Rink construction begins for NHL Stadium Series game in Tampa

Tuesday marked the first day of construction at Raymond James Stadium in preparation for the Feb. 1 NHL Stadium Series game, featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins.

The outdoor matchup will mark the first time in NHL history that an outdoor game has been played in a football stadium in the state of Florida, an event that has been years in the making. After Tampa hosted the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission put up billboards along I-275 near the Tampa airport pitching an outdoor game. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman remembered it clearly.

When the Lightning faced the Nashville Predators in the 2022 Stadium Series, over 25,000 Lightning fans flew out to Nashville, proving Tampa could support its own outdoor game.

“It’s grown over the years to become a more and more sophisticated hockey market,” Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said of the fan base in Tampa. “Not only are they passionate about our team and the game, but they are knowledgeable about the game, which certainly wasn’t the case when Phil (Esposito) started the team in 1992. Our fans deserve it. We had the outdoor game in Nashville. That building was 50/50, Lightning fans and Nashville fans.”

In preparation for the event, a 240-foot climate-controlled tent will be constructed over the ice and remain in place, protecting the surface from any potential weather issues. At around 4am on Feb. 1, cranes will enter the venue to start the removal process. The NHL has described it as one of the most ambitious structures it has ever built, but after years of planning, they feel confident for nearly any scenario that may come up.

Andrew Higgins, the NHL’s Senior Manager of Facility and Hockey Operations, credits the evolution of the league's ice-making process for making the event possible.

"The ability to use both of our trucks, and the introduction of the tent ... I think really the only reason we wouldn't have come here in the past is because of the weather concerns."

Florida can bring unpredictable weather year-round. To prevent any issues, two mobile refrigeration units that house state-of-the-art ice-making and ice-monitoring equipment will be used to create an NHL-caliber sheet of ice.

“As the building comes down during the day, the ice will be protected and covered,” said Higgins. “If it’s 75 degrees at puck drop, it'll be a bit of a challenge for us. That's why we brought both of our refrigeration units. Those will be working hard if we're at 75, but the forecast looks like we're going to be mid-to-low 60s, which is pretty much perfect for us. It’s the same sort of conditions we have in our venues.”

The current forecast on Feb. 1 calls for a high of 62 degrees and a low of 41. As the event draws closer—within two to three days—the crew will have a better idea of what to expect. The primary concern would be a warm rain shower.

“We did an All-Star game here a number of years ago and made an outdoor ice bar at the park close to the arena,” said Derek King, the NHL’s vice president of facility hockey operations. “I remember after the All-Star game, we had a little afternoon rainstorm come in, and there went the ice bar. Knowing that, we knew there would be some challenges.”

With just 12 days to go, the Lightning are gearing up for the full experience: the hockey, the entertainment, and the weather.

“It’s pretty damn cool, to be honest. You know, beautiful weather (Tuesday). Hopefully this temperature will be the same on February 1,” Lightning captain Victor Hedman said. “Just looking around here, I’ve been coming here for years to watch football, and getting the chance to play outside here — and definitely from what I heard, there’s going to be a lot of people at the game, so it’s going to be a dream come true.”