The $12.8 million renovation of the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center is marching forward on schedule, promising a suite of upgrades that will reshape the arena’s infrastructure before the end of the year. Crews have already installed a new refrigeration system, a state‑of‑the‑art cooling grid beneath the ice, and refreshed the boards, plexiglass, netting and lighting for both sheets of ice.
Transformations on the Ice
The most visible change will be the reduction of the main rink’s width by three feet, bringing it to 97 feet, while the practice rink will be expanded to NHL dimensions and fitted with additional seating. Concrete pours for the main rink are slated for July 1, with the practice rink following on July 9, marking critical milestones in the construction timeline.
Because the renovation will temporarily shrink the primary sheet, the university’s men’s and women’s hockey squads have been forced to relocate their practices. For the immediate future they are training at Halenbeck Hall and the Municipal Athletic Complex, and in August they will shift to Bernick’s Arena in Sartell, Minnesota, to continue their preparation.
Adding to the transitional period, new head coach Nick Oliver has begun the recruiting push, targeting a forward and two defensemen before the squad reconvenes on the ice. Oliver, who arrived after the previous season, is also overseeing the integration of several newcomers who have entered the program through the transfer portal and recent recruiting efforts.
The project’s timeline anticipates a finished main rink by the end of September and the practice rink by October, after which the upgraded facility will host both teams on their home surface for the first time in years. Stakeholders say the enhancements will not only improve playing conditions but also expand spectator capacity and modernize the overall fan experience.