The Univ. of Minnesota has "removed the Olympic-size rink inside 3M Arena at Mariucci" and replaced it with "a slimmer, 200x89 sheet" as part of a $14M renovation that will debut Sunday when the Gophers face Bemidji State in an exhibition game. The arena's new ice sheet is "a hybrid, skinnier than the Olympic size but wider than the NHL standard" of 200x85. The new-look Mariucci has an LED lighting system that is "brighter and directs the light toward the ice." The narrower rink also "made room for additional seats," with two rows added to some sections and one row to others, as well as 17 rinkside "dream seats'' with "spacious, cushy chairs." The boards are topped with NHL-standard acrylic sheets, which are "more flexible and safer for players than the old tempered glass" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/6).