An ice hockey rink is a rectangular space used to play the game of ice hockey, a team sport that involves skating on a frozen surface. It is also sometimes used to play other team sports such as broomball, ringette and rink bandy. It is surrounded by walls approximately 1.22 metres (48 in) high called the boards. The standard ice rink used in North America, also known as NHL size, is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide, though there are other sizes used throughout the world.
The ice hockey rink is the central focal point of any ice hockey game. It is where the magic happens, where dreams are made and lost, and where legends live forever in the hearts of fans and players alike. It is the heart of the sport and has become a place where generations can gather to share their love of the game with friends and family. It is the home away from home for many professional and amateur hockey players and fans.
A rink can be built in an indoor or outdoor facility, and is usually a large space with a raised skating platform that allows players to skate around on the surface. There are benches around the edge of the rink for spectators to watch the action. In the early days of hockey, rinks were often built out in open fields or in barns with dirt floors. Today, rinks are commonly constructed in arenas or indoor gymnasiums.
While the rink itself may be the central focus of a hockey arena, there are many other important systems that work together to ensure the ice is at its best for each and every game. The rink consumes a lot of energy for the refrigeration systems that keep the ice at an ideal quality to host forty or more games each year. This amount of energy consumption can seem like a large amount, even before accounting for the power needed to run concession stand equipment or to broadcast the game over speakers and jumbotrons.
The process of making a hockey rink begins in the refrigeration room where a compressor pumps brinewater (B) into pipes embedded in the ice-bearing concrete slab. The brinewater is cooled to about 32 degrees Fahrenheit so the water spread on top of it will freeze and create the ice layer.
Once the ice is formed, it must be carefully maintained throughout the season. This is accomplished through a system of heating, cooling and refrigerating the ice to maintain an ideal consistency. It is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, but it must be done for every single game of the season.
The height of the rink’s boards is an important factor in playing the game. They must be tall enough to allow the players to shoot and rim the puck without hitting the boards or getting hurt by falling onto them from high up. They also must be sturdy enough to support the weight of players, spectating fans and the ice itself without bending or warping under the pressure of the sport’s activities.