Crunch game highlights Frozen Dome Classic

Carrier Dome managing director Peter Sala has joked that his venue is football stadium that thinks it's a hockey rink.

But this November, it will be an actual ice hockey rink for the first time.

At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Syracuse Crunch owner Howard Dolgon announced that his team will take on the Utica Comets inside the Carrier Dome as part of the Frozen Dome Classic on Nov. 22.

"Four years ago, the Syracuse Crunch staged the first outdoor game in American Hockey League history, attended by a record-setting crowd," Dolgon said. "On Nov. 22, we will once again make history by playing the first-ever professional hockey game in the iconic Carrier Dome, a facility that has hosted humerous major sporting and entertainment events."

An additional game between Utica College and Oswego State and a charity tilt between Syracuse and Utica law enforcement are also planned for the day-long event.

The rink will be set up in a manner similar to the Dome's iconic basketball configuration, which can seat more than 30,000 fans. The current attendance record for an indoor professional game is 28,183 spectators, which was set in the Thunderdome in 1996.

The Crunch is the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Comets are affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks.

"We are always looking for events to place in the Carrier Dome that capture the community spirit, and this is clearly one that we believe will," Syracuse Director of Athletics Daryl Gross said. "We have such a fantastic relationship with the Crunch and Howard Dolgon and are thrilled to host what is sure to be a spectacular day of ice hockey in one of the most unique settings in America."