THE NHL INCLUDED Ohio Stadium on its list of potential venues for outdoor games for as long as anyone in the league office can remember. Not only is the stadium iconic, but also it's massive -- with up to 90,000-plus fans watching live hockey.
NHL executives made their first site visit to the Horseshoe five and a half years ago. But there was one problem holding the 103-year-old building back: plumbing.
"For a long time, we'd shut [the stadium] down in November and we wouldn't really turn it back on until April," said Colin Thompson, Ohio State's senior associate athletic director for facilities and events.