guests and an open skating session from 5:30 to 7 p.m. will be followed by a junior varsity hockey game between a Chubbuck-Pocatello team and Idaho Falls.

    “We’re shooting for a fun winter carnival event,” DiSanza said.

    Idaho Falls has been home to a covered and refrigerated ice rink for more than 20 years and it was DiSanza’s visits to that facility so his son, Jake, could play hockey that stirred his interest in making something happen in the Pocatello-Chubbuck area.

    Once other interested parties focused on Chubbuck, help from the city was secured and the initial rink was constructed three years ago. Once they had a rink, the kids soon followed.

    But a place to play hockey isn’t DiSanza’s only goal. He would like to see the skating rink become a draw for much of Southeast Idaho. He said Salmon invested in a refrigerated rink several years ago and it draws tournaments and fans from the entire region.

    “I think this could become a great community center in the winter,” DiSanza said.

    Efforts by volunteers with the local hockey association have already resulted in funding to provide skates and helmets for youngsters participating in the hockey program. This reduces the cost of participation for families and DiSanza said he hopes the sport and fan base will continue to grow.

    “We’ve covered the most expensive items,” DiSanza said.

    Hockey provides participants with opportunities to hone athletic skills and build friendships, according to the coach.

    “They learn teamwork, perseverance and self-esteem,” he said. “The benefits are enormous.”

    DiSanza said interest in hockey is growing quickly in the U.S. with healthy programs in Colorado, Arizona and even Texas. He said Idaho is beginning to catch up.

    “Idaho kids are really working hard to catch up regionally,” he said. “And they’re getting better every year.”

    Thursday’s announcement may give that progress a huge boost in Chubbuck and Pocatello.