TAMPA, Fla. — Two outdoor NHL hockey games are being played in the state of Florida this season, with both being a lot different from each other.
The NHL Winter Classic was played earlier this month in Miami at loanDepot park, the home of baseball’s Marlins. This was technically an outdoor hockey game because the ballpark’s roof was open at puck drop, but was otherwise completely enclosed.
Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is not covered and is exposed to the sun and open air. This NHL Stadium Series game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins will be played out in the open, presenting a brand-new experience for hockey players and fans.
There are naturally some concerns with playing a hockey game completely outdoors in Florida, but the NHL has a plan in place.
Construction for the rink is underway, beginning with the rink infrastructure, and then on Sunday, they will start to build the ice.
“We’ve got six days set aside for ice making so once the tent’s up, we’ll have some HVAC units and dehumidification units inside the tent,” NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Derek King said. “Same process as they would do at any other arena, especially here at Benchmark Arena, we’ll probably run a surface of about 2.5 to 3 inches.”
Refrigeration trucks arrived outside the stadium on Monday and are in charge of keeping the ice at the right temperature. There will be a tent built over the rink to protect it from the sun throughout game week. Then on game day, the tent will come down, and they will keep a tarp on the ice to reflect the sun, keeping the frozen water frozen.
“If we’re 75 (degrees) at puck drop it will be a bit of a challenge for us,” NHL Senior Manager of Facilities Operations Andrew Higgins said. “That’s why we brought both of our refrigeration units, those will be working hard if we’re 75. But forecast looks like mid to low 60s, which is pretty much perfect for us.”
Bolts captain Victor Hedman visited the stadium on Tuesday to check out the progress. The Tampa defenseman won’t play in the game, since he is still returning from injury, but he said the guys are just excited to experience NHL history right here in Tampa.
“It will be a different experience, obviously, but the game is at night, the sun will be down so that’s gonna help a lot,” Hedman said. “I think for us it’s all about experiencing this outdoor game and it’s gonna be a spectacular event for the NHL and Tampa too to host an event like this.”
Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 1. Many are hoping for some chilly weather like what the Tampa Bay area has had over the last few days, both for ice conditions and to help set an authentic hockey atmosphere around the palm trees of Florida.
Michael Epps
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