On February 24, 2006, the gates of the Steel Arena were opened, to the financing and construction of which U. S. Steel Košice significantly contributed. It was a great event, popular music groups from Slovakia and the Czech Republic performed in the opening program, there was a match between the legends of Košice and Sparta Prague, and there was also an exhibition of Jozef Sabovčík and a spectacular laser show, which was a big news at that time. An incredible 18 years have passed since then! The Steel Arena has witnessed the championship titles of HC Košice, hosted the Ice Hockey World Championship, many domestic and foreign sports, music and dance performances.
Currently, the most extensive reconstruction since its opening is slowly coming to an end in the Steel Arena. It started in May, will cost 5.71 million euros and the work is more than 60 percent complete, said representatives of the city, the Steel Arena and the Košice Arena Association at an inspection day that took place earlier this week.
The main goal of the reconstruction is primarily to reduce the energy consumption of the hall through the latest technologies for ice cooling and to replace the old lighting with more economical ones.
Currently, work continues on the repair of the roof cladding of the hall and the skylight. Work also continues inside the hall - on the replacement of cooling technology on the main and training ice rinks. At the same time, the technological cooling room, which is located in close proximity to the ice rink, is being reconstructed. In mid-August, the concreting of the main ice rink will begin. Subsequently, the contractor will continue to replace the lighting in the main hall. The facilities of the Steel Arena are also undergoing renovation - sanitary facilities and showers in the players' dressing rooms, as well as sanitary facilities for the public.
From the next season, the hockey players of HC Košice will have to adapt to the new dimensions of the ice surface, which will approach the dimensions of the hockey fields in the Canadian-American Hockey League. In accordance with the new requirements of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the length of the area will be extended to 61 meters and the width will be at the level of 28 meters, while before the reconstruction it had dimensions of 60 by 30 meters.
