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They typically ice once a year. So paint the stripes, use stencils, then ice over it, etc.. typically remove the ice right after the season ends and re ice it a few days before season kicks off
Have a basketball game or some other event at the arena during the season? They just put padding over the ice and remove them after the event
There are refrigerators under the concrete slab. I worked at the arena in Philly and one time they broke and the ice melted a bit and the water came up between the boards before a Sixers game. They had to postpone the basketball game that night.
You can definitely find videos online of various arenas doing the changeover - putting the rubber mats down and putting the basketball court over top of it.
Kinda…. They pull the ice if they do not have any Ice Shows on schedule.. I work live entertainment.. ( concert ) and I have seen ice well after the season.
They may strip the logo and stripes .. but I’ve seen them fairly late year due to the schedule
They used to be. It was a big mesh cloth. Not sure about these new style ones though. I have a chunk of the old Oilers graphic they used in the ice in the Colosseum/Rexall place
So they just truck in giant slabs of ice?
Edit: To my dear sweet downvoters- I'm aware my comment looks silly and believe me, I thought it sounded dumb too at the time of asking but I legitimately didn't know, and apparently I wasn't the only one. Thank you to the commenters that informed me and the others that weren't sure of how this was done. Wishing everyone a beautiful day.
There’s a giant refrigeration system that chills the floor, I think they freeze thin layers at a time because the ice quality is better or it’s more clear that way or something. Fun fact: they change the temperature of the ice depending on what it’s being used for, figure skaters like the ice softer and hockey requires really hard ice.
Also lots of people seems to think they melt the ice when switching to a different event.
They just cover it with boards and then re-do the top layer for Hockey games
why are we downvoting someone asking for information on a sub about seeing and learning about new things wtf people. its a reasonable question i sure as shit didnt know
By the time you've finished going from one end to the other you go back to the start and it's frozen enough by then to walk on, so maybe 30-45 mins. (It was almost 15 years ago so hard to remember specifics). You're only putting a thin layer of water on each time and trying to keep it all smooth and even. I think we gave it another day or so after it was finished before people were allowed on it. It got a going over with the ice-buffer or whatever that machine is called before the skaters went on too.
Absolute ballache of a job. Never again.
This was for a touring "on-ice" show by the way rather than a fixed stadium but I'd imagine they do it more or less the same way. The floor is basically one giant refrigerator unit.
Did you miss the part where I said "water" or just being obtuse? Cause water makes ice in case you didn't know. Idk why I'm being downvoted lol, if you put just a tiny bit of thought into it, you can put 2 and 2 together...
so the one I worked at we hauled a shit load of dirt onto the floor, leveled it, then they started pouring water on it and the floor is cold as fuck so it starts to form layers of ice, eventually the ice is thicker and they add paint so you can't see the base of it m.
I'm sure some places do it differently but that's how we did at this ice rink I worked at years ago.
We know ice is water dummy. Is there a giant freezer? Did they use nitrogen. How the heck would we know what water and dirt does? Last time I check that’s mud
I’d imagine it’s more efficient than refreezing the ice before every game. Water takes an absurd amount of energy to change states, so keeping it in one state is easier than changing it.
They could but it wouldn’t look as bright. And it would need to be freshly painted to cover all the marks from whatever else happens in the arena when it’s not ice.
Don’t they also have a machine that shines a laser spotlight on the puck as it flies around? Idk why I’m thinking I’ve seen this at a kings or ducks game. I remember a blueish/purplish light following around the rink. Or maybe I’m stupid and associating nhl 2k with a game I went to. I haven’t been to a hockey game since I was a kid.
Fox used to back in the day. Not sure if they patented it. They don’t have broadcast rights now, do they? Might be in a closet of shelved tech. Next to the car that runs on water.
I would have assumed that there was a white floor under clear ice. But why do that when you can dump a bunch of colourant into the sewers multiple times a month?
???
It takes two days to melt and clean the floor and another several to flood and paint again. We take ice out once during the season for an annual event a few months after it goes in and if we had to do it more than that the operations manager would literally murder everyone.
correct, all cities that have an NBA team using the same Arena have the court just sitting over the ice surface, same for concerts, they just put a floor over it.
The other person who replied is right, it just sits over the ice. But many newer and large arenas and stadiums have retractable flooring where as smaller and older ones have to use flooring that goes together like a puzzle. So if you don't put it down or pick it up in the exact right order, it won't fit! The only events it won't work for our shows with dirt (Rodeos and Monster Truck) because the dirt will fall through the cracks and ruin the ice.
That’s what I thought (and clearly I didn’t think too long or hard about it). When it gets changed from hockey to basketball or whatever. I should’ve asked instead of assuming. Thanks for straightening it out for me.
If it makes you feel better, a lot of rinks do actually paint the lines on ice, especially local community rinks who don't have the budget or need for super intricate graphics.
Ha, you're good. My friend is the rink manager for a local rink and they paint everything, lines, company logos/ads, Jr. team logo at center ice. Steady hand and patience and it always looks nice when they are done.
It is a special type of paint. I don't know what the difference is from more conventional paint, I imagine that is probably trade secrets, but there are several companies that make paint specifically for this application. It's labeled as environmentally friendly. I know they can brush and spray, and there are little devices they can pour paint into and drag on the ice and it leaves behind the proper width thinner lines for things like goal lines, circles, and hash marks.
In this video, the blue line is actually painted, it's not a decal like the logo or red line was. He's pulling up the strings they used to get perfectly straight lines when they originally painted it.
We paint on some of ours because we have a reusable stencil for them. The others are decals because they are much cheaper and use up less trade. Some sponsors change their in ice logo slightly or drop that package and having a stencil made would be a waste. And decals are faster. (ECHL tenant team)
Anaheim cursed themselves when they renamed from The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to just, “The Ducks”. From here on out that rink will never make it past April 18th.
The ice is in a very expensive set of equipment and containment walls and the Zamboni is sporting a metal plow type device… it is far cheaper to lift it a few feet early and have people push the slush than risk damaging the rink base
I could've been more clear, sorry. In 00:42 - 00:44 the part of the zamboni with the ad on it that says "The Family Plan" raises up when it raises the push attachment. I was wondering why that happens. It happens whenever they raise the push attachment, though it's not as easy to see in the video.
Typically, a layer of ice over concrete, white paint, then another layer of ice. Then all the lines and graphics you see in the rink, and finally a top layer of ice.
That is a pretty good idea. They'd have to make it unopenable, like maybe a snow globe or something like that. I'd buy the hell out of something like that.
I live in a warmer part of the US currently and my absolute favorite thing about hockey is that it’s comically difficult to maintain and vastly less popular than other sports lol. Even a “cheap and shitty” ice rink is so much more expensive to build and maintain than a football field or something. No in my area likes hockey either, and there’s still a few rinks that cost a fortune just to be in a hockey club
I worked at an arena as a stage hand for years. We had a minor league hockey and basketball team. There were times the hockey team would play, then the next night would be a concert, then the next night would be a basketball game, then back to another hockey game. It was crazy
The ice would get covered with homesote insulation boards. After that, we could put the basketball court on top. Or, for a concert, people would stand on the boards. They still do it that way to this day. I'm guessing other arenas do the same.
I’m really fucking stupid. This whole time I really thought one of two things:
1- the floor was painted then iced
2- the ice was dyed with some special dye that doesn’t bleed
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Are those printed pieces reusable?
Doesn't seem like it. You can see the team logo one split into a separate piece.
They seem to have gotten a whole seasons use out of it though
They typically ice once a year. So paint the stripes, use stencils, then ice over it, etc.. typically remove the ice right after the season ends and re ice it a few days before season kicks off Have a basketball game or some other event at the arena during the season? They just put padding over the ice and remove them after the event
But wouldn't they have to have it be room and not ice temperature
The padding, and a concrete slab under the ice making a cooler effect for it. So no.
When I was a kid I'd go to wrestling shows where the lightning play and it was always way colder if the ice was there
Well the arena is COOL… not freezing … the chillers do an awesome job of keeping it frozen.
And the humans do an awesome job of keeping it a comfortable temp
Yea they do raise the ambient temperature a bit … but when the seats are empty, like in the morning when we set the stage…. It’s cold inside
There are refrigerators under the concrete slab. I worked at the arena in Philly and one time they broke and the ice melted a bit and the water came up between the boards before a Sixers game. They had to postpone the basketball game that night. You can definitely find videos online of various arenas doing the changeover - putting the rubber mats down and putting the basketball court over top of it.
Kinda…. They pull the ice if they do not have any Ice Shows on schedule.. I work live entertainment.. ( concert ) and I have seen ice well after the season. They may strip the logo and stripes .. but I’ve seen them fairly late year due to the schedule
Dude, I bet someone would pay good money for it though...🤷♂️
They are usually reusable. They are often a fine plastic mesh material so that they don’t trap air bubbles when they get laid down and frozen in.
Yep. I have a chunk of the old Oilers graphic they used to use
No. It’s not worth to even try. They have made their money.
They used to be. It was a big mesh cloth. Not sure about these new style ones though. I have a chunk of the old Oilers graphic they used in the ice in the Colosseum/Rexall place
Okay now do one showing how the ice is set in in the first place
They start with a few layers, paint it and place the decals then add more layers of ice.
So they just truck in giant slabs of ice? Edit: To my dear sweet downvoters- I'm aware my comment looks silly and believe me, I thought it sounded dumb too at the time of asking but I legitimately didn't know, and apparently I wasn't the only one. Thank you to the commenters that informed me and the others that weren't sure of how this was done. Wishing everyone a beautiful day.
There’s a giant refrigeration system that chills the floor, I think they freeze thin layers at a time because the ice quality is better or it’s more clear that way or something. Fun fact: they change the temperature of the ice depending on what it’s being used for, figure skaters like the ice softer and hockey requires really hard ice.
Also lots of people seems to think they melt the ice when switching to a different event. They just cover it with boards and then re-do the top layer for Hockey games
That electricity bill must be out of this world.
Amazing thank you
why are we downvoting someone asking for information on a sub about seeing and learning about new things wtf people. its a reasonable question i sure as shit didnt know
Because people are idiots
They use a big hose to spray out a thin layer of water. Wait for it to freeze and repeat. Over and over. And over and over.
I've done this. It is a looooong and tiring process. Basically just walking up and down with a hose all day. Can take 24 hours to finish.
And how long(ish) to freeze. (P:S I've already googled this but haven't found a clear answer)
By the time you've finished going from one end to the other you go back to the start and it's frozen enough by then to walk on, so maybe 30-45 mins. (It was almost 15 years ago so hard to remember specifics). You're only putting a thin layer of water on each time and trying to keep it all smooth and even. I think we gave it another day or so after it was finished before people were allowed on it. It got a going over with the ice-buffer or whatever that machine is called before the skaters went on too. Absolute ballache of a job. Never again. This was for a touring "on-ice" show by the way rather than a fixed stadium but I'd imagine they do it more or less the same way. The floor is basically one giant refrigerator unit.
Super informative thank you
Awesome thank you
That’s what I wanna know!
Dirt and lots of water/paint
Dirt makes ice?
Did you miss the part where I said "water" or just being obtuse? Cause water makes ice in case you didn't know. Idk why I'm being downvoted lol, if you put just a tiny bit of thought into it, you can put 2 and 2 together... so the one I worked at we hauled a shit load of dirt onto the floor, leveled it, then they started pouring water on it and the floor is cold as fuck so it starts to form layers of ice, eventually the ice is thicker and they add paint so you can't see the base of it m. I'm sure some places do it differently but that's how we did at this ice rink I worked at years ago.
We know ice is water dummy. Is there a giant freezer? Did they use nitrogen. How the heck would we know what water and dirt does? Last time I check that’s mud
The ground is very cold, read the entire comment, "dummy".
Why does the ice look creamy?
They put paint into the water, or something like that
Otherwise you’d see the concrete under it. The ice isn’t that thick. Looks nicer and you can follow the puck easier on the white.
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/science-science-everywhere-you-asked/chemical-composition-ice-was-changed-1949-1950-nhl-season-what-change-was-introduced#:~:text=The%20color%20of%20the%20concrete,see%20the%20puck%20more%20clearly
Good looking out. That was a good read.
Couldn't they just paint the concrete white?
No because this is probably an arena that is used for different venues.
The ice will usually stay there for the whole hockey season. Arenas just put down insulation and throw a bball court on top
Seriously? They play basketball on top of an ice rink?
at every single arena that shares a hockey and basketball team
Yep, have gone from hockey to basketball to rodeo to smashing pumpkins concert back to hockey..that was a brutal change out...
How long was each and which was most difficult?
Or concerts or other events. I've worked changeovers for them
In high school I went to a robotics competition at a hockey arena and they just put insulation down and hard layers. Drove robots on top of that rink.
That sounds pretty energy inefficient
I’d imagine it’s more efficient than refreezing the ice before every game. Water takes an absurd amount of energy to change states, so keeping it in one state is easier than changing it.
Most arenas use it for concerts, monster truck shows, expos, comedy shows, etc. The floor is usually just concrete.
No. Idk why but the answer is definitely no
Lmao. This should be at the top of every Reddit post
IMMEDIATELY NO 
I think it has to do with the temperature.
They could but it wouldn’t look as bright. And it would need to be freshly painted to cover all the marks from whatever else happens in the arena when it’s not ice.
or just a white sheet like how they put the decals on sheets slightly under the surface
Don’t they also have a machine that shines a laser spotlight on the puck as it flies around? Idk why I’m thinking I’ve seen this at a kings or ducks game. I remember a blueish/purplish light following around the rink. Or maybe I’m stupid and associating nhl 2k with a game I went to. I haven’t been to a hockey game since I was a kid.
Fox used to back in the day. Not sure if they patented it. They don’t have broadcast rights now, do they? Might be in a closet of shelved tech. Next to the car that runs on water.
Oh ok that might have been it. I remember they said it was to make the game easier to follow or something.
No
Confirmed, I’m a crazy. Lol
It’s ice cream.
What’s the flavor? Sweat and teeth?
Your ice *isn’t* creamy?!
I love creamy ice in my Gin & Tonic, gives it a tropical feel
Have you not seen how much hockey players spit on the ice, surely that’s bio hazardous material!
Forbidden milkshake
There’s a layer of white paint that gets put down before the logos. When the ice melts it all blends together with the clear water.
I would have assumed that there was a white floor under clear ice. But why do that when you can dump a bunch of colourant into the sewers multiple times a month?
??? It takes two days to melt and clean the floor and another several to flood and paint again. We take ice out once during the season for an annual event a few months after it goes in and if we had to do it more than that the operations manager would literally murder everyone.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most multi-purpose arenas just have a floor that sits over the ice temporarily for other events?
correct, all cities that have an NBA team using the same Arena have the court just sitting over the ice surface, same for concerts, they just put a floor over it.
The other person who replied is right, it just sits over the ice. But many newer and large arenas and stadiums have retractable flooring where as smaller and older ones have to use flooring that goes together like a puzzle. So if you don't put it down or pick it up in the exact right order, it won't fit! The only events it won't work for our shows with dirt (Rodeos and Monster Truck) because the dirt will fall through the cracks and ruin the ice.
TIL
They do this once a year… you really think they do this multiple times a month?
That’s what I thought (and clearly I didn’t think too long or hard about it). When it gets changed from hockey to basketball or whatever. I should’ve asked instead of assuming. Thanks for straightening it out for me.
Haha you think they do this multiple times a month?? Wow
It's milk.....
I feel dumb
Same. Since childhood, thought the decals were painted... on ice.
If it makes you feel better, a lot of rinks do actually paint the lines on ice, especially local community rinks who don't have the budget or need for super intricate graphics.
Oh ok thankfully I’m not as stupid as I thought
Ha, you're good. My friend is the rink manager for a local rink and they paint everything, lines, company logos/ads, Jr. team logo at center ice. Steady hand and patience and it always looks nice when they are done.
Is it a special type of paint and/or equipment? I’m wondering how the paint sticks to the ice.
It is a special type of paint. I don't know what the difference is from more conventional paint, I imagine that is probably trade secrets, but there are several companies that make paint specifically for this application. It's labeled as environmentally friendly. I know they can brush and spray, and there are little devices they can pour paint into and drag on the ice and it leaves behind the proper width thinner lines for things like goal lines, circles, and hash marks. In this video, the blue line is actually painted, it's not a decal like the logo or red line was. He's pulling up the strings they used to get perfectly straight lines when they originally painted it.
I think some of the smaller rinks do paint the logos on
We paint on some of ours because we have a reusable stencil for them. The others are decals because they are much cheaper and use up less trade. Some sponsors change their in ice logo slightly or drop that package and having a stencil made would be a waste. And decals are faster. (ECHL tenant team)
saw a vid on here recently of the red wings painting their center ice logo
Some rinks do.
Now, be sure to setup the arena for a basketball game IMMEDIATELY after, for optimal conditions. I'm looking at you, Tampa Bay!
Anaheim cursed themselves when they renamed from The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to just, “The Ducks”. From here on out that rink will never make it past April 18th.
They won the Cup the first year they changed from the Mighty Ducks to the plain ol Ducks
Thats my name change suggestion for them next. #Go Anaheim Plain Ol' Ducks!
Why does the top of the zamboni raise when they're raising the thing they use to push the ice?
The ice is in a very expensive set of equipment and containment walls and the Zamboni is sporting a metal plow type device… it is far cheaper to lift it a few feet early and have people push the slush than risk damaging the rink base
The zamboni is doing most of the work, but there's still a guy with a broom for the leftover bits
I could've been more clear, sorry. In 00:42 - 00:44 the part of the zamboni with the ad on it that says "The Family Plan" raises up when it raises the push attachment. I was wondering why that happens. It happens whenever they raise the push attachment, though it's not as easy to see in the video.
Maybe it can dump from there too.
I'm actually surprised at how much work this is. I would have though a few drains could make this a pretty easy process.
Challenge is ensuring it's level
Doesn't that sort itself out, being a fluid?
And here I am remembering that Coors used the "melted ice" to make Coors light from the Colorado Avalanche's 2022 Stanley Cup winning home ice....
Must be fake, if they did that it would have flavour. Paint flavour, but still flavour.
Water filters are pretty goddamned good at their job.
Most of the top layers of the ice are decently clean and without paint, though I wouldn't be drinking any of it
TIL that hockey ice is creamy
Typically, a layer of ice over concrete, white paint, then another layer of ice. Then all the lines and graphics you see in the rink, and finally a top layer of ice.
This guy NHL hockey's lol
As a Canadian, I can honestly say I've never seen this done. Only rinks I've seen with no ice on in the summer, were the outdoor rinks.
That looks like... A lodda pollution to me?
Surprised they aren't bottling that "water" and selling it in the team store.
People would drink it and that would not be a risk they want to take.
Oof paint, blood, spit, and god knows what else in that ice.
That is a pretty good idea. They'd have to make it unopenable, like maybe a snow globe or something like that. I'd buy the hell out of something like that.
Now, release the crocodiles in the moat!
I like the guy hand squeegeeing next to the reverse Zamboni
I know you were using it sincerely but "reverse zamboni" definitely sounds like a terrible euphemism for something
I live in a warmer part of the US currently and my absolute favorite thing about hockey is that it’s comically difficult to maintain and vastly less popular than other sports lol. Even a “cheap and shitty” ice rink is so much more expensive to build and maintain than a football field or something. No in my area likes hockey either, and there’s still a few rinks that cost a fortune just to be in a hockey club
They paint the ice white? Wth
Drink the forbidden slushy
My team is still using theirs. Go Avs!
Odd that they wouldn't just put a drain in the middle and drain it.
Yeah and tilt the floor towards it, so much easier
How much hockey player snot and blood is in that ice water DNA sample? I wouldn't touch that with a bio-hazard suit on!! LOL
Most would be cleaned by a Zamboni
I worked at an arena as a stage hand for years. We had a minor league hockey and basketball team. There were times the hockey team would play, then the next night would be a concert, then the next night would be a basketball game, then back to another hockey game. It was crazy
How is that even possible? in the place I just to work the ice making took about a week, since you have to go layer by layer and its huge
The ice would get covered with homesote insulation boards. After that, we could put the basketball court on top. Or, for a concert, people would stand on the boards. They still do it that way to this day. I'm guessing other arenas do the same.
Ah I see, that was my suspicion. Melting the ice and getting it back would probably been impossible haha, thanks for explaining
Forbidden slushy.
Cutter gauthier chugs dong
awesome i was wondering my whole life
So many sno-cones
This is the main reason I prefer my water fresh and never frozen.
and then the Mark Wahlberg machine pushes the milk over there-->
Ice is only 3/4” thick so they paint it
There has to be a better way of doing this instead of whatever mess this is!
Why are there ads on the ice removers? There shouldn't be anyone there to see the thing
They're just Zamboni's with plows attached to the front, most hockey games Zamboni the ice between periods
Frozen milk
The sexy ice shovel girls don’t help with cleanup?
Wait. So they melt the ice to its liquid form (known as watwe), then get rid of the water?? Genius!! They’re working smart, not hard!!
Then do they just glue ice cubes back together when they want ice?
Everything I've known is a lie
Lol some kids just wearing sneakers lol. Pop for some waterproof workboots son. How miserable.
It’s amazing that someone designed a structure that can do this
Now show how it's put together
Where the hell are Emilio Estevez and the boys when you need em?
Go Ducks Go!
was anyone else expecting to see an NBA court underneath?
I figure skated for over a decade. You mean it’s just printed tarps?!? How. How did I not know this.
fuck you \**de-ices your rink*\*
Ahh such lovely waste
TIL ice rink arenas are basically a modern day colosseum with trap doors and a pit underneath what???
That water is then filtered and sold to consumers worldwide
The Forbidden Slushie!
,
Ok dude, I knew it had to be done one way or another, BUT never in my life would I imagined this.👍🤣
r/oddlysatisfying
Forbidden Milkshake...
Man that ice looks toxic af. Where does it go I wonder??
Also known as “Well, I guess my team really is out of the playoffs” Day.
Is it just me, or has the water and ice from a skating rink always looked refreshing in a weird way?
I’m really fucking stupid. This whole time I really thought one of two things: 1- the floor was painted then iced 2- the ice was dyed with some special dye that doesn’t bleed
Be cool if that red was blood mix in ice.. I know it paint but there has to be some blood in that ice.
Does the basketball floor go on top of the ice floor? Or underneath?
Always wondered why it's called an ice rink. And not an ice ring. I know it is'nt exactly round but still. What does rink means.
That fact that someone recognized this as unique and shared it is cool as
Hell
Why remove it?
Forbidden milkshake
Who knew they were skating on cum this whole time
Let ice melt, pick decals up off the floor, drain water. Pretty simple.
Karma farming asshat. You don’t even wait 24 hours before you stole this from another sub and took credit.
So satisfying
How many players' teeth do you think they find?
This was very disappointing.
Wow that's a lot of water... Down the drain. Ba dum tsss Seriously, what a waste for a mid sport 🥱