Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval
The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval, formerly the John Rose Minnesota Oval, is an outdoor ice rink in Roseville, Minnesota, United States. It is claimed to be the largest artificial outdoor skating surface in North America. The facility was constructed from June to December 1993.
The rink consists of a 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) concrete surface (a 400-meter track surrounding an infield ice arena) with 84 miles (135 km) of embedded cooling tubes and an 800-ton refrigeration system. When the temperature is above 50 °F (10 °C)—the highest temperature at which an icy surface can be maintained—the concrete surface can be used for inline skating.
The Oval had its beginnings in 1983, when then-governor Rudy Perpich dreamed of hosting the Olympic Games. As part of the bid preparation, a task force was formed to determine locations of new facilities. After years of local efforts, Roseville was selected. The city was awarded state bonding money for the design and construction of a multi-purpose outdoor skating facility, which opened in December 1993. The facility was named after John Rose, a Roseville teacher and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval hosted the 1995 Bandy World Championship for men and the 2006 Women's Bandy World Championship. It has also hosted US Speedskating Championships, US Junior Speedskating Championships, American Cup Speedskating, World Cup Speedskating, National Bandy Championships, and Aggressive Skating Association competitions. The Minnesota Wild held their hockey jersey unveiling at the Oval, and notable visitors have included Dan Jansen, Bonnie Blair, Paul Wylie, and Neal Broten. The facility is the main training site for the United States national bandy team and local hockey and speedskating clubs.
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