Is It Cold At Hockey Games?

Updated: January 6, 2025 Written by Bill Burniece

Is it cold at a hockey game?

Technically speaking, yes. After all, it is a friggin’ hockey rink.

But there are many factors that will determine just how cold.

The general rule is that the smaller the hockey rink is, the colder it will be in the building.

Also, the closer you are to the ice surface, the cooler it will be.

If you’re in the nosebleeds at an NHL game, you’re going to be toasty warm. If you’re sitting on the glass at a local community rink, you’ll be chilly.

Let’s dive deeper into the topic below.

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How Cold Is It At A Hockey Game?

The Facts:

  • Hockey ice is usually kept between 22°F and 25°F (-5.5°C and -3°C)
  • The ice is maintained through resurfacing by a really funky-looking specialized vehicle called a Zamboni
  • The ice in a hockey rink is kept at the ideal temperature using a specialized refrigeration system that lies underneath the ice surface
  • The air temperature in a hockey rink is usually between 50-60°F (10-15°C)
  • The closer you are to the rink itself, the cooler the air temperature will be
  • The coldest NHL outdoor game in history was the 2022 NHL Winter Classic in Minneapolis, between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild, where the temperature was −5.7 °F (−20.9 °C)  Source: Wikipedia

What To Wear To A Hockey Game

What to wear to a hockey game depends upon what level of game you are going to see.

Professional and College Level Hockey Games

If you go see a professional or semi-professional game, the air temperature will be relatively comfortable in the stands since it is such a large space filled with warm bodies.

At a professional NHL rink, the temp will likely be pretty comfortable so you may only want to bring light sweater or coat just in case.

College level arenas are smaller and thus a little chillier, so you’ll want to wear long pants and bring along a coat for sure.

Beer Leagues and Youth Level Hockey Games

If you go watch a casual game, such as beer-league game, the rink will be much smaller and thus have a colder air temperature inside.

This is great in the summer, but it’s still going to feel cold to you at some point.

Tips:

  • Dress in layers so you can add or subtract a layer to make yourself perfectly comfortable
  • Bring a sweater or hoodie if you don’t mind being a little cold
  • Bring a coat or jacket if you don’t like being cold at all
  • If its wintertime, wear long pants or jeans
  • Don’t wear open-ended shoes

Oh, and if you are going to watch an ice-hockey game outside in the winter?

Dress like you are going to summit Mt. Everest.

A Gore-Tex jacket, warm pants, hat, gloves, a flask of whiskey, hand warmers… the works.

You can thank me later.

What To Bring To A Hockey Game

1. Comfortable Walking Shoes: Ice rinks are large, and many people underestimate the amount of walking they’ll be doing while attending a hockey game. Especially the larger arenas where you’ll have to park a long way from the rink entrance

2. Clothing Layers: As mentioned above, this mostly applies to smaller rinks and events where the temperature in the rink is much lower

3. Heavy Blanket: You won’t be able to bring a blanket to a professional event, but it is great for smaller local rinks that are colder. As a bonus, the seats are usually wooden benches so having a cushy blanket to sit on is a nice luxury

4. Team Gear: Represent your favorite team by wearing team jerseys, hats, and gloves

5. Snacks: You likely won’t have luck sneaking snacks into NHL and college games, but local rinks don’t really care what you bring in, as long as you don’t make a mess

6. Gloves: Gloves are nice to have in the smaller rinks and arenas

7. Hat: Many people wear team-branded hats to hockey games

8. What about backpacks and purses? If you are going to a pro or college level game, there may be limitations on what you can and can’t bring into the rink. For example, the local NHL arena I go to has a limitation on the size of a backpack and both purses and backpacks must be see-though. Check the rink’s website so you don’t have any surprises when you get there

Conclusion: Is It Cold At Hockey Games?

Yes, it’s cold at a hockey game sometimes.

But the action is so hot that you won’t even notice it after a while. Especially if you are lucky enough to be in a hockey barn that sells ice-cold beers.

Hockey is great at any temperature.

And if you like betting on hockey and are a casino enthusiast, you can find many of the best online casinos listed here, providing yet another way for you to enjoy hockey and other sports. 

You might also like: Funny beer league hockey team names

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