Professional Women's Hockey Team Will Play Home Games At American Dream Mall

The Metropolitan Riveters of the Premier Hockey Federation (formerly the National Women's Hockey League) announced that they will now be playing their home games at American Dream, a giant mall in New Jersey.

While a professional team announcing that they will be playing in a mall doesn't exactly sound great that's not the case.

The Riveters will play on the Rink at American Dream, a regulation-sized sheet of ice that has room for around 2,000 spectators.

The three-year deal allows the team to move out of their previous digs. Prudential Center Practice Facility, which is where the New Jersey Devils practice.

The team practiced at American Dream last year so it's not like they're unfamiliar with the facility.

The Riveters Will Now Have One Of The Most Unique Fan Experiences In Sports

When I first saw that a professional team was going to play in a mall, I winced. It kind of reminded me of when Spinal Tap opened for a puppet show. Like you could catch a few minutes of puck en route to get an Orange Julius or to circumvent the cell phone kiosks.

That's not what this is.

This is a big opportunity for women's hockey because it not only gives the Riveters — and the rest of the PHF for that matter — it also gave them one hell of a fan experience.

You know how teams sometimes try to draw fans with unique gameday amenities? They'll offer pools or hot tubs or a roller coaster in the outfield.

Well, if you were to catch a Riveters game at American Dream, here are a few things you could do either pre or post-game:

That's a lot. If you're looking to get fans in the door, that stuff probably can't hurt.

Either way, the Riveters may wind up in a bigger facility with a home-ice advantage the likes of which other teams in their league can only imagine.

Good luck trying to play a hockey game after blowing out a knee on the artificial ski slope.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle