About Facility
The TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a premier ice sports facility that serves as a vibrant center for athletic excellence and community engagement in the Twin Cities area. Located in the bustling heart of downtown St. Paul, this state-of-the-art arena offers a dynamic space for athletes, families, and visitors to enjoy a wide range of ice-related activities.
Featuring a meticulously maintained NHL-sized ice rink, the TRIA Rink provides an optimal environment for a variety of ice sports, including hockey, figure skating, and recreational skating. The facility boasts modern amenities such as advanced training and conditioning areas, spacious locker rooms, and a welcoming lobby, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience for participants and spectators alike.
As the official practice facility for the Minnesota Wild NHL team, the TRIA Rink serves as a training ground for professional athletes and a beacon of excellence for aspiring players of all ages. Beyond serving as a venue for elite sports, the arena offers a diverse range of programs and events for the wider community, including public skating sessions, skating lessons, and special events. Its inclusive approach and central location make it a beloved destination for residents and visitors alike.
In addition to the Minnesota Wild, the facility is also home to the Division 2 Hamline University Pipers Hockey Team as well as the Minnesota Whitecaps who are apart of the National Women’s Hockey League.
Congratulations to the Minnesota Whitecaps for winning the 2019 NWHL championship and the Isobel Cup!
“There are too many one-hour players. They’re waiting for one hour of indoor ice when they could use the natural ice God has given them for five or six hours.”
John Mariucci – Distinguished Minnesota Gopher Player and Coach
Scope of Work
The building now occupied by the new TRIA rink was originally constructed for Macy’s way back in 1963. In 2016, the Minnesota Wild signed the new lease for their brand new ice rink and practice facility to be designed on the roof of the building. The rink is located on the 5th floor of the building, while the Minnesota Wild officials have their offices and training spaces in the basement of the building. A dedicated elevator connects the two spaces.
Challenges for this project were numerous including building the new ice rink on the 5th floor of an existing parking structure. Not only was this a new facility, but it included a full height wall of west facing glass. The system needed to meet the high performance demands for an NHL hockey team, the Minnesota Wild, all while staying within a restricted budget. Even though the budget was restricted, B32 was able to design a high performance system that still allowed the success of the overall building development. Drawing from experiences of other high performance and NHL ice rink facilities, B32 Engineering Group, Inc. were able to provide many options for the ice system design as the project moved through the design phase even as layout of the facilities changed.