Ice nice at Air Canada Centre

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun By now, the only expert who hasn't given his two cents about the ice at the Air Canada Centre is Chilly Willy the Penguin.
The building stands behind its high-tech ice recipe, while glowing post-game reports from NHL referees for games during September and October have been obtained by The Toronto Sun.
On the other hand, Maple Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn has stated his dissatisfaction in the past, while the Leafs players seem divided on the issue. However, the complaints about chippy, slow ice almost always follow a Toronto loss.
Those critiques preceded a visit by Dan Craig, a league-employed ice consultant, who has spent the past two Leafs games at the Air Canada Centre. It was scheduled in preparation for all-star week in February said Steve Rosebrook, the arena's facilities services manager.
"I can see the improvement since last year," Rosebrook said of the experiments the building crew did since the arena opened in February. "There are different temperatures on different days (outside) and this isn't a push-button operation, but I'd rate the ice as solid. The changes we have made were basically tweaking a few things."
The arena's high-tech toys include infrared equipment in the roof to give an accurate reading of the temperature at ice level and sensors in the slab itself. It continues to use the Jet-Ice system of deionized water that is meant to create a hard, even surface that freezes quicker, though staff has tried to work some soft water in for a balance.
The "referee's ice condition report" monitors the playing surface through three periods, including areas such as temperature and snow accumulation. Although an Oct. 11 game against Nashville received failing grades and the ice was criticized as "brittle," a Nashville player said on TV it was the best he had skated on this season.
"I don't think it's great, but then again some players don't like it when it's too hard," Leafs winger Todd Warriner said. "When it's soft, you're not worried about losing an edge and pull a groin or something."
Defenceman Chris McAllister has noticed an improvement.
"It doesn't chip as fast," McAllister said. "But the real test will come when there are a lot of basketball games here (requiring more floor conversions)."

Bert's back on blades
Blue Jays boot game
Bombers drop Peterson
Felicien rebuilds race

Visit our Polls Archive

SLAM! Sports SLAM! Galleries Help CANOE