COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time ever, the Shoe at The Ohio State University will turn into a NHL professional hockey rink for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Work for the transformation began this week for the NHL Stadium Series game on March 1 where the Blue Jackets will take on the Detroit Red Wings.

What You Need To Know

  • The Ohio State University's Horseshoe is being transformed this week

  • The NHL Stadium Series game is on March 1 

  • Construction work is expected to be finished by next Friday

The game marks the first outdoor contest in Blue Jackets history.

Mike Craig, senior director of hockey operations and facilities operations for the NHL, said around 100 people will be involved in getting the stadium ready for the game. 

“It’s pretty awe-inspiring when you come in here, just the history of the building and the volume of people that are going to be in here,” said Craig. “You kind of look ahead a little bit to that atmosphere, and we’re very excited to be a part of that.”

Throughout the middle of this week, infrastructure work will be the main focus, such as installing decking on the stadium playing surface to create a base layer for the rink and accompanying field design. On Wednesday and Thursday, piping will be run from the NHL’s Mobile Refrigeration Units to the ice surface to keep it cold.

On Friday, the dasher boards will be installed and and the ice-making process will begin. The process will continue into the weekend until Monday when the ice will be painted white. Rink lines and logos will be set by Tuesday so that when the teams take to the ice to practice on Friday everything will be set.

“Practice day for the teams is practice day for us,” said senior director of hockey operations and facilities operation Derek King said.

This match is the 43rd outdoor game staged by the league.

“Since we started in 2003 and then 2008 (with the first Winter Classic), it’s progressed a long way,” Craig said. “Just like anything, we learn as we go, and we’ve learned and grown as a crew and are open to all different ideas. There’s always room for improvement, whether it’s a different addition to the truck or within our system of how we control things. We touched on the weather and how we adapt to all that. We learn from those lessons, and I think we’re in a really good spot and are really comfortable with where we are.”

Weatherwise, it's too soon to tell if the game will have its ideal weather, vastly different from a football fan might hope for. 

Craig said ideal conditions for outdoor hockey are cloud cover and around 32 degrees Fahrenheit with no sun or rain.

“Right now, I think we’re in really good shape for gameday,” King said. “We’ve seen a lot over the last few years. We’ll be ready for anything that comes our way, and we’ll adapt as we need to.”

With a 6 p.m. start, the sun should not pose too much of a problem, and contingency plans are set for if rain makes an appearance. 

“It’s exciting to be a part of this,” Craig said. “There’s some excitement around this game. I know we’re excited to be in the middle of an event like this and with this many people. I think there was quite a buzz as we came in today.”

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