The NHL is finally doing something to remedy the increased complaints of bad ice surfaces around the league. According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, the NHL and NHLPA are creating a subcommittee to monitor and address poor ice issues.
The subcommittee—called the Playing Environment Subcommittee—plans to have players rate ice conditions after every game via surveys. These surveys had worked in the past and the NHL hopes that honest feedback from players will direct the league to the arenas with the most problems. The post-game surveys will ask players about the ice quality in every period to pinpoint specific ice issues.
Poor ice quality affects everything from play speed to player injury. The softer the ice the slower the puck moves and the more it bounces unpredictably. Soft ice is also more prone to ruts and imperfections in the ice that can catch a players blade in an unpredictable and potentially dangerous fashion. It stands to reason that owners have an incentive to provide perfect ice to prevent injuries to their players, but the increased problem says otherwise.
Part of the problem lies in the increase in multi-use arenas. Arenas that undergo constant changes from ice to floor and back suffer from poor quality ice because the ice has to be remade over and over again. It is unclear whether the subcommittee can actually affect change because the draw of multi-use arenas and its additional income to owners.
I have been working with ice for a few years now. It is ice for curling but while the demands are different, I expect the application of scientific principles will be the same. This is not a guessing game. It is science. Analysis by an inquisitive mind that only seeks to get it t he best it can be is imperative. Some have suggested there is an opportunity in professional hockey and high end figure skating for what I understand.
Want to give me the chance to make it as good as it can be? Have the others stand back and tell them not to speak until spoken to. I will ask questions and listen for answers that have pertinent information.
My club may have consistently the best ice in North America, if not the world, because we do what works best. If I have to opportunity to evaluate the “hockey” condition, I will be very surprised if I cannot make it better. I am an analyst when it comes to such things. Others may have an answers. I will evaluate and isolate what I think are the elements of scientific truth.
If interested, let me know.
Wayne