Key Takeaways
- Regular ice replacement is a critical maintenance practice that enhances safety, performance, and facility longevity in professional ice arenas
- Mount Prospect Ice Arena (MPIA) implements a strategic annual rotation system across its three NHL-regulation rinks, ensuring consistent ice quality year-round
- The technical process involves precise temperature control (14-16°F), specialized painting techniques, and custom logo installation that balances aesthetics with durability
- Proactive maintenance schedules during off-peak seasons minimize disruption to the facility’s 34 sports teams and numerous community programs
- Professional ice management requires both specialized technical expertise and meticulous project management to maintain world-class ice surfaces
Introduction: The Hidden Infrastructure Behind Elite Ice Sports
At Nicholas Sportsplex in Mount Prospect, Illinois, beneath the gleaming surface where hockey players glide and figure skaters spin lies an intricate infrastructure that few spectators ever consider. The pristine ice surface—seemingly simple yet endlessly complex—represents a masterclass in facilities management, engineering precision, and operational excellence. YSBR sat down with Colin Van Hauter, director of facilities at Spectate Group who runs Mount Prospect Ice Arena (MPIA), we discovered that maintaining three NHL-regulation ice sheets is both science and art
“Spectate Group takes pride in addressing issues before they become problems,” explains Van Hauter. “Our team is committed to preventive maintenance to avoid downtime and ensure smooth operations.” This philosophy drives the arena’s approach to one of its most significant maintenance undertakings: complete ice replacement.
While casual observers might assume that ice rinks maintain the same frozen surface year after year with simple resurfacing between sessions, facility professionals understand that comprehensive ice replacement represents a critical infrastructure investment. This process—part engineering project, part artistic endeavor—ensures safety, performance quality, and operational efficiency at elite multi-rink facilities like MPIA.
This article provides an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how professional arena managers approach ice replacement, examining MPIA’s industry-leading practices through the lens of operational excellence and strategic facility management.
Strategic Maintenance Planning: Proactive vs. Reactive Approaches
The Annual Rotation Strategy
While many facilities operate on a 3-5 year replacement cycle for each ice surface, Mount Prospect Ice Arena employs a more progressive approach. “Every year during our March maintenance period—right after the conclusion of our fall-winter season—we remove and replace the ice on one of the three rinks at Nicholas Sportsplex,” Van Hauter reveals. “We rotate among the three each year, ensuring consistently high-quality ice all the time.”
This annual rotation strategy represents a strategic choice that balances several competing priorities:
- Consistent Quality Assurance: By refreshing each rink annually on rotation, the facility maintains uniformly high standards across all surfaces rather than allowing gradual deterioration between major replacements.
- Operational Efficiency: The team develops and maintains specialized expertise through regular practice, rather than relearning processes every few years.
- Budget Management: Distributing replacement costs annually creates predictable maintenance budgets rather than major periodic expenditures.
- Minimal Disruption: By scheduling work immediately following the winter season peak, the facility minimizes impact on its primary user groups, including the Tier 1 Reapers Hockey Association and 34 independent sports teams.
Comprehensive Maintenance Integration
Ice replacement at MPIA isn’t conducted in isolation but integrated into a holistic maintenance strategy. During each annual cycle, the facilities team simultaneously performs related infrastructure maintenance:
- Removing and tightening the dasher board system
- Replacing cast-in-place anchors
- Resecuring boards
- Pressure testing underground refrigeration piping
- Cleaning painted concrete slabs
- Concrete repairs as needed
- Rebuilding compressor systems
- Additional refrigeration equipment maintenance
This integrated approach maximizes efficiency by addressing interdependent systems simultaneously, minimizing facility downtime while maximizing the return on maintenance investments.
The Technical Process: From Concrete to Competition-Ready Ice
Phase 1: Preparation and Ice Removal
The ice replacement process begins long before the first worker sets foot on the ice surface. “Being properly prepared and organized ahead of time really helps us streamline operations and maintain a high standard across the board,” notes Van Hauter.
This preparation includes:
- Comprehensive equipment and material staging
- Coordination with specialized service partners
- Refrigeration system shutdown (at least 24 hours before removal)
- Strategic scheduling of removal teams
For the removal itself, MPIA employs a systematic approach designed to minimize environmental impact and facility damage. “Our on-site staff chops the ice into smaller pieces before we utilize a skid steer to quickly remove the bulk of the ice from the building,” explains Van Hauter. “By breaking the ice into large chunks, we minimize melting and avoid creating a mess that would occur if we simply let it sit.”
This methodical removal process preserves the integrity of the underlying concrete slab while efficiently clearing thousands of pounds of ice from the facility.
Phase 2: Infrastructure Inspection and Preparation
With the concrete slab exposed, MPIA’s team conducts comprehensive inspection and maintenance of the underlying infrastructure:
- Concrete Inspection: Examining the slab for cracks, spalling, or other structural concerns
- Refrigeration System Analysis: Bringing in specialized service partners to inspect HDPE refrigeration piping with ultrasonic leak detection devices
- Component Rebuilding: Inspecting, rebuilding, and replacing key components on the ice plant as needed
- Deep Cleaning: Preparing the concrete surface for optimal adhesion of the new ice layers
This inspection phase represents a critical opportunity to identify and address potential problems before they affect ice quality or require emergency maintenance during peak usage periods.
Phase 3: Temperature Control and Initial Ice Formation
The technically demanding process of rebuilding the ice surface begins with precise temperature management. “When we turn the refrigeration equipment back on, the cold floor valves are opened, and we slowly bring the temperature of the concrete slab down to the appropriate temperatures,” Van Hauter explains.
This gradual temperature reduction serves multiple purposes:
- Preventing thermal shock damage to the concrete slab
- Ensuring optimal conditions for water-based paint adhesion
- Creating the foundation for consistent ice quality
“We gradually lower the temperatures to between 14 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit before laying that first initial layer of water down on the slab to start the ice replacement process,” continues Van Hauter. This precise temperature range represents the optimal balance between freeze rate and paint adhesion.
Once the proper temperature is achieved, an electric motor-powered boom sprays water in thin, even layers to form the initial ice sheet. This foundation layer must be perfectly level and free from imperfections that could affect subsequent steps.
Phase 4: The White Base Layer and Line Marking
With the foundation ice layer established, the team begins the transformation from clear ice to the professional white surface familiar to skaters and spectators.
“Next, we apply the white base layer of paint and seal it with a fine layer of water,” Van Hauter describes. This white base serves multiple purposes in professional ice facilities:
- Creating visual contrast that enhances puck visibility for players
- Improving the aesthetic appearance of the ice surface
- Reflecting overhead lighting to improve overall rink illumination
- Establishing the canvas for subsequent marking and logo application
Following the white base application, the technical precision continues with the marking of regulation lines and zones. “The team begins placing yarn down for red and blue lines, while also taking measurements on the ice surface to ensure faceoff circles, faceoff dots, hash marks, and goaltender creases are painted in the correct locations,” explains Van Hauter.
This meticulous process requires both precise measurement and artistic application as the team applies red, dark blue, and light blue paint to create the standard markings required for regulation hockey play. Throughout this process, temperature monitoring remains critical. “Throughout, we closely monitor the surface temperature to ensure the ice remains between 14 and 16 degrees Fahrenheit. Since we use a water-based paint, maintaining that temperature is critical—the colder the surface, the faster the paint freezes.”
Phase 5: Sealing and Logo Installation
With lines and markings complete, the team applies another fine layer of ice using the electric motor-powered boom sprayer. This layer seals the paint and prepares the surface for the centerpiece of many ice arenas: the center ice logo.
“Once all of the lines and the circles have been painted on the surface and sealed with a fine layer of ice, the logo installation process will begin,” notes Van Hauter. MPIA utilizes specialized materials for logo installation that balance visual impact with safety and durability concerns.
“At Spectate Group, we work with R&R Specialties who work alongside Jet Ice. There’s a couple of different logos that you can choose from, one being the Jet Ice Easy-In Textile logo, which acts almost like a T-shirt material when water is sprayed on top of it, absorbing the water and sitting flush to the surface,” explains Van Hauter. “Our team will place that down on the ice where we need it and spray a fine mist over the top of it with a Hudson sprayer, and it sits nice and flat on the surface.”
This specialized approach represents a departure from earlier vinyl logos that could potentially “float” on the surface and create unsafe skating conditions. The textile-based approach ensures logos remain integrated with the ice surface rather than creating a separate layer.
Phase 6: Building to Final Thickness
The final phase involves building the ice to its operational thickness using a fire hose to apply water in controlled layers. “Then we begin flooding the rest of the sheet, putting down roughly two inches of ice,” Van Hauter describes.
This thickness represents a strategic choice for MPIA’s operational model. “This approach differs from rinks like NHL arenas, where the ice is often kept thinner to maintain a sharp, broadcast-ready appearance. They prioritize vibrant logos and crisp painted lines to stand out on television,” Van Hauter explains. “However, the Sportsplex is an event center; in fall, winter and spring, ice slots can start at 3:30 pm or 4:00 pm, with our adult leagues concluding after midnight. And then in the summer, we’re booked from morning til night. So we’re constantly resurfacing the ice.”
This high-usage model demands a more substantial ice thickness. “If we keep it too thin, we could pull up the logos and paint, so we keep it a little bit thicker. Our team checks our ice surface levels every week and perform necessary ice maintenance.”
The result is a durable surface that can withstand intensive use while maintaining consistent performance quality.
Operational Excellence Through Professional Development
What sets MPIA’s approach apart extends beyond the technical process to include its investment in personnel development. “We’ve invested in both external training seminars and internal hands-on instruction to ensure our team is equipped to handle things in-house,” Van Hauter emphasizes. “Not only does this enhance the quality of our facilities, but it also strengthens the culture within the team. It’s something our team takes pride in.”
This commitment to professional development yields multiple benefits:
- Technical Capacity: Staff capable of handling complex maintenance reduces dependence on external contractors
- Operational Knowledge: Direct experience builds institutional knowledge that enhances problem-solving capabilities
- Quality Control: In-house expertise allows for higher standards and more consistent quality
- Team Engagement: Pride in specialized skills improves staff retention and performance
- Cost Efficiency: Reduced contractor reliance improves operational economics
The Business Case for Strategic Ice Replacement
While the technical process of ice replacement represents a significant operational undertaking, its implementation also reflects sound business strategy. For multi-rink facilities like MPIA, professional ice management balances several business imperatives:
Tenant Satisfaction and Retention
MPIA customizes its approach to tenant needs, particularly in logo installation. “Nicholas Sportsplex has done a variety of logo installations because we have many tenants and user groups skating in our facility,” Van Hauter notes. “At the Rosemont ice rink, the West Rink will feature the Chicago Wolves logo at center ice, while the East Rink will showcase the Chicago Mission logo. We typically display the logo of the organization that uses each rink the most—it’s a way for those groups to feel a sense of pride and ownership in the space they call home.”
This tenant-centric approach strengthens relationships with key user groups, enhancing both satisfaction and retention.
Risk Management and Safety
Regular ice replacement and infrastructure inspection represents a proactive risk management strategy. By identifying and addressing potential equipment failures or surface irregularities before they create safety hazards, facilities minimize liability exposure while protecting users.
Operational Continuity
MPIA’s rotation strategy ensures that major maintenance never affects more than one-third of its ice capacity at any time. This approach preserves operational continuity and revenue generation capability throughout the year.
Brand and Reputation Management
For elite facilities competing for tournaments, teams, and events, ice quality represents a critical brand differentiator. MPIA’s commitment to maintaining professional-grade surfaces across all three rinks supports Nicholas Sportsplex’s positioning as a premier ice sports destination.
Conclusion: Lessons for Facility Managers
Mount Prospect Ice Arena’s approach to ice replacement offers valuable insights for facility managers across the industry spectrum:
- Preventive Maintenance Delivers ROI: MPIA’s annual rotation strategy demonstrates how preventive approaches can reduce long-term costs while enhancing quality.
- Invest in Staff Development: Technical training and professional development create operational capabilities that extend beyond specific maintenance tasks.
- Balance Technical Requirements with User Needs: MPIA’s choice of thicker ice for high-usage facilities illustrates the importance of adapting technical specifications to operational realities.
- Schedule Strategically: By scheduling major maintenance immediately following peak seasons, facilities can minimize revenue impact while maximizing improvement value.
- Consider Tenant Experience: Customization touches like tenant-specific logos build loyalty and strengthen relationships with key user groups.
For the athletes and community members who enjoy Nicholas Sportsplex’s three pristine ice surfaces, the complex process that creates and maintains those surfaces remains largely invisible. Yet the operational excellence behind that invisible infrastructure enables every goal scored, every spin landed, and every memory created on MPIA’s ice.
As Colin Van Hauter and his team demonstrate, elite ice facilities require both technical precision and strategic vision—a combination that transforms maintenance from a necessary cost into a competitive advantage.
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