NHL confident in ice plans for Dodger Stadium game

Published Sep. 26, 2013 3:36 p.m. ET

foxsports

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The NHL is confident the ice won't melt on its plan to play outdoor hockey in sunny Southern California.

The Los Angeles Kings will take on the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 25 at Dodger Stadium, the iconic baseball venue nestled high in the hills above downtown.

It's the NHL's first outdoor game in a warm-weather city, but the league's ice-making technicians say they're up to the challenge of building a viable rink in Los Angeles' balmy year-round temperatures.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and representatives from both teams visited Dodger Stadium on Thursday to check out its palm trees and mountains.

About two weeks before the game, the NHL will begin building the rink on top of the infield. The ice will be covered during the day to keep it cool.