In recognition of the philanthropy of University Board of Trustees chairman Dan Toscano and his family, the new state-of-the-art ice hockey arena being constructed in Storrs will bear the name Toscano Family Ice Forum.

The naming of the new arena, which will have a total capacity of 2,600, was approved by the Institutional Advancement Committee of the UConn Board of Trustees on Tuesday, and is contingent on final approval by the full board at its meeting on Sept. 28.

“Dan Toscano and his family have been remarkable friends and supporters of UConn and our athletics programs for many years, and are passionate hockey fans,” says David Benedict, Director of Athletics. “Our men’s and women’s programs compete in the strongest hockey league in the nation, and with the help of this gift they’ll now be playing in one of the best campus ice arenas. The amenities in this state-of-the-art facility will transform the fan experience and provide every resource for our student-athletes and coaches to compete at a championship level. I’m grateful to Dan and his family for helping us position us for an exciting new era of UConn hockey.”

1987 UConn graduate Toscano and his wife, Tresa, have made UConn a philanthropic priority for more than a quarter century, with the majority of their transformational support directed toward students with financial need, attracting top faculty, and athletics, among others.

The Toscanos have steadfastly and generously supported the School of Business, where they established the Toscano Family Chair in Finance, the Joseph P. and Rose M. Toscano Memorial Scholarship Fund, and the Santos and Patricia Mercado Memorial Scholarship Fund. They also provided vital funding for School of Business initiatives such as the Student Venture Experiential Learning Fund and the Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans. In addition, the Toscanos have invested generously toward scholarships and awards to help students across the entire University and to support wide-ranging programs including the humanities, human rights, and health sciences.

“UConn has had a profound impact on my life, and its quest for eminence in everything it does has become a passion for my family,” says Toscano. “It’s not just giving back for us. We invest in the ambitions of the next generation and the faculty and staff that show them the way. The university has many champions in academics, research, and athletics. With this amazing new facility coming online, I am eager to see our hockey programs continue their rapid ascent among the nation’s best programs and become a perennial part of our championship tradition at the University.”

The Huskies’ new ice hockey home, located adjacent to the current Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum in the athletics district along Jim Calhoun Way, is scheduled to open in January 2023. In the spectator bowl, seating will consist of 80% with seatbacks and 20% on benches. The new facility will also have a large center-hung display scoreboard with perimeter ribbon boards, designed to create an outstanding experience for fans with state-of-the-art sound and lighting features.

The team facilities feature full training and support for women’s and men’s student-athletes, including team lounges, locker rooms with video displays, training space with a hydrotherapy area, and a strength and conditioning room. It will also include areas such as coaches’ offices, a media working room, dining area, academic counseling/study room and support services areas.

The arena, which will host games by UConn’s men’s and women’s Division I hockey teams and also be used by its club hockey programs, will feature a premier club area with 145 cushioned, comfortable seats at mid-ice and an ice-level lounge behind the home goaltender with café table seating and food and beverage service.

Born and raised in Bristol, Toscano now lives in Darien. He graduated from UConn in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and earned his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999.

Day Staff Reports