RINK READY AT SLOVNAFT ARENA

The HC SLOVAN Bratislava A team are not the only ones preparing for the new season. Our home - the SLOVNAFT Arena – is also getting ready. Specialists from STARZ, responsible for the city’s sports facilities, prepared the main ice rink from July 17^th to 22^nd. “Prior to preparing the surface, we cool the concrete underneath the rink,” explains a member of the STARZ team. “The concrete takes 24 hours to reach a temperature between -7° and -9° C. Then we pour on four layers, each 1mm thick. After that, each new layer is 2mm thick, until we reach the standard 7cm thickness.”

Although the ice is now ready, Rostislav Čada’s team will train on the B rink next door. “We’ll continue training on the B rink until July 31^st, when we’ll have our first session on the main rink before our  warm-up match at home against Spartak Moscow,” said Čada. “The main reason we’re using the B rink is because of the lower temperature, which suits the players better in training.”

The SLOVNAFT Arena’s main rink will require additional work just before the start of the KHL regular season, when advertisements will be applied to the ice. Warm-up matches and the European Trophy will therefore be played on clear ice without advertisements.