Amanda Knapp
Little Caesars Arena is an eight-story arena that seamlessly transitions between basketball and hockey games. The arena features a retractable basketball floor that is stored underneath the hockey rink when not in use. To transition to hockey, the basketball floor is removed, and the ice surface is installed in several steps, including laying down ice pans, adding layers of ice, and painting lines and logos. A cooling system maintains the frozen ice surface by circulating coolant through pipes. The dashboards surrounding the basketball court are replaced with glassboards for hockey, and media and scoreboards are adjusted to fit the requirements of hockey games. Locker rooms are also modified to cater to the needs of the hockey teams.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Retractable Basketball Floor | The basketball floor is retractable and can be moved in and out of the venue. It is stored underneath the hockey rink. |
| Ice Surface Installation | Crews install the ice surface by laying down ice pans, adding layers of ice, and painting lines and logos. |
| Cooling System | A complex cooling system circulates coolant through pipes to maintain a frozen ice surface. |
| Dashboards and Glassboards | The basketball court has dashboards, while hockey requires glass boards. These are swapped out during the transition. |
| Media and Scoreboard Adjustments | Media screens and scoreboards are adjusted to fit the requirements of hockey games, including adding features like penalty box timers. |
| Locker Room Preparation | Locker rooms are modified to cater to the needs of each sport, with basketball-specific equipment replaced by hockey-specific elements like equipment racks and ice baths. |
| Venue Staff Preparation | Venue staff undergo training to smoothly transition their roles, including concessions, ushers, and security. |
| Conversion Time | It takes approximately 6-7 hours to convert the arena from basketball to hockey or vice versa. |
| Seating Capacity | The arena has a seating capacity of 19,515 for ice hockey and 20,332 for basketball. |
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What You'll Learn
Retractable basketball floor
Little Caesars Arena is an eight-story arena with a seating capacity of 19,515 for ice hockey and 20,332 for basketball. The arena is designed to seamlessly transition between basketball and hockey games.
The arena features a retractable basketball floor that can be easily moved in and out of the venue. When not in use, the basketball floor is stored in a climate-controlled room or underneath the hockey rink. The floor panels are hauled out in four-by-eight sections and then fitted together.
To transition from basketball to hockey, the basketball floor is removed, and the process of installing the ice surface begins. This includes laying down ice pans, adding layers of ice, and painting the lines and logos. A complex cooling system is then employed to maintain a frozen ice surface by circulating coolant through pipes.
Additionally, the dashboards surrounding the perimeter of the basketball court are replaced with glassboards required for hockey gameplay. Media screens and scoreboards are also modified to cater to the specific needs of each sport. The entire conversion process from basketball to hockey takes approximately 6-7 hours.
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Ice surface installation
Little Caesars Arena is an eight-story arena with a seating capacity of 19,515 for ice hockey and 20,332 for basketball. The arena transitions from basketball to hockey by retracting the basketball floor, installing an ice surface, operating a cooling system, changing dashboards to glass boards, adjusting media and scoreboards, modifying locker rooms, and preparing venue staff.
The basketball floor is retractable and can be moved in and out of the venue with ease. When not in use, the basketball floor is stored in a climate-controlled room or underneath the hockey rink. Once the basketball floor is removed, crews start the process of installing the ice surface. This includes laying down ice pans, adding layers of ice, and painting lines and logos.
To maintain a frozen ice surface, the arena employs a complex cooling system installed beneath the rink. This system circulates a coolant through pipes, ensuring the ice remains frozen throughout the game.
The basketball court features dashboards along its perimeter, while hockey requires glass boards. Thus, the dashboards are replaced with glass boards to facilitate hockey gameplay.
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Cooling system
Little Caesars Arena is an eight-story arena with a seating capacity of 19,515 for ice hockey and 20,332 for basketball. The arena features a retractable basketball floor that can be moved in and out of the venue and is stored underneath the hockey rink when not in use.
To maintain a frozen ice surface for hockey games, the arena utilises a complex cooling system installed beneath the rink. This system circulates a coolant through pipes, ensuring the ice remains frozen throughout the game. The cooling system plays a crucial role in allowing the arena to switch between basketball and hockey events seamlessly.
The process of converting the arena from basketball to hockey involves several steps. Firstly, the basketball floor is removed, revealing a black surface underneath. Then, the hockey boards, penalty boxes, and protective netting are installed. The installation of the ice surface follows, which includes laying down ice pans and adding layers of ice. The lines and logos are painted onto the ice surface, and the glass boards surrounding the perimeter are put in place, replacing the dashboards used for basketball games.
The conversion process from basketball to hockey typically takes around 6-7 hours, requiring a crew of about 45 to 60 workers. The arena's design, with its retractable basketball floor and advanced cooling system, enables it to efficiently transform from hosting basketball games to providing a frozen ice surface for hockey events.
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Dashboards and glassboards
Little Caesars Arena is an eight-story arena built in the shape of a bowl, with its floor 40 feet (12 m) below street level. The arena is capable of hosting both basketball and hockey games, and one of the ways it achieves this is by using dashboards and glassboards.
The Little Caesars Arena features a retractable basketball floor that can be moved in and out of the venue. When the arena transitions from basketball to hockey, the basketball floor is removed and stored underneath the hockey rink. As part of this process, the dashboards surrounding the perimeter of the basketball court are replaced with glassboards to facilitate hockey gameplay.
The process of converting the arena from basketball to hockey involves a team of about 60 people who remove the hockey boards, penalty boxes, and protective netting. The basketball floor is then installed, followed by the raising of the basketball hoops and the setting up of courtside seating. The conversion process typically takes about 6-7 hours to complete.
The use of dashboards and glassboards is an essential aspect of the arena's ability to host both basketball and hockey games. The dashboards provide a perimeter boundary for the basketball court, while the glassboards are necessary for hockey gameplay, providing a clear view of the action on the ice and protecting the players from flying pucks.
The ability to switch between dashboards and glassboards efficiently allows Little Caesars Arena to seamlessly transition between basketball and hockey games, accommodating the different requirements of each sport and ensuring an optimal experience for players and spectators alike.
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Media and scoreboard adjustments
Little Caesars Arena features a centre-hung scoreboard that measures 5,100 square feet (470 square metres). To switch from basketball to hockey, the media screens and scoreboards are modified to fit the requirements of hockey games, including changing the layouts and adding specific features like penalty box timers. This process is overseen by the Executive Vice President of Operations, Mario Etemad, and the Senior Vice President of Operations, Mike Willaert, who work with Olympia Entertainment operations staff to execute the transition.
The conversion from basketball to hockey takes around 6-7 hours, and the crew has to work through the night to ensure the arena is ready for the next event. The media and scoreboard adjustments are a crucial part of this process, as they ensure that the displays are optimised for the viewing experience of the fans and that all the necessary information can be conveyed during the game.
The scoreboards at Little Caesars Arena can also be used to display birthday messages during halftime at Pistons home games for a $75 minimum donation to the Detroit Pistons Foundation. Similarly, fans can schedule messages to be displayed on the scoreboard during Red Wings games through the NHL website.
The adjustments made to the media and scoreboards during the transition from basketball to hockey are essential to providing a seamless viewing experience for fans and ensuring that the arena can efficiently host both types of events.
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Frequently asked questions
Little Caesars Arena transitions from basketball to hockey by using a retractable basketball floor, installing an ice rink, operating a cooling system, changing dashboards to glass boards, adjusting media and scoreboards, modifying locker rooms, and preparing venue staff.
It takes about 6-7 hours to convert the arena from a basketball game setup to a hockey game setup.
The seating capacity of Little Caesars Arena is 20,332 for basketball and 19,515 for hockey.
Some other arenas that host both NBA and NHL games include the Barclay Center in New York, the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and the United Center in Chicago.
