When the LA Kings hosted the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of the 2026 NHL playoffs, more than 18,000 fans poured into Crypto.com Arena. Before the game, the Kings wanted to boost their fans’ energy level at a Round 1 Reception at the Terrace at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.
CR&A Custom helped make that happen by printing and installing a beautiful custom acrylic display that looked like an NHL rink. This backdrop served as a terrific backdrop for guests’ photo opps at the reception.
During the day, the acrylic panels reflected the bright Los Angeles sunlight and surrounding architecture. At night, the illuminated buildings and LED screens behind the installation transformed the graphics into a glowing playoff scene that quickly became one of the most photographed spots at the event.
The project blended large format UV printing, dimensional fabrication, precision finishing, and event installation into a single activation designed specifically for fan engagement.
Designing and Printing a Transparent Hockey Rink
The client’s concept centered on a simple but technically challenging idea: recreate the visual feeling of standing against the glass at a hockey rink while still preserving the skyline view behind it. That idea ruled out traditional opaque signage materials.
Instead of blocking the terrace view with solid printed graphics, CR&A Custom engineered the installation using oversized clear acrylic panels with layered UV printing techniques that created a frosted “ice surface” appearance while maintaining transparency.
The playoff graphics included center-ice inspired circles and line details across multiple acrylic panels mounted in sequence. An LA Kings logo anchored the center ice section and gave the installation visual depth from every angle. The result felt less like a printed sign and more like an environmental set piece.
Engineering the Frosted Ice Effect
Transparent graphics always create a balance between visibility and light transmission. Too much ink density and the acrylic becomes cloudy and heavy. Too little coverage and the graphics disappear under changing light conditions. CR&A Custom used UV printing on 1/4-inch acrylic panels to achieve the right balance.
Using layered white ink densities, CR&A’s production team created a textured frosted appearance that resembled scuffed ice surfaces of NHL hockey arenas. The white ink was strategically controlled so the panels still allowed surrounding ambient light to pass through. This became especially important during the evening reception.
As the city lights intensified, the transparent panels began interacting with the background illumination. Red hockey lines, circles, and playoff graphics appeared to glow naturally from the surrounding environmental lighting without requiring internal LEDs or backlit hardware.
The effect changed throughout the evening depending on viewing angle and lighting conditions, which made the installation feel dynamic in photos and videos.
The oversized acrylic sheets also required careful handling during fabrication and finishing. Large clear panels can show imperfections easily under event lighting, so maintaining clean edges, proper mounting alignment, and consistent print quality across every panel became critical to the finished appearance.
Fabrication Details That Fans Never Notice
One of the most important parts of event fabrication is often the detail work nobody consciously sees. The LA Kings logo at center ice is a good example.
To create a floating centerpiece between the acrylic panels, CR&A Custom fabricated a layered dimensional logo element mounted cleanly within the display system. Because the backdrop was transparent, standard mounting methods could have created distracting shadows or visible attachment hardware from the rear side.
To solve that problem, white blackout adhesive vinyl was applied strategically behind the logo assembly to conceal Velcro attachment points and maintain a polished appearance from all viewing angles.
That attention to detail helped the installation photograph cleanly whether fans were standing directly in front of it or capturing wider shots of the skyline and terrace.
The framing system also had to support large acrylic panels outdoors while maintaining a clean visual profile. Stability was important because the installation served as a high-traffic fan photo location throughout the reception. Every structural component had to disappear visually while still providing enough rigidity for the oversized panels.
Turning Signage Into an Interactive Fan Experience
One reason sports activations have evolved so dramatically over the past decade is because fans document their presence with photos, and share them broadly. Modern playoff signage needs to work as an experience first and a printed graphic second.
The LA Kings terrace installation succeeded because it encouraged interaction. Fans lined up to take photos against the downtown skyline while standing in front of the branded rink display.
Large Format Production Beyond Traditional Signage
Projects like this highlight how wide-format printing continues expanding beyond banners and flat graphics.
CR&A Custom regularly helps brands, venues, sports organizations, agencies, and event producers create immersive environments using dimensional materials, specialty substrates, UV printing, custom fabrication, and installation expertise.
Transparent acrylic activations create opportunities that conventional signage simply cannot achieve. They allow graphics to interact with architecture, lighting, and environmental surroundings rather than overpowering them.
For the LA Kings playoff reception, that approach helped transform a rooftop terrace into a visual extension of the playoff atmosphere itself.
The final installation combined sports branding, environmental design, fabrication engineering, and large format print production into a centerpiece that felt authentic to both the team and the city surrounding it.
CR&A Custom helps brands, sports teams, agencies, and event producers create immersive brand activations that people remember long after the event ends. From dimensional graphics to large-format event environments, custom fabrication, and experiential signage, CR&A Custom can help turn your next promotion, launch, or fan experience into something people stop, photograph, and share. Contact CR&A Custom to start brainstorming ideas for your next high-impact activation.
