The Stockton Thunder of the ECHL recently held a “Kids Take Over Stockton Arena Night” promotion in which children were allowed to shadow different arena and team jobs – such as broadcasters, journalists, photographers, ushers, ticket sales – so that they could experience what it takes to put on a hockey game.
After the game, the team invited kids down to ice level to paint the arena’s playing surface. A total of 845 people participated, covering the ice with multicolored artwork before it was sealed over.
Stockton will play its next home game on the newly redecorated surface on January 3rd, making them the first team to play on ice covered in fan artwork. It should be a very interesting (and, from the looks of things, very challenging) experience for players and fans trying to track the puck.