Hockey Man Cave Provides Immersive Experience
Talking heads on ESPN don’t talk much about hockey. But when they do, they say hockey is the best live sporting experience. The grace and speed of the game don’t translate to television. But what if the place you watch TV is a hockey rink? Is it the same experience? Few people know; however, Dante Consiglio is one of them.
His Winnipeg man cave is designed to resemble a hockey rink. The beginnings of this hockey man cave were in place when he bought his home, but he finished out the basement project.
“I constructed half of the rink walls myself when I expanded the rink fully! When I originally bought the house, the previous owner had some of them in,” Consiglio said. “When I saw it for sale I had to jump on the opportunity due to it always being a dream of mine to have a hockey rink in my basement for viewing games and watching movies and such!”
With theater seating at center ice, it’s hard to imagine anything except hockey on the TV, but Consiglio also hosts movie nights, parties, and NHL fantasy league drafts. But make no mistake, Consiglio’s beloved Montreal Canadiens show up on screen every chance he gets.
But why root for the Canadiens when he resides in the same town as the Winnipeg Jets? The answer is two-fold. First, family tradition dictates Canadiens fanhood.
“They became my favorite team because my grandpa and then my dad loved the team,” he said. “When I was growing up, the Winnipeg Jets were not a team. So naturally, I watched my grandpa’s and dad’s favorite team play. The Montreal Canadiens are the most historic franchise in the NHL. They have had some of the best players to ever play the game, won the most Stanley Cups, and have the most retired jersey numbers.”
The second reason Consiglio roots for the Canadiens is one player made a huge impact on him. “Another reason I fell in love with this team is a goalie named Carey Price,” he said. “Carey Price is one of the best goaltenders the NHL has ever had. The way Carey conducted himself on the ice and off the ice in the community was heart warming. Carey did things for young struggling fans that some players just never do, and he did this while struggling through his own mental health obstacles. That inspired me to always keep pushing through dark times, and it’s something that will bring tears and warm feelings to my heart for the rest of my life.”
Price is well represented in Consiglio’s impressive memoribilia collection. The jerseys hanging on his hockey man cave wall and the other items displayed show his hockey fandom. The collection isn’t exclusively devoted to hockey, but the Canadiens are definitely the most represented team.
On the left side of the hockey rink, guests can serve themselves at the dry bar. The cutout in the wall allows guests to prepare their drinks without missing a second of hockey action on the TV. The dry bar has a granite countertop, a mini fridge, ice maker, two wine racks, and a shelf of liquor Consiglio does his best to keep stocked.
The popcorn machine helps guests get the full stadium sensory experience. “I do use the popcorn machine pretty often,” he said. “I have some butter flavor oil and topping to recreate the taste everyone loves from their local theater. The popcorn maker has been one of my favorite additions to the mancave!”
For Consiglio, his man cave is meant to be shared with loved ones. “Gatherings down here are amazing,” he said. “I have friends and family come over to experience hockey games, UFC events, movies, or just a general party get together. It's an amazing feeling to have your loved ones come and enjoy playing pinball while others are playing darts and others conversing by the bar all while a hockey game is on in the background ! The mancave gatherings are plenty and all look different, but it warms my heart knowing I get to share this space and passion of mine with friends and family members.”
All photos courtesy Dante Consiglio.
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