Embarrassing Home Ice Conditions

[MRandall25]

Everything's going good so there's nothing else to complain about?

This is a messageboard. People are going to discuss things. Don't click then.

More referring to Bathgate's post. Whatever.

[CERV96]

I blame that they put more dudes on the ice crew.

THIS!!!!! X1,000,000

[shmenguin]

it may not matter in the grand scheme, but it's still annoying that they brought the mellon ice with them to the CEC. i don't recall ever seeing a capitals game where they skate around in mush. i don't really get why it's such a challenge in pittsburgh

[columbia]

Considering that the big guy upstairs (Mario not God) was involved, you'd think that it would have been properly planned.

[JoseCuervo]

Considering that the big guy upstairs (Mario not God) was involved, you'd think that it would have been properly planned.

Mario has 2 Stanley cups (+1 as an owner), an Olympic gold medal, 3 Hart trophies, 6 Art Ross trophies, 2 Conn Smythes, 4 Pearsons, and a Calder, but he does not have an engineering degree.

[Idoit40fans]

Prove it.

[columbia]

You're right, I should have never implied that.

I'll be less subtle....

HE KNOWS ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE HOCKEY WORLD, TO HAVE HIRED THE RIGHT PEOPLE, WHO WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.

[darkstar57]

A few years ago there was an article how it takes newer buildings a few years to find the right mixture for perfect ice. its not as simple as spray a whole bunch of water, freeze it and smooth it. There is an art to making ice and the engineers need to figure out each building. CEC is not that old don't forget.

Also, over the coarse of a season the team will actually replace the ice surface a few times because of wear and tear etc.... in a shortened season they might not have a chance to do this.

[CERV96]

You're right, I should have never implied that.

I'll be less subtle....

HE KNOWS ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE HOCKEY WORLD, TO HAVE HIRED THE RIGHT PEOPLE, WHO WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.

Unions man unions.

[columbia]

You're right, I should have never implied that.

I'll be less subtle....

HE KNOWS ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE HOCKEY WORLD, TO HAVE HIRED THE RIGHT PEOPLE, WHO WOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.

Unions man unions.

You're an HVAC dude....make you can fix it.

[newarenanow]

A few years ago there was an article how it takes newer buildings a few years to find the right mixture for perfect ice. its not as simple as spray a whole bunch of water, freeze it and smooth it. There is an art to making ice and the engineers need to figure out each building. CEC is not that old don't forget.

Also, over the coarse of a season the team will actually replace the ice surface a few times because of wear and tear etc.... in a shortened season they might not have a chance to do this.

[It'sagreatdayforhockey!]

Well, yes both teams have to play on it, but the Pens are built for speed. Home ice is supposed to cater to your team, so it would be nice to have some of the best ice in the League. I hope it's just one of those things that take time to establish a way to best preserve ice after events like wrestling or whatever.

I prefer to think that the Pens were actually built for comfort.

[Admin]

I always wondered if there was truth to this old post:
viewtopic.php?p=1443092#p1443092

[shmenguin]

A tony soprano sighting. Blech.

[columbia]

What happened to that dude?

[shoeshine boy]

Also, over the coarse of a season the team will actually replace the ice surface a few times because of wear and tear etc.... in a shortened season they might not have a chance to do this.

they will have to pour at least 2 more sheets of ice. one for the Frozen Four and one when the Frozen Four is done and the Pens take back over. as you can see from last year's tournament they don't just play on the ice the way it is like the Boston teams do for the Beanpot. the NCAA will repaint the ice and remove all advertising from the boards.


in a normal rink you might only melt down so much before re-pouring but NHL ice is so much thinner than the average community rink that you just about have to take it all the way down.

[CERV96]

The lines need re-drawn as well. The neutral zone is bigger and the goal line needs moved up. Plus there is no trapezoid behind the nets as well. When college teams play in NHL arena's they adapt most of the time but for championships changes need to be made.

[shoeshine boy]

true. I had forgotten that the NHL moved the blue lines a few years ago to give more room in the end zones. I actually remember watching a Pens game recently and thinking, "wow, the D have a lot of space between the top of the circles and the blue line!"
that would be why.

[Penspal]

Bad ice matters because of various reasons.

- skill players are not able to effectively use their skill due to bad puck bounces, unpredictable passes, etc. The Pens skill > 90% of teams in the league.

AND most importantly how it affects skating, which is an excerpt from today's trib article by Rob Rossi.

Letang skated under the guidance of strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar before the Penguins' practice. His session lasted 47 minutes and it went smoothly aside from an early slide into the boards after his skate blade caught a rut in the ice. Letang said he went hard into the boards, but he was not hurt. He is day-to-day with the lower-body injury.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/-topstories/3704329-74/malkin-penguins-power#ixzz2OGmfzWcd

This was in practice, and yes, even the best ice gets ruts. But when you have that much money invested in hockey players, the ice has degraded and something should be done.

[MRandall25]

At least Pens games haven't been held up because of the ice

[She'sTheFastest]

I am probably in the minority, but I hate everything about the CEC except for the Pens. It kind of reminds me of the Monorail in terms of overall construction.

[knives of ice]

I am probably in the minority, but I hate everything about the CEC except for the Pens. It kind of reminds me of the Monorail in terms of overall construction.

agreed 100%. i really don't think they could have done a worse job designing the arena IMO with the amount of money they spent on it.

[Bathgate]

I am probably in the minority, but I hate everything about the CEC except for the Pens. It kind of reminds me of the Monorail in terms of overall construction.

agreed 100%. i really don't think they could have done a worse job designing the arena IMO with the amount of money they spent on it.

If you are going to make such strong, yet broad generalizations, please provide some support for these opinions. Give some examples of the worst things that are wrong with the design so we can judge if your reasoning makes sense.

[She'sTheFastest]

For one, the lack of legroom and the crowded rows is way too close for comfort and I am not even a very big guy. Also, even with the crowding the atomsphere is like an airport terminal. Now, this is more or less because of the lackadasical attitude of many of the fans, but there is still a lack of energy but the way you look down on the ice is almost like you are watching an omnimax movie and not a real game. Third, as was the problem with the Igloo, there are not enough entrances. Granted there's plenty of room in the concourses, there are still logjams everywhere else. Perhaps it was the anticipation, but overall I think it is very unimpressive and nothing to write home about.

[MRandall25]

I disagree about legroom. It's right around what you'd expect for an NHL arena.