Heinz Field Prepares For Pens-Flyers 'Stadium Series' Game
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A goal by Evgeni Malkin was the only bright spot for Penguins fans the last time their team played outdoor hockey at Heinz Field.
The Washington Capitals won that game.
The "Stadium Series" returns to Heinz Field Feb. 25, for a game against the Flyers. The ice-making truck is ready and waiting. NHL spokesman Dan Craig says every square inch of the truck is used.
"It's a super-efficient refrigeration system. Plus, the ice pour itself is probably the best in the world," he says.
The ice-maker is actually glycol, piped through a giant hose into the stadium.
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"The fluid, the glycol, goes through at about 900 to 1,000 gallons a minute," Craig adds.
First, though, the crew must lay down a base. But laying the foundation is merely the first link. It will take several days before Heinz Field is turned into a temporary hockey rink. The next step?
"It's actually a mat that has piping, as you'd see piping under the floor at PPG Paints Arena," says Penguins Chief Operating Officer Travis Williams. "It's actually a mat of pipes that have all the freezing material that goes through that and builds the ice on top of it."