Toyota Center renovations to include installation of ice-making equipment

[MMC]

Click to read more...

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I don’t think this necessarily means Fertita is actively looking to bring NHL to Houston.

 

[HisIceness]

If nothing else, return of AHL?

 

[End on a Hinote]

I disagree with these replies. Houston is, IMO, the most common sense location now. I think this could very well be a sign of......ARZ relocation?

 

[ponder719]

This feels like "well, now we can bring in Disney on Ice and stuff like that, and if we do pivot to looking at the NHL, it's one less expense to clear."

 

[TheLegend]

I disagree with these replies. Houston is, IMO, the most common sense location now. I think this could very well be a sign of......ARZ relocation?

There have been more “signs” of Arizona relocating than all the hotel signs in Las Vegas.

 

[Major4Boarding]

So I guess I missed the part Chris Johnston is talking about because I didn’t see it anywhere in the article. So is this something on the down-low or was it just completely glossed over by the guy because he’s the Rockets beat writer

Am I not seeing the fine print in the article?

 

[StreetHawk]

I don’t think this necessarily means Fertita is actively looking to bring NHL to Houston.

Aeros played in the Toyota Center from 2003 to 2013. How did that happen without ice making machines? They went a decade using portable ones like in those basketball specific arenas like in Miami Heat for ice shows? Doesn't seem likely with about 40 games a season for the Aeros.

Were those ones removed in the past decade?

 

[Headshot77]

Rev up those NHL to Houston rumors

 

[oknazevad]

Aeros played in the Toyota Center from 2003 to 2013. How did that happen without ice making machines? They went a decade using portable ones like in those basketball specific arenas like in Miami Heat for ice shows? Doesn't seem likely with about 40 games a season for the Aeros.

Were those ones removed in the past decade?

Point of order: the Miami-Dade Arena (or whatever it's being called this week) does have an ice plant. And a hockey configuration. It's just never been used for playing hockey. The only NBA arenas at this time with no ice plant at all are the Chase Center in San Francisco and the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. (The Clippers' new Intuit Dome will join that list when it opens.) All others have ice plants, even if they're not used regularly and in many cases off-center like Phoenix and Brooklyn.

 

[Tawnos]

So I guess I missed the part Chris Johnston is talking about because I didn’t see it anywhere in the article. So is this something on the down-low or was it just completely glossed over by the guy because he’s the Rockets beat writer

Am I not seeing the fine print in the article?

It does look like there’s a different Houston Chronicle article talking about the ice plant but it’s paywalled.

NHL in Houston? Rockets plan to make sure Toyota Center is ready

NHL doesn't have current plans to expand but the Rockets want to make sure Toyota Center has NHL-quality ice if situation changes.

www.houstonchronicle.com

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don’t think this necessarily means Fertita is actively looking to bring NHL to Houston.

We know he is.

 

[StreetHawk]

We know he is.

He would need to have changed his mind on the valuation of a team in Houston. He wasn't thrilled about the $500 mill price tag a few years ago. More than doubled now by the time there is expansion since TB sold part of their team based off a $1.4 billion valuation. Wouldn't be surprised if it is true by Dreger that the NHL would seek $2 billion in expansion fee if the 2 main targets are the 2 biggest remaining US markets in Houston and Atlanta.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

We know he is.

Actively.

I know at a right price he is. But NHL does not seem to be interested in price he is willing to pay.

 

[Major4Boarding]

Thanks Tawnos! I guess he grabbed the wrong article in his text (?)

When listing plans for future phases of renovation, Rockets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr included “making sure this building is ready for anything, which includes making sure it’s hockey ready.”

Toyota Center does not have the equipment to produce NHL-quality ice. Portable machines can be brought in, as with the NHL’s annual Winter Classic outdoor games or with ice shows. That would be about a four-day process in an arena and unlikely for an NHL venue.

 

[StreetHawk]

Actively.

I know at a right price he is. But NHL does not seem to be interested in price he is willing to pay.

Thanks Tawnos! I guess he grabbed the wrong article in his text (?)

Did Houston use portable ice makers for the aeros for the decade they played out of the arena?

 

[Tawnos]

Did Houston use portable ice makers for the aeros for the decade they played out of the arena?

I’m not sure. There does seem to be some work that was done in the arena around 2014 or 2015, including a new scoreboard and a bunch of new amenities. Maybe the old ice plant was removed at that time? There’s no evidence of that I could find, but it’s possible I guess.

 

[Aero 75]

Maybe this is just a coincidence, but funding for a new 7,500 seat arena was approved just last week in the southeastern Houston suburb of Pasadena. Minor league arena for a future Houston NHL team? From what I understand the new arena has a lot of moving parts right now. Ice plant? Maybe, or maybe not. Pasadena Arena & Convention Center Expansion & Renovation

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Maybe this is just a coincidence, but funding for a new 7,500 seat arena was approved just last week in the southeastern Houston suburb of Pasadena. Minor league arena for a future Houston NHL team? From what I understand the new arena has a lot of moving parts right now. Ice plant? Maybe, or maybe not. Pasadena Arena & Convention Center Expansion & Renovation

Is Fertita involved? If not just a coincidence is my bet.

 

[JMCx4]

If nothing else, return of AHL?

Yep, Texas Stars AHL franchise moves to Houston so Austin, TX can get the NHL franchise they so richly deserve.

 

[Major4Boarding]

Did Houston use portable ice makers for the aeros for the decade they played out of the arena?

My understanding is, from a friend who is no longer with us, that the ice plant was removed shortly after the Aeros relocated to Iowa. If not shortly after, it was before Tillman Fertita bought the Rockets in 2017.

Also, I found this looking for confirmation of that story. Just plugging this in for future reference.

The Aeros are officially moving to Des Moines, Iowa. The team will be called the Iowa Wild, which means the Aeros name will stay in Houston. The team is the minor-league affiliate for the Minnesota Wild.

 

[brentashton]

Point of order: the Miami-Dade Arena (or whatever it's being called this week) does have an ice plant. And a hockey configuration. It's just never been used for playing hockey. The only NBA arenas at this time with no ice plant at all are the Chase Center in San Francisco and the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. (The Clippers' new Intuit Dome will join that list when it opens.) All others have ice plants, even if they're not used regularly and in many cases off-center like Phoenix and Brooklyn.

Footprint Center?

 

[StreetHawk]

My understanding is, from a friend who is no longer with us, that the ice plant was removed shortly after the Aeros relocated to Iowa. If not shortly after, it was before Tillman Fertita bought the Rockets in 2017.

Also, I found this looking for confirmation of that story. Just plugging this in for future reference.

Wonder what the benefit was in removing them?

 

[Major4Boarding]

Wonder what the benefit was in removing them?

I don’t have a dog in the fight when it comes to arena operations, but I would have to assume it saves on energy costs and the water bill, maybe?

 

[Mr Positive]

Awesome. Expansion has been a huge success for the NHL with Vegas and Seattle.