Ice rink construction underway at Edgewood for NHL hockey debut at Lake Tahoe
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 02/10/2021 - 1:43pm
STATELINE — Crews have arrived on the south shore of Lake Tahoe to begin a complete build of the first ever National Hockey League (NHL) outdoor rink on a golf course. The massive undertaking will be non-stop action for the next week as the rink is constructed from scratch, the water is poured and ice created.
The NHL is holding two regular-season outdoor games at Edgewood Tahoe, one between the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, Feb. 20, and the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, Feb. 21. Both will be held at noon (PST) and televised on NBC, no stranger to televising sports from Edgewood.
The large NHL refrigeration truck has already arrived on the 18th hole along with big rig-sized generators. On Tuesday the pipes were being run to the rink site which is on the 18th fairway right next to the green and what has been known during celebrity golf as Lake Laimbeer. The crews started the process of laying the decking in preparation for the aluminum panels that will hold the ice.
"The views are amazing, the resort is beautiful," said NHL Senior Manager of Facilities Operations & Hockey Operations, Derek King. "This will be one of the most unique events."
King said everything is on schedule for the rink, the first time the NHL outdoor series will be held outside of a stadium and a complete build.
"All the venues have been amazing," said King. "This is definitely exciting, a WOW factor."
The NHL's outdoor series have proven wildly popular with fans since 2003 and have led to numerous attendance records at such places as Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Citizens Bank Park. This year will be the first time without fans due to the pandemic, but fans will still have fun watching on television with the epic view of Lake Tahoe. The players have already said they are looking forward to the experience on the shores of Lake Tahoe.
King said they will be pouring the ice by Friday. He'll have two shifts working to create the surface with all done by next Wednesday so players can practice once they arrive.
Weather can always be a concern when holding an outdoor event, especially in winter in Lake Tahoe. King says they are monitoring and will adapt to whatever Mother Nature brings. There will also be COVID-19 contingency plans.
There will be time-lapsed video prepared of the rink build each day and South Tahoe Now will share when available.
