Overview
- The preseason home opener provided the first look at hockey-specific risers behind both nets pitched at roughly two feet per row, with players and coaches likening the atmosphere to Montreal’s Bell Centre.
- Crews extended each end line by 12 feet and raised the rink about 2 feet, creating clearer views across the arena, especially in corners that were harder to see last season.
- The new sections added roughly 1,100 lower-bowl seats, lifting this season’s hockey capacity to about 12,478, with plans reported to reach around 17,000 after the next two summers.
- Reconfigured space narrowed some concourses and shifted amenities, with certain concessions removed or relocated (including Iceberg next to Cubby’s), bathrooms redistributed, and Fanatics now operating in-venue retail.
- Operational changes include a building-wide ban on signs and upgraded ice-making with a dehumidifier, which team officials say has already improved the ice quality.