Saturday night, T-Mobile Arena hosted 22,000 boxing fans for one of the biggest events of the year, GGG vs. Canelo. The fight got underway at around 8:30 PM Vegas time and the arena wasn’t cleared out until nearly midnight. 17 hours later, the arena was needed for an NHL preseason game. Oh, and all the while, the temperature outside was nearly 100 degrees the entire weekend.
As impressive as the Golden Knights were in their inaugural season, the ice crew at T-Mobile Arena gave them a run for their money at defying the odds. Last year George Salami, T-Mobile Arena’s Ice Ops Manager, also known as “The Ice Man” and his crew dealt with basketball, MMA, boxing, bull riding, WWE, concerts, and scorching heat, and not one time all year was there a legitimate issue with the ice.
It’s amazing how they keep the ice. Our ice has been good all year and there’s never been an issue with our ice. -Gerard Gallant
Ice condition concerns can be added to the long list of invalidated claims outsiders made before the NHL came to Vegas. The crew at T-Mobile Arena dealt with some of the toughest conditions in the league and consistently overcome them to put out not only an acceptable playing surface, but a first-class one.
I’ve definitely been in much worse places. The ice is always in good condition and I think they keep it tight to be nice every time. -Jonathan Marchessault
Nic Hague got a chance to skate at T-Mobile Arena for the first time on Sunday, and he was blown away.
In Mississauga, we shared the building with the basketball team. They would play Saturday nights and we would play Sunday afternoons and they would put the court right on the ice, and the ice would be a little rough after that. The fact there was a boxing match here last night… I was saying to Bischoff after warmup, the ice is feeling good out there. That’s the difference between Juniors and the NHL. -Nic Hague
It’s a little thing that most people don’t think about, but poor ice conditions can become a major black eye on an arena, a franchise, and even the city. Luckily, Salami and Co. are as good as it gets, no matter what the desert (or MGM/AEG) throw at them.
Zach H
I sit in section 3 above the zamboni portal and where Salami stands by the glass during games. Let’s petition to get it renamed the Salami Section.