Zimný štadión Trebišov

Zimný štadión Trebišov is enclosed by a vast grid of steel trusses that cradle the roof, leaving the upper tiers open to the sky through a band of tall windows.

The ground itself is artificial. This is the point: the surface does not depend on the Slovak winter. It allows the ice to be laid regardless of the temperature outside, meaning the arena does not sleep when the snow melts. HK STEEL TEAM Trebišov plays here, and the name is stamped on the boards, a fact that has held since the club was re-established in 2016 after financial troubles forced them into the shadows for three seasons.

The capacity is listed as 4,500, but the stands look sparse. There are 3,638 seats and 600 standing places, yet the wooden benches are mostly empty. The arena opened in 1994 with a friendly between HC VSŽ Košice and HC MEZ VTJ Michalovce , but today it hosts the Tipos Slovenská hokejová liga , the second tier. The only major change since the opening was the lighting system, which was replaced with LEDs in 2020 to cut energy costs. Before that, the lights were 30 years old.

The arena has no former names, no hidden history of sponsorship deals that changed its identity. It is simply the place where the ice is kept cold and the games are played. When HC Prešov could not use their own stadium, they came here, and the city watched. It is a functional space, built for the local crowd, and it remains open.