The Best Seats
In The House

We all have a soft spot for those classic older arenas where generations have laced up their skates, cheered from creaky wooden bleachers, and created memories that undoubtedly last a lifetime. Some call them “old barns,” and with good reason as they often carry the soul of community hockey, with their character, history, and unmistakable atmosphere.

Fortunately for us, one of our more recent projects brought us to one such venue. Located in Port Hope, Ontario, Trinity College School (TCS) was founded in 1865, and now operates as one of Canada’s oldest and most respected independent co-educational day and boarding schools. Situated on a picturesque 100-acre campus just one hour east of Toronto, the school serves approximately 600 students from Grades 5–12, including a vibrant boarding community. With a strong emphasis on athletics, character development, and lifelong learning, TCS has a proud hockey tradition dating back over a century. Its on-campus Peter Campbell Memorial Rink has been a flagship facility since 1951, serving as home ice for generations of TCS Bears.

In the late summer months of 2025, our partners at Ball Construction reached out to our sales team. They were deep into a major renovation of the rink and as the work progressed, it became clear that the existing old wooden bleachers were no longer viable. Given their age, they could no longer meet modern safety standards, accessibility requirements, or integrate with the updated facility plans.

Now that the project now required a complete custom arena bleacher system, designed and installed from the ground up, our partners at Ball Construction turned to our team to help breath fresh air into this historic barn.

Renovating a historic arena always brings unique hurdles, and this project was no exception. The site presented several technical challenges, including steel columns and bracing running along the rear wall, tight space constraints throughout the spectator area, and potential sightline obstructions created by the new dasher boards. Our team of experienced designers and installers got to work, engineering a solution that respected the rink’s heritage while delivering a safe, comfortable, and high-performing spectator experience.

In the end, our team designed and installed a fully elevated custom arena bleacher system tailored precisely to the space. Key features included our exclusive fully closed decking for a clean, professional look and enhanced safety, contoured seat modules, providing superior comfort for spectators and optimized riser heights and seating layout to ensure excellent sightlines to every corner of the rink.

The result is a modern seating solution that can now comfortably accommodate over 200 spectators while preserving—and even enhancing—the intimate, engaging atmosphere that makes these old barns so special.

From the initial design consultations through to final installation, the collaboration between Sport Systems, Ball Construction, and the Trinity College School team ran smoothly. The new bleachers not only solve the functional challenges of the renovation but also ensure that students, alumni, athletes, and fans can continue enjoying the Peter Campbell Memorial Rink for many years to come.

Projects like this remind us why custom solutions are so valuable in sports facility upgrades. Standard bleachers simply wouldn’t have worked around the structural constraints or delivered the sightlines and comfort required. By working closely with the general contractor and venue stakeholders, we were able to deliver a seamless fit that feels like it was always meant to be there.

We always take pride in helping schools and communities honour their sporting heritage while bringing it into the future—one custom project at a time.