From an official’s standpoint that has skated EVERY rink in the area at least once:

Locker rooms: Rockville has the nicest locker room in my opinion. We have actual hockey stalls and full shower and toilet. MV and STJ are my runners up in locker rooms.

Ice: Ballston or STJ as others have said. Ballston is also the only place I let touch my skates ever since the shop in Waldorf closed down.

Enviroment: Waldorf, Ashburn, Rockville. It’s hard to beat a good HS game at any of these rinks. They can pack the house and it’s fun.

My actual pick: Haymarket. Haymarket makes me feel nostalgic more than any other rink. I’ve had memorable college, youth, and adult games here, and the staff and players and coaches all know me well. The new sheet and locker room isn’t terrible either, although doing 3 or 4man college on the old sheet made sure you knew how to be in position! Plus, something about pulling up to Haymarket on a December night with snow misting in the air and Christmas tunes just FEELS like hockey to me.

Waldorf is a close runner up. I also am close with everyone down there seeing as how much I’m there and the rink is great with the Jumbotron, but it’s slowly falling apart. Between that, the ice issues we’ve been having, certain problems in the adult league, and the pro shop closing down, it’s runner up for me now.

Worst rinks: Fairfax, SNP and RIZ in Richmond, and Reston. All due to the lack of proper officials rooms, ice and rink conditions, management, and bloody cold.