The date for the inaugural game at the new ice arena in Cardiff bay has been delayed. However, there is more to the arena than just ice hockey.
Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay is now complete and ready to host its first match, when it opens its doors to the public of Cardiff for the first time.
But ice hockey is not the only thing that will benefit from the new arena, “the new rink won’t just be for EIHL(Elite Ice Hockey League) games, it’ll be useful for a variety of leagues and occasions including weddings and business events”, says Hannah Nicklin from Icetime TV.
“The rink is not built for ice hockey as such, it is built for other purposes as well”, says Chris Hartrey, operations director for IAW, “we have an Olympic size pad now to bring in International hockey tournaments and international figure skating. We are geared up for some speed skating as well”.
The new arena has other facilities besides the two new ice rinks, “we have got a dance studio, a gym and a physio-clinic built into the arena as well, so we have lots of stuff going on”, Chris says.
“The first Cardiff Devils game was meant to be held on 27th February against Coventry Blaze, however, it’s now been pushed back, we’re hoping to have the first game on 12th March against the Belfast Giants”, says Hannah.
“The first game is next month, but the team’s actually trained on the main pad for 2 days before they played Sheffield last weekend, they have been over and have trained here”, Chris says.
The new arena is expected to help with the popularity of Ice hockey in Cardiff. “The new rink will do wonders for ice hockey in Cardiff, but also in South Wales. It’ll raise the profile, and with the extra seating it’ll welcome more people and new fans. It will be a breath of fresh air for the Devils and those who are involved. IAW is a stunning building that the team, management and fans will all be proud of, we hope to make lots of happy memories in this new building”, Hannah says.