NHL begins preparation for outside video games at MetLife Stadium – NHL.com

Refrigeration truck arrives to start out constructing rink for Flyers-Devils, Rangers-Islanders showdowns
© Jared Silber/NHLI
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The NHL cellular refrigeration truck arrived at MetLife Stadium on Monday, step one within the herculean activity of constructing a hockey rink to stage two NHL outside video games with followers in attendance on back-to-back days for the primary time.
“It’s going to be completely different for us as a result of normally it is a construct as much as form of that massive recreation day after which kind of the put up occasion crash,” mentioned Andrew Higgins, NHL senior supervisor, amenities operations and hockey operations. “I believe this will likely be just a little additional difficult, simply form of ramping ourselves up a second day and preparing for that second recreation earlier than we get able to tear out.
“So, for certain it’s going to be just a little bit completely different of a singular alternative for our crew.”
The 2024 Navy Federal Credit score Union NHL Stadium Sequence can have two regular-season outside video games that includes 4 Metropolitan Division rivals. The New Jersey Devils will face the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 17 (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS2), and the New York Rangers will play the New York Islanders the next day (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).
“That is Sport 3 (and 4) for us for the outside season, and we have had two profitable video games, the Heritage Traditional in Edmonton and the Winter Traditional in Seattle, so it is good to be in New Jersey,” mentioned Derek King, NHL senior director, amenities operations and hockey operations. “As soon as we get the refrigeration truck parked, we’ll begin doing all of our piping connections [Tuesday]. The scaffolding has been constructed, so we’ll come off the trailer, onto the scaffolding, undergo the concourse and right down to the sphere and over the subsequent couple of days, you will see every thing come collectively.
“February 8 is an enormous day for us — that is when you are going to form of see the sphere rework, the flooring go in, dashers go up. We plan on the night of the Feb. 8 to start out making ice.”
The principle operate of the cellular refrigeration truck, a 53-foot lengthy, 300-ton capability refrigeration unit, is to carry out the important thing operate of constructing a fantastic sheet of ice, take away warmth from the floor and stabilize the temperature.
The refrigeration unit pumps as a lot as 3,000 gallons of glycol coolant into custom-made aluminum trays that will likely be configured on the sphere at MetLife Stadium. Operating by a collection of hoses from the refrigeration unit to the sphere, the glycol chills the trays, in an effort to preserve the ice close to its splendid floor temperature of twenty-two levels Fahrenheit. After the location of the ice trays, the rink boards are put in.
“We’re a four-day construct as soon as we get every thing arrange and begin making ice,” King mentioned. “It is most likely going to be a seven-day course of, and we at all times look to be forward of schedule. It is a massive two video games for these groups, essential video games, later within the season. So, we’ll be planning to wrap every thing up most likely the night of Feb. 14.”
The house of the New York Giants and New York Jets will host the fortieth and forty first regular-season outside video games in NHL historical past. The thirty eighth was the 2023 Tim Hortons Heritage Traditional at Commonwealth Stadium on Oct. 29, when the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Calgary Flames 5-2. The Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken performed the thirty ninth, the 2024 Uncover NHL Winter Traditional at T-Cell Park in Seattle, on Jan 1. Seattle gained 3-0.
The Flyers have performed 5 outside video games (1-3-1), the Rangers 4 (4-0-0), and the Devils and Islanders one every (0-1-0, respectively).
“We have now a crew of about 16 individuals, and these are individuals from all around the U.S., throughout Canada,” King mentioned. “We even have a number of individuals from the New Jersey Devils who’re going to assist us out. For those who’re trying on the complete labor with all of the individuals serving to out, we’re most likely near 100 on this occasion. I do know there’s plenty of give attention to the ice, however it is a actually massive setup so there’s lots of people concerned.”
Along with the video games, every of the 4 groups will observe right here; the Islanders will observe Feb. 15, and the Flyers, Devils and Rangers at completely different instances the next day.
“So, we’ll see the crew’s practising two days earlier than gameday, and observe day for the crew is form of observe day for us,” King mentioned. “We’ll get to form of fine-tune within the truck, see what our temperature is and the way every thing goes to work down on the ice.”

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