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Very unfortunate start of the AO tenure for them tonight.

Ice issues after a gig last night left them struggling to put things back for the hockey in time. No ice around the boards.

OK, it happens. But worse, there would have been a lot of new fans there for the first real game of the season in the arena and they were left coralled in the concourse for 3 hours. Already seen several instances of people saying they won't ever be going back.

Disaster all round for the storm.

It’s a shame for them. The league, the sport and everyone could have done with this working.

The Storm and the EIHL need this big arena project to be successful.

Whilst ticket prices can be refunded, car parking, baby sisters and subsistence bought in the arena can’t.

Terrible, terrible start to the season with a cancelled game.

The can’t happen again going forwards.

Must have been a culture shock for Nottingham away fans, to have had to stay at an away venue for more than two hours.

smbmetal wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2026 9:19 pm

The Storm and the EIHL need this big arena project to be successful.

Whilst ticket prices can be refunded, car parking, baby sisters and subsistence bought in the arena can’t.

Terrible, terrible start to the season with a cancelled game.

The can’t happen again going forwards.

Baby Sisters ?,

mark wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 14, 2026 2:43 pm

smbmetal wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 13, 2026 9:19 pm

The Storm and the EIHL need this big arena project to be successful.

Whilst ticket prices can be refunded, car parking, baby sisters and subsistence bought in the arena can’t.

Terrible, terrible start to the season with a cancelled game.

The can’t happen again going forwards.

Baby Sisters ?,

Oops, Baby Sitters of course.

I've read the Storm only have access to the arena on matchdays - they train in Deeside, 2 hours away on the bus. I wasn't aware of that.

Does that mean the ice at the AO is covered 6 days a week? Thats not going to do much for the state of the ice - I reckon these issues could re-occur regularly.

Not sure this has been planned properly and I am now less confident that this is going to work for Storm. Given that they have nowhere else to go, it could be a bloody disaster, for them and for the league.

Friend talking to staff in Manchester said that ice may better when it’s been down a couple of weeks. The reply was that they take the ice up when there is another event. Difficult to believe but if true then problems will remain

A horrible situation for Ryan Finnerty and those trying to make a go of arena hockey in Manchester.

I wonder if the ice will improve as outside temperatures start to drop.

Regards

Doom

If the AO really want to get 270,000+ hockey fans through the doors each season (similar to what the Steelers are at) then they need to take it seriously and get professional. I know it costs £££ to keep an ice pad frozen - I was told it was about £250k a year per pad at ice Sheffield 10 years ago, and leccy is much more expensive now. But they surely must liaise with Sheff Arena to find out how to cover the pad for a few of days when there's a gig on?

Fingers crossed for the storm going forward.