PPG Paints Arena has ice

Outside of players returning to Pittsburgh for the start of training camp, there may be no more sure sign the new NHL season is on the horizon than the following video posted this afternoon by the Penguins official Twitter account.

Thanks to time lapse capabilities, you can watch the rink at PPG Paints Arena be transformed from a gray slab of concrete to a fresh sheet of ice in just 71 (hehe) seconds. After a long summer of waiting, it is refreshing to see the ice surface back and ready to go for the new season that is rapidly approaching.

One thing you may notice while watching the video is the addition of on-ice advertisements in the corners just behind the red goal line. It appears the NHL has cleared the way for teams to now all sponsor decals to be placed in these locations beginning this season.

PPG Paints Arena will not be the only surface where these ads will pop up as teams continually find ways to create new revenue. Wells Fargo Center, home of the Philadelphia Flyers, put its new ice surface down earlier in the week with corner ads clearly visible.

Luckily, the new ad space is not super distracting and hopefully will not take much time to adjust to while watching games.

There may still be a few more days until left in August and the weather may not feel like hockey season, but there is no doubt the new season is quickly approaching. A fresh new ice surface at PPG Paints Arena is just the latest sign that hockey will soon be returning to the city.