BRIGHTON — The only similarity from Ristuccia Arena is the distinct chill from the ice rink.

Everything else about the Bruins’ state of the art new practice facility from the locker room to the strength and conditioning room and the rest of the amenities is significantly different.

On Thursday, the Bruins and New Balance held their grand opening of Warrior Ice Arena. The 650-seat facility will also be used for local area youth hockey games and clinics, high school contests and adult hockey leagues such as StinkySocks Hockey.

“It’s been a long time coming — over five years and just over two years of construction,” said Jim Halliday, the Managing Director of the New Balance Development Group. “I can tell you that we have a lot of excited people on the development team looking forward to tonight [the Grand Opening Event].”

As with any new building, there are a few kinks that need to be worked out. In the immediate term, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s hard not to be impressed with this facility,” Bruins President Cam Neely said about the 75,000 square foot venue.

Neely’s process of looking to a new rink started in 2011. Among the other locations Neely initially considered included the MetroWest area and the Route 128 belt.

Eventually, Neely heard about New Balance’s plan to build a sports complex around their new headquarters called Boston Landing. Over the course of the next five years, Boston Landing will include a track and field venue, an apartment complex, a hotel and a new training home for the Celtics. Additional retail space and a commuter rail station (set to open in the Spring of 2017) will also be a part of this landmark development.

On top of all that, its proximity to the TD Garden — a 15-minute drive — and having their place overlooking the Mass Turnpike makes this venue one of a kind.

“I think the proximity to the Garden was important,” Neely said. “I didn’t think we would be this close when I started looking, so I think that’s important. What this development is going to turn into with New Balance is going to be pretty special. A lot of the guys are still living in the Boston area and some moved out to the West Newton area and some are outside of [Route] 95, so I think it’s a pretty convenient location.”

Upon entering the building, players will be treated to the six Stanley Cups featured on the second floor, which also stores the locker room, trainers lounge, strength and conditioning room, a video room and a players lounge. The aforementioned areas feature a recovery spa including hot tubs (trainers room), weightlifting area, exercise bikes, turf track (strength and conditioning room), a kitchen for the team nutritionist and a custom made ping pong table (players lounge).

Compared to Ristuccia Arena, the players now have a perfect excuse to stay at the facility after practice.

“I think I mentioned it before, and now guys want to be here,” Torey Krug said during an interview with the press at the strength and conditioning room.

“Not to take away from any past facilities or anything — guys would get in there, get on the ice, do the work in the weight room and then just get out of there. Now we have this beautiful facility where there’s this energy. They’ll spend [more] time, and to be honest, they might go that extra mile to make sure that their body is ready for the next practice or the next game. I think it’s a big part of individual development as well.”

There is another unique caviar to the facility. The spoked B, which is placed on the floor at the TD Garden locker room — an area where players and media conducting interviews are told not to step on — is conveniently located on the ceiling.

“The first thing you realize is that there’s no longer a logo on the carpet,” Neely said to a round of laughs during the media tour.

“First thing you realize is no logo on the carpet.” Cam Neely on one of the new locker room features. pic.twitter.com/X6aDb6LLQL

— Bruins Daily (@BruinsDaily) September 8, 2016

Certainly, Neely got a few ideas from touring around other practice venues across the National Hockey League. But make no mistake, this project is full of his fingerprints.

After years of planning and construction, the dream project is now a reality for Neely and the rest of the Black and Gold.