NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Predators are building an outdoor ice skating rink this winter to celebrate hosting the NHL All Star game.
The Predators say they're going to build one across from the Country Music Hall of Fame in Walk of Fame Park.
Predators CEO Jeff Cogen said there will be music, and skating and family fun, so that if you're just a casual hockey fan you can still come down and be part of the experience.
NHL All Star weekend is January 29th, but the outdoor rink will open in the middle of December.
The last outdoor rink in Nashville was Riverskate 15 years ago.
With Nashville's mild winters there were some challenges keeping the ice cold enough. Skaters had lots of fun, but there were days when it was too warm.
Centennial Sportsplex Ice Arena Manager Frank Wright remembers it well.
"We had plenty of days where the sun hit the ice and turned it into slush and it was too unsafe to skate on and we had to close and reopen at night once it got cold and refroze," said Wright.
The NHL has lots of experience playing outdoor games in warm climates.
Just this past season there was a game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Wright said the NHL connects portable chillers to refrigeration lines filled with glycol cooled down to 8 degrees to keep the ice frozen.
Cogen said it works.
"You know, ironically enough we have some of the best ice at Bridgestone Arena in the National Hockey League, and our ice people say it will work, so it’s a go," said Cogen.
The outdoor ice rink at Walk of Fame Park is scheduled to open December 12th.
You'll be able to rent skates, watch skating events and hockey exhibitions through the end of January.
