Michigan State hockey unveils Munn Arena renovations

EAST LANSING – This Friday marked the completion of the Munn Ice Arena renovation project, originally started in the summer of 2018 but was slowed due to construction delays caused by the pandemic.

The $26.7-million, 35,000-square foot facility was formally dedicated with former Michigan State hockey players, alumni and donors all present to see the upgrade.

The new-look arena will be on display when the Spartans face the U.S. National Team Development Program in an exhibition at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1. The regular-season opener will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 against Bowling Green.

Those who enter from the south entrance will be immersed in the Ron Mason Hall of History, where directly above the entrance hangs the old scoreboard from Dem Hall, where the Spartans played before Munn was constructed. The lobby has a plethora of MSU hockey memorabilia, including the Hobey Baker awards for Kip Miller in 1990 and Ryan Miller in 2001, busts of former coaches and an ode to former Spartans playing in the NHL.

On the walls above in the lobby, the names of every letterwinner who played for MSU are displayed. To the left of the entrance are the coaches office as well as a video room for scouting, and to the right of the entrance is the new weight room. Prior to the renovations, hockey players would have to go to the football center to lift.

Downstairs leads to the players lounge and kitchen – about five times larger than the previous lounge and kitchen. There is also a shooting room, where every player gets at least 300 shots in per day off the ice.

Down the hall from the lounge leads to a massive training and recovery area that includes an underwater treadmill and both a hot and cold water tub. That's where new head athletic trainer Andy Hosler, who comes to MSU after spending 14 seasons – eight as head trainer – with the Nashville Predators, will spend most of his time.

Past the training room leads to the downstairs video room, equipped with whiteboards and five monitors, that will primarily be used to look at film during game intermissions. It will allow MSU players to rewatch shifts, power plays and penalty kills that happened during the game.

Between the training and video rooms is MSU's "brag wall," which lists numerous accomplishments from the hockey program's past.

Next to the video room is the film/theater room where the primary scouting and film study will take place.

One of the biggest upgrades is the locker room, which is substantially larger than the previous space. Behind the locker room are the players' bathrooms and showers, additional lockers for each player, as well as a steam room and a sauna for player use.

There is also a substantial space for equipment and storage on the opposite side of the locker room.

The home bench now sits on the south side on the ice, with the penalty boxes next to it. The tunnel from the locker room to the bench is plastered with numerous photos from MSU games.

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott

Michigan State hockey trainer Andy Hosler walks through the traning room during a tour of the Munn Ice Arena completed renovations on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at in East Lansing.
Michigan State hockey trainer Andy Hosler walks through the traning room during a tour of the Munn Ice Arena completed renovations on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at in East Lansing.
A view inside the Ron Mason Hall of History during a tour of the Moon Ice Arena completed renovations on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in East Lansing.
A view inside the Ron Mason Hall of History during a tour of the Moon Ice Arena completed renovations on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, in East Lansing.
A video control room seen during a tour of the completed renovations on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.
A video control room seen during a tour of the completed renovations on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan State hockey's Munn Arena renovation complete