Brick's Ocean Ice Palace Sold To Hockey-Loving Owner

BRICK, NJ — When George Haviland was growing up, some of his fondest memories are of playing hockey on the rink at Ocean Ice Palace in Brick.

Now, he's ensuring the historic rink will continue to create memories for new generations of hockey players and ice skaters, after the Ice Palace was sold this week to his partners, Work Play Group.

The property, which had been owned by the Dwulet family for more than 60 years, officially changed hands on Tuesday.

The 13.34-acre property was purchased by Work Play, and Harmony Hockey Group, where Haviland is the CEO, president and managing partner, leases the property back.

"It’s such a historical rink, not only in New Jersey but around the country," said Haviland, who moved to Middletown from New York when he was a child. "When I was a kid I played in the Garden State Games at Ocean Ice Palace." The rink hosted a national tournament as well, he said, one his father, George Sr., was involved in bringing together.

"Hockey is a huge part of our family’s life," Haviland said. His father worked for Proctor & Gamble but loved hockey and passed that along to George and his brother, Mike.

"We grew up playing at the Shrewsbury rink," he said. While George has spent the last 20 years in the ice rink business, Mike has been coaching, including a four-year stint from 2008-2012 with the Chicago Blackhawks, who won the 2010 Stanley Cup.

In addition, George and his wife, Lisa, have four daughters, all of whom have played hockey with the two oldest, Jess and Brianna, playing in college. Jess is the captain of the Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and has played on the U.S. women's national hockey team. Brianna plays at Elmira College in New York and her team won their college's national championship, Haviland said. The couple's younger daughters played hockey but have stopped to follow other pursuits.

Haviland spent several years working for Wakefern, the parent company of ShopRite, as a shelf space analyst but was coaching hockey part-time. It wasn't enough, and he decided to pursue the ice rink business.

"The ice called and I haven't looked back since," he said.

Harmony Hockey Group owns the New Jersey Titans, who play in the North American Hockey League. Haviland proudly notes the Titans have helped more than 750 hockey players to earn spots at the college level. The Titans' home is the Middletown Sports Complex, which Harmony Hockey Group leases from Work Play.

Haviland's group also recently bought the Jersey Shore Whalers, whose home has been the Ocean Ice Palace.

"I had been eyeing it (the Ocean Ice Palace) for a couple years," Haviland said. "When I bought the Whalers is when I started to think about it. I wanted them to have a home."

Haviland said the plan is to update the locker rooms and create party rooms in the old office area.

"The place is in really good shape," he said.

Then he hopes to get Brick's hockey teams back in the building, both the high school team and the Brick Hockey Club. The high school teams have been at the Howell rink since 2021, and Brick Hockey Club moved its operations to the Jersey Shore Arena in Wall last year.

"We want them there," Haviland said. "I guess time will tell."

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