If you are wondering how many square feet a hockey rink is, a standard NHL-style hockey rink has a rectangular footprint of 200 feet long by 85 feet wide, which equals 17,000 square feet when calculated as a simple rectangle.
The basic calculation is:
200 feet ร 85 feet = 17,000 square feet
However, there is an important detail: a hockey rink has rounded corners, so the actual ice surface is somewhat smaller than the simple 17,000-square-foot rectangle. The NHL’s official rink dimensions specify a 200-foot length, 85-foot width, and rounded corners with a 28-foot radius.
International and Olympic-style hockey rinks are wider. A commonly used Olympic/international rink is approximately 200 feet by 100 feet, giving a simple rectangular area of 20,000 square feet. USA Hockey notes that Olympic-sized ice is 200 feet long by 100 feet wide, compared with the typical NHL-style 200-by-85-foot rink.
How Many Square Feet Is an NHL Hockey Rink?
A standard NHL hockey rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide.
To calculate the rectangular footprint:
Area = Length ร Width
Area = 200 ร 85
Area = 17,000 square feet
Therefore, the commonly quoted area of an NHL-size hockey rink is:
17,000 square feet
This is the easiest figure to use when comparing a hockey rink with buildings, homes, warehouses, or other large spaces.
The NHL’s official rules specify the rink dimensions as 200 feet by 85 feet.
Quick Answer: Hockey Rink Square Footage
| Hockey Rink Type | Approx. Length | Approx. Width | Rectangular Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHL-style | 200 ft | 85 ft | 17,000 sq ft |
| Olympic/international | 200 ft | 100 ft | 20,000 sq ft |
| 30 m ร 60 m | 196.9 ft | 98.4 ft | 19,375 sq ft |
The exact dimensions of international rinks can vary within applicable rules and venue specifications. USA Hockey describes Olympic-sized ice as 200 feet by 100 feet and notes that NHL-style ice is typically 200 feet by 85 feet.
How Do You Calculate the Square Feet of a Hockey Rink?
The basic calculation is the same as calculating the area of any rectangle:
Square feet = Length ร Width
For an NHL-style rink:
200 ร 85 = 17,000 square feet
So the rectangular footprint is 17,000 square feet.
For an Olympic-style rink:
200 ร 100 = 20,000 square feet
So the rectangular footprint is 20,000 square feet.
NHL Rink Calculation
200 ft ร 85 ft = 17,000 sq ft
Olympic Rink Calculation
200 ft ร 100 ft = 20,000 sq ft
The Olympic-style rink therefore has a simple rectangular area that is:
20,000 โ 17,000 = 3,000 square feet
larger than the NHL-style rectangular footprint.
Why Isn’t a Hockey Rink Exactly 17,000 Square Feet?
The answer depends on what you mean by “square feet.”
A hockey rink is not a perfect rectangle. The four corners are rounded.
The NHL’s official rink diagram gives the overall dimensions as 200 feet by 85 feet and specifies a 28-foot radius for the corners.
Therefore, multiplying 200 ร 85 gives the area of the enclosing rectangle, not the precise mathematical area of the rounded ice outline.
For most general questions, 17,000 square feet is the standard answer because 200 ร 85 is the official overall rink dimension.
If you calculate the rounded-corner ice surface using the stated 28-foot corner radius, the result is approximately 16,327 square feet.
Rounded-Corner Calculation
Start with the enclosing rectangle:
200 ร 85 = 17,000 sq ft
Each rounded corner replaces a 28 ร 28 square portion with a quarter-circle.
The adjustment for all four corners is:
4 ร [28ยฒ โ (ฯ ร 28ยฒ รท 4)]
This gives an approximate actual geometric ice area of:
16,327 square feet
So there are two useful answers:
- 17,000 sq ft โ simple 200 ร 85 rectangular footprint
- โ16,327 sq ft โ approximate area of the rounded ice surface
For everyday comparisons, the 17,000-square-foot figure is usually the more useful answer.
How Big Is a Hockey Rink?
A standard NHL-style rink is approximately:
- 200 feet long
- 85 feet wide
- 17,000 square feet using the rectangular calculation
- About 61 meters long
- About 26 meters wide
The NHL’s official rink dimensions are 200 feet by 85 feet, with rounded corners.
The rink is therefore much larger than a typical residential room but smaller than many large indoor arenas when considering the entire building.
NHL Rink vs. Olympic Rink
One of the most common sources of confusion is that hockey does not use one universal rink width everywhere.
The NHL-style rink is generally:
200 ร 85 feet
An Olympic/international-style rink is commonly:
200 ร 100 feet
USA Hockey specifically describes NHL-style ice as typically 85 feet wide and Olympic-sized ice as 100 feet wide.
Size Comparison
| Feature | NHL-Style | Olympic/International Style |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 200 ft | 200 ft |
| Width | 85 ft | 100 ft |
| Rectangular area | 17,000 sq ft | 20,000 sq ft |
| Width difference | โ | 15 ft wider |
| Approx. rectangular area difference | โ | 3,000 sq ft |
The wider international surface provides a larger rectangular playing area.
How Many Square Feet Is an Olympic Hockey Rink?
Using the common 200-foot-by-100-foot dimensions:
200 ร 100 = 20,000 square feet
Therefore, an Olympic-sized hockey rink has a simple rectangular area of approximately:
20,000 square feet
Like an NHL rink, an Olympic-style rink also has rounded corners, so the exact ice area is less than the simple rectangular calculation.
The exact dimensions can also vary between venues and competitions. USA Hockey describes Olympic-sized ice as 200 feet long by 100 feet wide.
How Many Square Feet Is a Hockey Ice Surface?
If you are specifically interested in the ice surface, rather than the entire arena, the answer depends on the rink design.
For an NHL-style rink:
About 17,000 square feet by the standard length ร width calculation
For an Olympic-style rink:
About 20,000 square feet by the standard length ร width calculation
The actual ice outline is slightly smaller because of the curved corners.
This distinction matters if you are calculating ice-making requirements, refrigeration capacity, resurfacing materials, or other facility specifications.
Hockey Rink Square Feet in Square Meters
The rectangular NHL-style rink is:
17,000 square feet
To convert square feet to square meters:
Square meters = Square feet ร 0.092903
Therefore:
17,000 ร 0.092903 โ 1,579.35 square meters
So the rectangular NHL-style footprint is approximately:
1,579 square meters
For a 200 ร 100-foot Olympic-style rink:
20,000 ร 0.092903 โ 1,858.06 square meters
So:
20,000 sq ft โ 1,858 sq m
| Rink | Square Feet | Square Meters |
|---|---|---|
| NHL-style rectangular footprint | 17,000 | 1,579.35 |
| Olympic-style rectangular footprint | 20,000 | 1,858.06 |
Hockey Rink Dimensions in Meters
The NHL-style dimensions can also be converted directly:
200 feet = 60.96 meters
85 feet = 25.908 meters
So the standard NHL-style rink is approximately:
60.96 m ร 25.91 m
The 200-by-85-foot dimensions are documented in NHL rules and NHL-related rink information.
For an Olympic-style 200 ร 100-foot rink:
200 ft = 60.96 m
100 ft = 30.48 m
So it is approximately:
60.96 m ร 30.48 m
Hockey Rink Size Comparison Chart
Here is a quick comparison of common rink dimensions.
| Dimensions | Rectangular Square Feet | Approx. Square Meters |
|---|---|---|
| 185 ร 85 ft | 15,725 sq ft | 1,461 sq m |
| 190 ร 85 ft | 16,150 sq ft | 1,500 sq m |
| 200 ร 85 ft | 17,000 sq ft | 1,579 sq m |
| 200 ร 90 ft | 18,000 sq ft | 1,672 sq m |
| 200 ร 98 ft | 19,600 sq ft | 1,821 sq m |
| 200 ร 100 ft | 20,000 sq ft | 1,858 sq m |
USA Hockey’s official rink diagrams allow a range of rink dimensions for certain categories, while NHL regulation uses the 200 ร 85-foot dimensions.
How Many Acres Is a Hockey Rink?
One acre contains 43,560 square feet.
Using the simple NHL-style rectangular area:
17,000 รท 43,560 โ 0.3903 acres
Therefore, an NHL-style rink’s rectangular footprint is approximately:
0.39 acres
For an Olympic-style 20,000-square-foot rectangle:
20,000 รท 43,560 โ 0.4591 acres
So an Olympic-style rink’s rectangular footprint is approximately:
0.46 acres
| Rink | Square Feet | Approx. Acres |
|---|---|---|
| NHL-style | 17,000 | 0.39 acres |
| Olympic-style | 20,000 | 0.46 acres |
This comparison refers to the calculated rink footprint, not the total arena property.
How Many Square Yards Is a Hockey Rink?
One square yard equals 9 square feet.
For an NHL-style rink:
17,000 รท 9 = 1,888.89 square yards
So the rectangular footprint is approximately:
1,889 square yards
For an Olympic-style rink:
20,000 รท 9 = 2,222.22 square yards
So the rectangular footprint is approximately:
2,222 square yards
How Many Square Inches Is a Hockey Rink?
One square foot contains:
12 ร 12 = 144 square inches
Therefore:
17,000 ร 144 = 2,448,000 square inches
So an NHL-style rectangular rink contains approximately:
2,448,000 square inches
For a 20,000-square-foot Olympic-style rectangle:
20,000 ร 144 = 2,880,000 square inches
How Does a Hockey Rink Compare With a Football Field?
A standard American football field, including the end zones, is approximately 57,600 square feet.
An NHL-style hockey rink’s simple rectangular area is approximately:
17,000 square feet
Therefore, the football field has more than three times the surface area of the rectangular NHL rink footprint.
The comparison is:
57,600 รท 17,000 โ 3.39
So roughly 3.4 NHL-size rink footprints would fit into the area of a football field.
This is only an area comparison. The shapes and dimensions are very different.
How Does a Hockey Rink Compare With a Basketball Court?
A standard NBA basketball court is 94 feet long by 50 feet wide.
Its area is:
94 ร 50 = 4,700 square feet
An NHL-style hockey rink’s rectangular area is:
17,000 square feet
The hockey rink therefore has:
17,000 รท 4,700 โ 3.62
times the area of an NBA court.
So you can think of an NHL-style rink as having roughly 3.6 times the rectangular floor area of an NBA basketball court.
How Does a Hockey Rink Compare With a Tennis Court?
A doubles tennis court is 78 feet long and 36 feet wide.
Its playing-area footprint is:
78 ร 36 = 2,808 square feet
An NHL-style rink is:
17,000 square feet
Therefore:
17,000 รท 2,808 โ 6.05
So the rectangular area of an NHL-style hockey rink is roughly equivalent to six doubles tennis courts.
This is an area comparison and does not include additional runoff or spectator areas that may surround a tennis court.
How Much Ice Is Needed to Make a Hockey Rink?
The amount of ice required depends on the rink’s exact surface area and ice thickness.
For a simple NHL-style rectangular calculation:
17,000 square feet
If you know the thickness of the ice, you can calculate its volume.
For example, suppose the ice is 1 inch thick.
Convert 1 inch to feet:
1 รท 12 = 0.0833 feet
Then:
17,000 ร 0.0833 โ 1,416.7 cubic feet
So a 1-inch-thick rectangular layer over 17,000 square feet would have a volume of approximately 1,417 cubic feet.
Actual ice sheets have specific construction and maintenance requirements, so this should not be treated as a facility-design specification.
Does the Rink Area Include the Boards?
When people say a hockey rink is 200 ร 85 feet, they are referring to the rink/ice playing surface dimensions, not the total footprint of the arena.
The complete building contains much more space, including:
- Boards and glass
- Player benches
- Penalty boxes
- Locker rooms
- Corridors
- Seating
- Concessions
- Restrooms
- Mechanical rooms
- Storage
- Press areas
- Offices
Therefore, an arena containing a hockey rink can be many times larger than 17,000 square feet.
The 17,000-square-foot figure should not be interpreted as the total size of a hockey arena.
Why Are Hockey Rinks Different Sizes?
Different hockey organizations and competitions use different rink dimensions.
North American NHL-style ice is typically 85 feet wide, while Olympic and many international surfaces are wider, commonly around 100 feet. NHL and USA Hockey sources document these differences.
The wider surface changes the amount of open space available during play.
The rink dimensions also affect:
- Skating distances
- Passing lanes
- Defensive spacing
- Offensive-zone space
- Player positioning
- Tactical approaches
Therefore, “hockey rink” does not always mean exactly the same square footage.
Common Mistakes When Calculating Hockey Rink Square Footage
Mistake 1: Assuming Every Hockey Rink Is 17,000 Square Feet
The 17,000-square-foot figure comes from:
200 ร 85 = 17,000
It represents the standard NHL-style rectangular calculation.
Other hockey rinks can be wider or have different dimensions.
Mistake 2: Forgetting the Rounded Corners
A hockey rink is not a perfect rectangle.
The NHL specifies rounded corners with a 28-foot radius.
Therefore, the actual geometric ice area is slightly smaller than 17,000 square feet.
Mistake 3: Confusing Rink Size With Arena Size
A 17,000-square-foot rink does not mean the entire hockey arena is 17,000 square feet.
The arena includes seating, concourses, locker rooms, mechanical systems, and other spaces.
Mistake 4: Assuming Olympic Rinks Are the Same Width
Olympic-style ice is commonly 100 feet wide compared with the NHL’s typical 85-foot width.
Mistake 5: Using Length ร Width as the Exact Curved-Surface Area
Length ร width is an excellent quick estimate, but it does not account for the rounded corners.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square feet is a hockey rink?
A standard NHL-style hockey rink is 200 feet by 85 feet, giving a rectangular area of 17,000 square feet. The actual ice area is somewhat smaller because the corners are rounded.
How many square feet is an NHL rink?
An NHL rink has a standard overall dimension of 200 ร 85 feet, which equals 17,000 square feet using the simple rectangular calculation.
How many square feet is an Olympic hockey rink?
Using the common 200 ร 100-foot dimensions, an Olympic-style hockey rink has a rectangular area of 20,000 square feet. USA Hockey identifies Olympic-sized ice as 200 feet long by 100 feet wide.
How big is a hockey rink in acres?
An NHL-style 200 ร 85-foot rectangular footprint is approximately 0.39 acres.
How many square meters is an NHL hockey rink?
A 17,000-square-foot rectangular NHL-style rink is approximately 1,579 square meters.
How long is a hockey rink?
A standard NHL rink is 200 feet long, or approximately 60.96 meters.
How wide is an NHL hockey rink?
An NHL rink is 85 feet wide, or approximately 25.91 meters.
How wide is an Olympic hockey rink?
A commonly used Olympic-style rink is approximately 100 feet wide, compared with 85 feet for the typical NHL-style rink.
Is a hockey rink bigger than a basketball court?
Yes. A 17,000-square-foot NHL-style rectangular rink has substantially more area than a 94 ร 50-foot basketball court, which is 4,700 square feet.
Is a hockey rink bigger than a football field?
No. A standard American football field including its end zones is about 57,600 square feet, considerably larger than the 17,000-square-foot rectangular NHL rink footprint.
How much larger is an Olympic rink than an NHL rink?
Using the simple rectangular dimensions, an Olympic-style 200 ร 100-foot rink has 20,000 square feet compared with 17,000 square feet for a 200 ร 85-foot NHL-style rink.
The difference is approximately 3,000 square feet.
Final Answer: Hockey Rink Square Footage
So, how many square feet is a hockey rink?
For a standard NHL-style rink, the commonly used calculation is:
200 feet ร 85 feet = 17,000 square feet
Therefore, an NHL-style hockey rink has a rectangular footprint of approximately:
17,000 square feet
Because the rink has rounded corners, the actual geometric ice surface is somewhat smaller. Using the NHL’s 28-foot corner radius, the curved ice outline works out to approximately 16,327 square feet.
For an Olympic/international-style rink commonly measured at 200 ร 100 feet:
200 ร 100 = 20,000 square feet
So an Olympic-style rink has a rectangular area of approximately 20,000 square feet.
Quick Reference
- NHL-style rink: 200 ร 85 ft
- NHL rectangular area: 17,000 sq ft
- Approximate rounded-corner ice area: 16,327 sq ft
- Olympic-style rink: 200 ร 100 ft
- Olympic rectangular area: 20,000 sq ft
- NHL-style area: about 1,579 sq m
- NHL-style rectangular footprint: about 0.39 acres
The key is to specify whether you mean the standard overall dimensions, the geometric ice area with rounded corners, or the entire arena building. These are three different measurements.
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