Pista La Valascia

Even in daylight, the Pista La Valascia looked like a winter film set. The wooden arched roof rose in a shallow curve, and the ends of the structure were left open to the wind. It was never a closed arena; the cold came in from the valley regardless of the season.

The surface was artificial ice laid on concrete, and the stands were simple concrete tiers rather than steel concourses. The club played there from 1959 until the move to the Gottardo Arena in 2021, and the final match was a 2–3 loss against HC Fribourg-Gottéron played behind closed doors because of the pandemic.

What the place was known for was the Derby Ticinese against HC Lugano. The official attendance record for the fixture was 8,700 in January 1983, though some sources put the 1987 derby at 9,000.

The arena was demolished in 2022. Lost his man is a defender’s problem, not a demolition contractor’s, but the site was cleared all the same. The stands are gone. The roof is gone. The ice is gone.