Ice Rink Makes the Admirals Absolute: Zamboni machines and cold temperatures ensure an unbeatable ri

In order for the Admirals Hockey team, and any other hockey team, to be able to perform as successfully as possible, the ice has to be seamless. The process that goes into building the ice rink is far different than what most people assume. Each piece of the rink can be taken apart, which is done roughly three or four times per hockey season. Shockingly enough, the ice itself is not what gives an ice rink its white color. Spreading three or four coats of white paint across the rink is the first step in the process. Then, various colored lines are painted on, including the center ice line, center face-off dot and circle, neutral-zone face-off dots, referee crease, blue line, end-zone, face-off dots and circles, the goal crease, goal line, goal, and the trapezoid. Following that, a cooled liquid is applied to the rink to ensure the ice does not melt despite inside and outside air temperatures. Finally, enough water is hosed onto the rink to create an inch's worth of ice. Because of the cooling liquid, the ice itself stays at a constant eleven degrees, while room temperature is on average sixty-five degrees. According to Matt, who is a part of the ice crew at the Norfolk Scope, "The ice cracks all the time, but it makes no difference. If you need to fix it, you can just patch it with some slushy snow and it'll heal itself." The ice is typically smoothed with the Zamboni machine before and after practice and between every period throughout a game. The Zamboni machine acts as an ice lawn mower. It gathers all scraps of ice and smoothes out uneven areas, leaving a coat of water behind that will then freeze over. The scraps of ice the Zamboni picks up are transferred to a box within the machine and then manually emptied.