In Jihlava, the city took over the arena from the construction company; the first hockey game will be on Saturday

Jihlava - In Jihlava, the city received a new arena on Wednesday evening from the general contractor, GEMO. The city spokesperson Radovan Daněk informed ČTK today. The deadline for the handover was postponed from October 9, firstly due to the installation of LED technology and later due to a shortage of ammonia for cooling the ice surface. The first hockey match will still take place in the Horácká arena this Saturday, as planned. Jihlava's Dukla will face Zlín. The number of spectators will be limited to half for the first three matches.

"The arena will need to be tested, tried out, and learned how to operate. There are several things that will need to be fine-tuned and equipped. But we will already bring it to life this Saturday, October 25, along with the first visitors at the first hockey match," said David Beke, city councilman and construction manager of the arena.

The multifunctional hall cost 1.9 billion crowns and nearly 200 million for equipment. Beke recently stated that the construction was completed within the expected budget. The region and the National Sports Agency contributed to the costs. The Dukla match with full capacity will be on November 1, and the grand opening of the arena will be on November 8.

Construction began in the summer of 2023 with the demolition of the old ice rink, where the new arena has been built. The city extended the handover deadline by a week due to the complexity of installing unique LED technology in the central area beneath the ice. Then it was postponed to October 22, justified by the difficulty in supplying the ammonia needed for cooling the ice surface and filling it by a specialized company.

The Horácká arena can host sports and cultural events, trade fairs, and conferences. In full operation, it will accommodate around 5,500 spectators for sports matches and over 7,400 for concerts.

LED boards are installed around the entire central area, capable of displaying animations, advertisements, or information for fans. According to the city, this is the first such installation in the Czech Republic. On the roof of the arena, there is a 230-meter running track. The hotel nearby has 29 rooms, and there is also a fitness center and various dining options.

In the Czech Republic, multifunctional hockey halls are being built or planned in other cities as well. The hall in the Brno exhibition center is expected to have a capacity of 13,300 spectators and is set to open next fall. Entrepreneur Petr Dědek, the majority owner of Pardubice hockey, announced plans to build a multifunctional hall in Pardubice through his company. According to previous information, it should accommodate 22,000 people, making it the largest hockey arena in the world. Ostrava's mayor Jan Dohnal (Together) stated last February that Ostrava wishes to build a new hall for ice sports. It is expected to have a capacity of up to 11,000 seats.