Down the road, the new Milwaukee Bucks arena could add an NHL preseason game to its slate of events.
Scheduled to open this fall, the new Bucks arena is primarily designed to host NBA and college basketball. However, it will offer the ability to stage other events, and construction crews recently began the process of pouring the concrete pad that will chill the arena’s ice sheet.
Ice will be used for some family events at the arena, such as Disney on Ice, and could help the venue land college hockey games. One other possibility down the road is that the arena hosts NHL action in the form of a preason game. No games for the league have been announced, but Bucks officials are saying that a preason game is one possible event that could be hosted at the arena at some point in the future. More from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
The ice sheet is an oft-overlooked aspect of the $524-million arena, which was designed for NBA and college basketball. The Bucks will operate the facility and are aggressively booking concerts and other events, starting with dates in September.
“We’re going to have family ice shows” like Disney on Ice, said Barry Baum, the Bucks senior vice president of communications.
The Bucks also plan to host college hockey games and “an NHL preseason game is a possibility,” Baum said. No games have been announced.
Milwaukee does have a professional hockey franchise of its own in the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL), who play at nearby UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. The Admirals do not have plans to play at the new arena, and will continue to use their current facility.
The Bucks are currently playing their final season at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, which is expected to be demolished after the new arena opens.
