NHL Prepares for Historic Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the NHL gears up for its first outdoor game at Ohio Stadium, preparations are underway for the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series featuring the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings on March 1. Despite frigid temperatures of 18 degrees with wind chill bringing it down to 8, workers are diligently setting the stage for a historic event.

On Tuesday, crews began laying floor decking over the home turf of the Ohio State Buckeyes, a process that NHL Senior Director of Facilities Operations Derek King described as critical. “The next few days, until Friday, we’ll be kind of putting all the piping together, putting down the floor, putting down the dash of boards,” he said. “That’s kind of a seven-day build for us.”

Mobile refrigeration units, crucial for maintaining the ice, arrived in Columbus on Monday and are now stationed at the stadium. As the media observed the preparations, forklifts unloaded crates of coolant essential for the ice’s quality. Mike Craig, another senior director involved in operations, noted, “If we could get a lot of cloud cover throughout the day and sitting at about 32 degrees, it’s great for us.”

Weather conditions on game day are also a concern. The Weather Channel forecasts a high of 39 degrees with a 24 percent chance of rain for March 1, while the temperature will start to drop with the sunset at 6:23 p.m. ET. Historical data shows that Columbus has reached a high of 46 degrees on March 1 in previous years, with temperatures above 50 degrees occurring 46 percent of the time over 24 years.

Critical days ahead include February 24 and 25 when the ice preparation process will gain momentum. King stated, “We’ll paint the floor white, and all the hockey markings, lines, and logos will go in on the 25th, then we get ready for the first skate on the 27th and 28th.”

With years of experience, both King and Craig are familiar with changing weather conditions. “We’ve seen a lot over the last few years,” King said. “If we do get rain, we’ll freeze the rain that we can freeze. If it snows, we’ll remove the snow, and we just adapt with what we get.”

The preparations at Ohio Stadium are further enhanced by recent renovations aimed at modernizing the venue in anticipation of such events. Athletic Director Ross Bjork indicated that several million dollars were invested to upgrade the stadium, particularly for heating systems that help manage water pipes, ensuring they don’t freeze in extremely low temperatures.

“The infrastructure is really built out to host the College Football Playoff games,” Bjork explained. “There are more elements that we want to put in place so that if we have a single-digit weather event, we can get through and not have any issues.”

The NHL has also arranged for additional fan experiences, including a concert by the band Twenty One Pilots during the first intermission and a weaved pep rally featuring the O.A.R. band. Fans can expect elements connected to Ohio State’s traditions as Blue Jackets players will walk to the stadium similarly to Ohio State football players.

Craig highlighted the unique opportunity the venue offers: “What doesn’t get old with these events is being part of something unique and being in front of so many people. It’s pretty awe-inspiring when you come in here.”

Overall, the NHL’s preparations reflect both excitement and careful planning as they work against the clock to ensure a successful hockey showdown at Ohio Stadium.