Sharks Ice San Jose

Lore & Background

The facility opened in 1994 as Ice Center of San Jose and was expanded in 2000 and 2005. In 1995, the City of San Jose held community meetings to place public artwork for a 'wave wall' on the building's facade. By January 1996, the city selected San Francisco-resident Joseph Samuel (aka JoeSam) to design the facade, which has been there ever since. In 1995, the arena hosted the Women's Pacific Rim Championship ice hockey tournament.

In 2001, Swiss consumer electronics company Logitech bought the naming rights, renaming it Logitech Ice At San Jose until September 2007, when the name changed to Sharks Ice at San Jose. The facility was remodeled in summer 2005 and features five NHL-sized rinks, a full-service Pro Shop, a full-service Food Court, and meeting space for up to 500 guests. Stanley's Sports Bar & Grill opened in January 2006.

Roofing contractor PetersenDean bought naming rights in 2016, renaming the facility after its Solar4America solar roofing brand. After PetersenDean's bankruptcy in 2020, the name reverted to Sharks Ice San Jose. A proposed 200,800 ft² expansion would add two more rinks and more than double the facility's size, but would displace the San Jose Municipal Firing Range. If approved, construction would begin in 2020 and finish in December 2021, including the new Tech CU Arena, permanent home of the San Jose Barracuda.

Reader's Guide

Sharks Ice at San Jose is notable as the largest ice rink facility in the Western United States and as the official training facility for the NHL San Jose Sharks. It also serves as the home arena for San Jose State University's Spartans club hockey team, whose North Rink has a listed seating capacity of approximately 550 but is routinely packed with upwards of 1,000 fans on game nights. The facility has undergone multiple naming rights changes, reflecting corporate partnerships with Logitech and Solar4America. Its history includes hosting the Women's Pacific Rim Championship in 1995 and featuring a public art facade designed by Joseph Samuel. A proposed expansion would add two more rinks and create Tech CU Arena for the San Jose Barracuda, though it would displace the San Jose Municipal Firing Range. The venue supports a wide range of winter sports beyond hockey, including broomball, curling, speed skating, ice dancing, and figure skating.