St. Thomas had previously used the State Fair Coliseum for their ice hockey program.

After nearly 40 years at the venue, and with the women's program beginning in 2001, the university decided to build their own rink.

Due to the school being located in Saint Paul they could not build the rink on campus and instead constructed the arena in the nearby suburb of Mendota Heights.

In 2019, the arena served as the site for the National Championship in NCAA Division III women's ice hockey.

Its teams would continue to play at St. Thomas Ice Arena through the 2024-2025 season.