COLORADO SPRINGS — Snow fell the day first moving trucks passed through Air Force Academy security gates to begin an ambitious process of transforming Falcon Stadium from a college football field into a professional ice hockey rink.
Hundreds of workers braved waves of powder around the clock over nearly two weeks to construct the final product. And Saturday night, a near-sellout crowd will take it all in as the Avalanche and Kings meet in an outdoor showcase celebrating the sport’s proud history.
But establishing and maintaining world-class ice standards with Mother Nature in the picture can prove difficult.