Patinoire du Centre de Loisirs

The Patinoire du Centre de Loisirs is a venue in Saignelégier.

The building is functional. The seats are close to the action, a single tier of plastic that rises steeply from the glass. The capacity is small, around 1,500, which means the noise stays inside. When a player cuts across the ice, the sound is sharp and immediate.

This is the home of HC Franches-Montagnes, a side that plays in the third tier of Swiss ice hockey. They do not draw crowds that spill out into the streets of the town, but the supporters who do come know the game well. The surface is artificial ice, kept cold by refrigeration units that hum below the floor. It is not natural ice, but it is fast and true, a standard sheet for a league that values consistency over spectacle.

The complex also houses a swimming pool and a spa, a commercial arrangement that keeps the lights on during the summer months when the hockey season is over. The website for the resort lists dates for fitness classes and public skating sessions alongside the match schedule. It is a community facility first, a sporting arena second.