Community ice rinks throughout North America are facing unprecedented challenges because of the impact from the ongoing health crisis and resultant economic toll weighing on the industry.
These market conditions continue to reinforce the NHL's focus on rink infrastructure, particularly as the League tries to continue to grow the game across North America -- from underindexed communities to hockey-saturated markets so that hockey continues for future generations. These priorities extend to the economic, financial, environmental and social sustainability of these facilities.
Enter Ian Storey, NHL Official Rink Engineering Consultant, who is partnering with the League to advance this agenda throughout the industry as an engineering application specialist. His company, I.B. Storey, will collect insights on the needs of rinks focused on the building asset and educate owners and operators on ways to achieve sustainability-focused solutions within their facilities.
"Our partnership grew organically, starting with a direct focus on NHL Green initiatives," Storey said. "More on the environmental efficiency side of things. We jointly toured a lot of facilities across the U.S. and some in Canada. From there, we better established where the real gaps and needs were in order to reach a sustainable rink model that was both fiscally sound and environmentally preferred. That led to a natural development of our partnership."
The initiatives are also timely with the fifth annual Green Sports Day on Oct. 6, which challenges sports teams and leagues to lessen their carbon footprint.
"Local ice rinks across North America are important social and cultural community hubs, and more than eighty percent of these facilities are twenty years old or more, with aging building systems," said Omar Mitchell, NHL vice president of sustainable infrastructure and growth initiatives. "The NHL is committed to supporting the revitalization of these community rinks, as the growth and accessibility of our game at the grassroots level is significantly impacted by the health of these facilities."
Reception within the industry has already been positive, with rink operators learning how to lessen their strain on the environment while remaining fiscally sound.
"I.B. Storey's leadership throughout our project was invaluable," said Chris Maliszewski, assistant director of recreation and facilities at Park District for Highland Park, Illinois. "Our previous ice plant was installed in 1972 when the facility was built and used R22 (refrigerant). I.B. Storey ensured our new system was cost-efficient to install and operate, fit within the footprint of our facility and utilized a refrigerant which met the district's vision of environmental stewardship. Ian and his team's leadership helped us meet our fiscal and operational goals to deploy an efficient and environmentally friendly system that skaters at Centennial Ice Arena will benefit for many years to come."
The partnership is part of a broader set of initiatives taken by the League that aim to drive positive change in the industry. These include relationships with Chemours, Fastenal and PPG Paints.
"Our hope is to address the structural concerns facing rinks and ensure facilities like Centennial can welcome a new generation of fans," Mitchell said. "It is a business imperative, and thankfully we have partners who are committed to helping us succeed."
