How We Maintain Our NHL-Sized Ice Rink

August 6, 2018 Author Eliot Podgorsky

How We Maintain Our NHL-Sized Ice Rink

A STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH ON HOW WE CREATE AN IDEAL SKATING EXPERIENCE

There’s a lot more that goes into maintaining an ice rink than peeling out on the Zamboni. In order to keep things crisp, we have to break down the ice and then build it back up every two years. We can’t imagine what the folks over at MSG or the Barclays Center go through when they have to set up for games, because maintaining an ice rink can be an extremely tedious process. Our Operations team showed up to play and make sure we weren’t too long without our beloved rink B.

MELTING

In order to build up, we need to break down, turning the heat up in our airplane hangar where our rink is held to start thawing the sheet of ice. Not only are we waiting for the ice to liquify, we’re also waiting for that water to dry up.

SANDING

Our next step is sanding the floor, which not only speeds up the process of drying up the rink but also will be used as the first layer of the rink. With the indoor temperature to the hangar up to 90 degrees and a bed of dirty, we’ve successfully turned our hockey rink into a field primed to grow crops.

SOAKING

Once the rink is bone dry, Operations starts splashing water on the sand continuously and then another layer of ice resurfacer is thrown on top to smooth it out.

PAINTING

The surface is blanketed in snow white paint, mixing it with water and powdered paint to make sure it doesn’t chip. Once the paint is dry, the outlines are drawn out for the hash marks and of course the Aviator logo. The lines are hand painted by our dedicated staff to make the necessary details pop.

ICING

The icing on the cake is now flooding the rink with the final couple of inches needed to put the finishing touches on the last layer. We want to thank the patience and hard work of our Operations team during this process. Below is a time lapse of the entire process so you can see for yourself.