Cyclones Insider

Making Ice In My Dreams... really. Really sad, too.

2012-01-08T18:41:00.000-05:00

I'm still working on answers to some pending questions. I want to give them good thought and editing, and I've been really busy lately.

So, here's a little quick humor...

My wife tells me I was having quite a dream last night about MAKING ICE. Hysterical. She said I was rather animated saying things like "that's now how you make ice" and "watch me, you're doing it wrong."

Too funny. I have no idea where that came from.

Stadium Journey

2011-12-02T18:50:00.002-05:00

This is a very nice write-up on US Bank Arena at a Cyclones game. Sort of a "Secret Shopper" review.

Check them out for this and other reviews:

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/us-bank-arena-s1006/

Q&A Answer #2

2011-11-27T20:41:00.005-05:00

elvis77 from Section 60 asked:

"Here's an ice related one for you, on Tuesday it wasn't exactly cold out and the building was packed full of screaming kids and the ice looked to still have some wet spots late into each period. How much does the fluctuation in temps the Cincinnati area experiences in the spring and fall effect the ice and do large crowds warm the building as well? Can a random warm day combined with a large crowd create a "perfect storm" of bad/sloppy ice?

It seems that even the local "men's league" rinks can have questionable ice when the temps start fluctuating and it can take a day or so to adjust."

ANSWER:

Yes, weather changes can have a huge impact on the ice surface - especially sudden changes. I see the ice as a living, breathing surface. It expands, contracts, moistens, drys, and changes easily. It thrives in a state of equilibrium and it struggles when the equilibrium is disturbed. It reminds me of a Bonzai plant, needing constant grooming and attention.

New modern facilities have a lot of built-in systems to help maintain the balance. They are better insulated, they have dehumidification systems. They have "low emissivity" ceiling membranes to help pull moisture away. They have have an under-ice warming system, below the cold pipes, to keep the ground temperature constant. Older facilities, like US Bank Arena, don't have these added systems.

Even with those amenities, the "bubble" of equilibrium can be disturbed. Sudden ambient temperature increases can cause soft ice until the compressors and air handling systems swing the conditions back into balance. Even a sudden cold snap can dry out the air and cause brittle ice that gets rough quickly and gives up lots of snow.

And then, even if ambient conditions are constant, just introducing a large crowd into the building can upset the balance. Thousands of people bringing in their body heat, and bringing the warm moist air from simply breathing injects heat and humidity into the environment and can change ice conditions. If this happens on a suddenly warm or humid day (even a cold rain can add humidity), then the "perfect storm" scenario definitely applies.

The building engineers have some tricks to help offset the effects. Besides just turning the thermostat up or down, they can manipulate the air handling direction, etc. Sometimes they even fire up the bioler and send a flash of hot air into the building so the humidity jumps onboard and flies out when the air is pushed out through air handlers.

The Zamboni driver has to be very aware of the conditions. When it's warm and/or humid, water delivery control is critical. During games, I try to use the least amount of water possible to nicely glaze the ice. I turn it down in the corners and even turn it off over the goal creases since I go over that area numerous times. If you drive faster, you have to open the water valve more. If you slow down, water must be reduced. Last Tuesday for Education in Hockey day, Drew was driving because I had a conflict. He has good training and does well, but probably was a little heavy on the water delivery.

The water delivery can be difficult because it is totally operator selected. If snow isn't moving through, the operator can hear it and increase RPMs, slow down, etc. But the water just flows and you have to remember proactively to make adjustments.

When the equilibrium is all out of whack, other weaknesses are exposed. The first is over the goal creases. If the water is not turned down there, it will stay wet because the chiller system doesn't have the capacity to freeze it while dealing with the added stress. Also, the brine return goes out of the rink in the area of the home player bench at US Bank Arena. It enters the rink between the visitor bench and the goal line, so it's the coldest right there. Then it snakes its way through pipes around the rink surface to the area of the home bench.

So, at the end of its path, it is at its warmest because it has already exchanged most of its coldness (technically heat is exchanged and coldness is a perception of less heat), so it has the least freezing capacity there. Throw in the temperature change, the exhaled air from thousands of screaming kids, and then too much water, and you're left with wet spots.

At the local rinks where we play in the amateur leagues, they don't have thousands of spectators but they also have virtually no added air handling ability and they don't have an engineer there on staff just to control the air so they are actually more susceptible to weather changes. They also have a hit-or-miss situation with experienced Zamboni drivers.

Don't get me wrong, there are some very good, very experienced ice guys around town. But the rinks also have some newer, less experienced drivers. Also their training is limited nearly exclusively to "on the job training" and even the more experienced drivers who are training the newbees may know how to do things right themselves but they may not be the best communicators or trainers.

As you can see, it's not like just starting up the lawn mower and running a pattern.

Thanks for asking, Elvis. Keep those questions coming!

Q&A Answer #1

2011-11-21T23:33:00.003-05:00

Please keep the questions coming! I have a quick one I will answer right now and two great questions from Section 60 that I'm working on that will be longer.

Auntie Sue asked:
"Interesting explanation of intermission ice repair! Here's my question: Does it drive you crazy when the goalies come out and immediately make a mess of your freshly resurfaced crease?

Interesting question, but it does not bother me at all. Actually the same could be said for all the skaters who come out and mess up the fresh ice - but that's the game. Turning the water down or even off over the creases is an important thing that I do. It is more of a pride thing that I want the goalie to leave the building thinking they had great ice. If they are scratching off their crease and there is no water splashing, then I'm a happy Guido.

The Ice for 2011-12

2011-11-19T22:07:00.002-05:00

I have to admit that I'm struggling for material. I'm open to questions. Some Q&A may make for good blog posts.

I can write a little about the ice so far, and some real-life aspects to ice cuts during games.

The ice is really good so far. Drew and the boys used the misting wand for much of the original depth, rather than jumping on with the Zamboni as soon as it is thick enough. The atomizers create thinner layers that blend better and freeze more clearly than the thicker sauce left by the Zamboni. This is the best ice base I have seen since the return of the Cyclones in 2006.

The game cuts for Friday 11/18 went fairly well. There is always this sort of conflict with the on-ice productions at intermission and the resurfacing. The marketing folks take the intermission promotions very seriously. It is a way to energize the whole arena and to involve some real fans for an unforgettable experience. A good Emcee, like Smitty aka "DJ Mitts" can really carry the crowd and make for a very professional experience.

I don't discount that at all. But selfishly, my mission is to make the ice surface the best that it can possibly be, doing my little part to help the team win. There is also a pride factor. I want the visiting players and the officials to walk away saying "man, the ice in Cincinnati is the best in the league." At the very least, I want them neutral and to at least not notice. It kills me when I know they leave thinking the ice sucked. And finally, the league expects the Zamboni off the ice with 5:00 remaining in intermission to allow for drying(freezing). Now, honestly, we go past that often and they've never said a word. It's not something they hawkishly watch.

7 minutes is a bare minimum for an acceptable cut. Really 8 is better. I can't do it in much less than 7 because the Zamboni can only go 9 mph max and I have to slow down in turns. That leaves all my attention to driving without crashing and no time for allowances in blade depth, water control, etc. Also when driving at break-neck speed the recirculating Wash Water does not work at full efficiency.

Do the math. I have to be on the ice and moving along the boards with 12:00 minutes to be finished at the 5:00 mark. To have my full 8 minutes I have to be resurfacing by 13:00 left, which really means getting onto the ice by about 13:20. That never happens, does it?

The answer? Well, there really isn't one. I have been to NHL games and their on-ice promotions are extremely short. Like 2-3 minutes. Just a quick on-and-off. Then they hit the ice with 2 Zamboni ice resurfacers so they can cut deeper, removing more snow, leaving better ice, in just over half the time. But that is the NHL. Down here in the minors, simply put, that ain't happening.

I say the ice is critical. Without ice, we don't have hockey. The marketing folks would be quick to remind me that without fans, we don't have hockey either. In the end, we at US Bank Arena and the Cyclones work very hard to find balance. I think we're mostly successful. I have no reference to other arenas in the pro world, but I think we have a good thing going.

And, when all else fails, when I'm bearing down the ice with 8600 pounds of the coolest machine on earth, people get out of my way! ha.

Questions, people, questions!!

Brine Failure at the War Memorial

2011-10-07T02:25:00.001-05:00

As you probably heard, the pre-season game last night (10-6-11) was cancelled due to an ice failure at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, PA. What a disaster for an Ice Meister! I really feel for the guys there tonight. It's 3:15 AM and they probably still have not left the building.

Apparently a pipe under the ice carrying chilled brine (salt water solution) burst. This means the flow is interrupted the the whole ice surface immediately begins to heat up (MELT). Even worse, the area of the break starts flowing brine freely as it is being pumped through the pipes, causing severe havoc and melting, also damaging the paint, lines, graphics, underneath.

So, the race is on to repair it before the damage gets too bad or before the whole surface melts. Some local neighborhood rinks actually have sand under the ice and the brine (or a glycol - antifreeze - solution) lines are small diameter, flexible plastic tubing buried in the sand. This is a little easier to repair. You have to break up a small area of the ice, find the leaking tube, cut it, and splice in a "double-female" barrel adapter, and glue that in place. Then re-bury it in the sand, and try to re-patch the ice surface so it doesn't look too awful (see below).

But big muli-purpose venues have concrete floors (what good would sand be?) with larger diameter metal pipes traversing the surface. This is much more difficult to repair. Worst case, you lose the whole ice surface and have to replace it after repairs are made. This is very likely if the leak was bad. Best case, you break up a section of ice to expose the concrete, then bust up the concrete to get to the burst pipe, being careful not to do further damage to pipes. Then a plumber, or somebody good at plumbing, has to repair the pipe by replacing the bad section.

A quick fix would be to just pour sand around the area and worry about fixing the concrete in the off season. Pack in sand, moisten it, and let it freeze. Or, a quick-setting concrete can be used. Then the ice has to be put back, and look right.

So, just like doing the whole ice, a light layer of water goes down, then the white painted later. This gets tricky, you want to use the paint to HIDE the blemish but it is very difficult to do without actually highlighting the blemish. Then any color in that area is painted down to try to match what is there. Then the clear coats go on, very carefully to avoid "floating up" the paint.

This continues until it gets level with the regular ice, or near level. Then the whole general area would be flooded, because the water is always tend to settle in the patched spot. The only way to truly level that off is by shaving with the ice resurfacter. So, you build up the whole area and then start shaving.

Hopefully they can manage a patch. But I wouldn't be surprised if they lost the whole surface and had to completely re-lay the ice.

Anyone with some inside intel in Johnstown, I would love to hear what they actually do...

Stars On Ice Setup

2011-09-03T15:11:00.000-05:00

I found this unfinished post in my drafts. At this point I don't even remember what else I would have said. I'm posting as-is, buyer-beware, no warranty. It does have some good pics of changing over the ice for the Stars On Ice show:

For the Smucker's Stars On Ice show at US Bank Arena, the ice is reduced to a "box" to make a more intimate skating space and allow for on-ice seating. "Pro Deck" is placed around the rink and a rope is frozen in on the inside of the box. This helps hold the decking out and the flood water in to raise the depth for figure skating.

Roadies start loading in at 7:00 AM

Big light trusses. Four sets of three are bolted together to be hoisted into the ceiling. The lights are including within the trusses and the drop lower as the truss is raised.

Connecting cables to tie it all in to the ceiling.

Lights dropping out of the truss:

Zamboni tunnel that I have to drive through to get to the ice. All part of the magic of show business.

The trusses are laid out. Chains are connected to the cable points tied in to the ceiling. "Chain Motors" are connected to load bearing points on the trusses. 18 of them in all are synchronized and the truss system is hoisted to the ceiling.

Video of the trusses being raised. Once raised, each chain motor can be individually controlled to get it all perfectly level. Tape measures are draped over the trusses before they are raised so they can measure each point.

RIP Heckler From Hell #2 Kevin Gadker

2011-03-29T20:02:00.001-05:00

The sad news has come that 37 year old Cyclones superfan Kevin Gadker, AKA Heckler from Hell, AKA "Human Siren" has passed away after a massive stroke.

Sometimes controversial but always entertaining, he was an early fixture upon the Cyclones' return to ECHL. He joined the US Army to help support himself and his family, so we haven't seen as much of him since then but his dedication to the Cyclones never waned.

Thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Nice to know you, Heckler. Thank you for your service to our country. Rest in peace, amigo.

Heckler from Hell Article on Metromix

More On Icemaking

2011-03-27T19:06:00.012-05:00

The circus had a show at US Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon, March 20. The circus had to completely load out, all the dirt had to be removed by Bobcats and dump trucks. The concrete floor had to be cleaned with squeegee trucks and all the hockey glass reinstalled. All this before calling it quits Sunday night.

Then Monday at 0700 the icemaking process began. A thin coat of clear, white paint, clear, then line and logo painting. This went on until Tuesday evening at about 11:00 PM.

Remember, icemaking is a NON-STOP process. If it frosts, air will be trapped inside and create unwanted insulation effect.

After the maintenance crew spent over 40 straight hours painting in the lines and sealing them in clear, I rolled in to take the next wave overnight of Zamboni flooding. Here are some pics of the crew guys finishing up:

Hose crew, keeps the hose off the ice or at least moving so it doesn't melt into the ice and destroy the work:

Notice in the top-left the guy with the brown jacket, "Breezy," handling the misting wand:

Closer view of Breezy on the Wand:

New in-ice graphics for the fundraiser night for the Northern Kentucky Child Advocacy Center:

Once last picture of Breezy on the wand. They did 10 clear water wand passes over the paint before I started on the Zamboni. More wanding is better, technically, and makes for more clear ice but we barely had 72 hours from circus dirt to hockey practice. No time for ultimate perfection but it still came out really well.

Final product, center ice logo, this time with the full Cyclones text under the logo:

I'll let this settle for a few days and then add pics of the setup for Smucker's Stars On Ice.

"I'm On The 'Clones" Music Video

2011-02-19T19:08:00.002-05:00

Music Video

Take a look. This is awesome. Hockey Players For Kids is awesome.

Enjoy!

Pink = Good in 2011!

2011-02-14T23:13:00.006-05:00

This past "Pink In The Rink" weekend was certainly good for our Cyclones! Perhaps a corner has been turned. I have to say I like the trades. I hate to lose the guys we lost but as mentioned in a prior post, we have to believe. The coach's job is to do what he thinks he has to do in order to win hockey games, playoff series, and ultimately championships. Leadership often involves making difficult decisions; it is a burden for leaders to bear.

Friday night I think Florida had a bit of a sloppy game but the Cyclones were definitely firing on all cylinders. Saturday the Cyclones faced some adversity but still managed to control the game and win. The new guys certainly contributed, and brought some new skills and elements to the game. That's what good trades do. I sincerely hope the guys we lost do the same for the other teams and advance their own careers.

We can all see these observations, and may have different opinions. As the Cyclones Insider I strive to bring what you do not see - and I love to champion the work of the behind-the-scenes guys. Promotions like paining the ice are a big deal. Here is a glimpse inside what it is like to put it on.

The actual pink coloring is a resin like the white paint ice base. It is mixed with water and formulated to not insulate so it has minimal effect on the quality of the ice. It is applied in the same manner as the white. The resin is mixed in a 100 gallon barrel mounted on a wheel cart. Also on the cart is a water pump powered by a gasoline engine and a reel of 1" diameter rubber hose. The mixed resin is pumped through the hose to a "wand" made of brass with misting spray atomizers, similar to the sprayers over produce in the grocery.

The wand is dragged backwards around the ice so the crew isn't stepping in the fresh, unfrozen paint. After the pink is applied and allowed to freeze good, clear water is pumped through the wand to seal in the pink. It is important to do this in small doses and not melt the frozen resin and cause it to float up. After several passes, it is save to bring on the Zamboni and apply more water. We shoot for at least a quarter inch of clear over the resin for the safety of the skaters.

If the resin comes to the surface, skates could catch in it and trip a player, affecting the game and possibly causing an injury. But, we don't want it too thick because the ice will become soft and it will take longer to cut out. A few years ago it took about 10 hours with two Zamboni machines. We probably had the ice too deep this time and the pink too dark, thus all the added cut time.

Now let's talk about the schedule. The crew had to paint the ice on Thursday after team practice and have it all finished before the teams practiced Friday morning. One crew member had to stay all night "flooding" with the Zamboni.

After the game Friday, somebody could have possibly stayed all night Friday night to cut out the pink. But, cutting is a bit more technical than just flooding so fewer of us are qualified to do it. The pink would have had to be cut out, the ice leveled, and more flood coats applied in time for the Saturday morning practices.

So, it was decided to leave the pink in for Saturday's game. The crew's weekend got a little brighter when it was announced that Linkin Park had to cancel their show on Sunday. Bad news for Linkin Park fans but it gave the ice crew a much deserved day off.

Cyclones practice was moved to Northland Ice Center on Monday and Tuesday so the pink could be cut out of the ice. It took about 7 hours with one Zamboni to get all the traces of pink up, then a few hours of flooding on top of that to restore the ice depth and level it up.

We HAVE To BELIEVE

2011-02-06T21:57:00.008-05:00

I can only speak for myself and not the rest of the Cyclones staff, but I'll admit that it's hard to get excited this year. Catch anyone in a candid moment, and they would probably admit it. The team has played fairly average hockey. We see moments of brilliance in between spans of average play and as many flubs as moments of brilliance. Maybe more. That's reality. I don't like it but I'm not unwilling to admit it. It is frustrating. That's hockey.

When the Cyclones returned in 2006, one of the things I said is that it's fair for a fan to expect a .500 record. To go plunk down their hard-earned money, it is reasonable for fans to expect at least a 50% chance of seeing a win. And, the fan's can reasonably expect to be entertained. Sweet goals, hard hits, occasional fights are all reasonable expectations.

The Cyclones have delivered.

Yes, I say, they have. We have grown a little spoiled in the last 4 seasons. After the 2008 Kelly Cup we expected 2008-09 to be a "rebuilding year" but the Cyclones went to Conference Finals; then they returned to - and won - the Kelly Cup again in 2010. This is something that hasn't happened since the IHL Mohawks in the 1950's. How cool is that? Very cool.

I'm going to be a stinker here; but I can't help myself. The Mighty Ducks only had 3 winning seasons out of 8. The Cyclones have had only two sub-500 seasons in the first 17. Granted, they have been through several incarnations over two leagues, but I'm looking at it in terms of the product delivered. That product has been consistently strong, across the board. Can the Reds say that? Not lately. Can the Bengals say that? Do I need to answer?

This year they are teetering on .500, so maybe they'll give us their 3rd ever losing season. Plenty of time left; however, so maybe they'll give us a good run-up to the playoffs; maybe they'll give us a strong playoff performance. Heck, maybe they'll win it all again.

It's just too soon to tell. But again I stress it is all a matter of relatively. We have grown accustomed to very strong, winning, even championship teams. So, it seems "bad" to slip to an "average" year.

Everyone, let's hang in there for the rest of this season. The players need every fan there showing up, making noise, and supporting their team. This year isn't over. It is a 72-game season.

That's hockey. Hockey fans are not bandwagon fans. Stay True. Believe.

Good things will happen. If not this year, then next year is just around the corner.

Interesting Playoff Chart

2011-02-06T19:38:00.003-05:00

According to this, as of today the Cyclones have a 40% chance of making the playoffs.

http://www.sportsclubstats.com/hockey/Canada/ECHL.html

Interesting way to express things. Our boys had better step up their game and play consistently!

Very Cool Zamboni Driver Story

2010-12-30T22:08:00.002-05:00

A Zamboni driver in Saskatchewan who is from Zambia, Africa.

Very scrange but very cool. He sounds like he has the attitude of a true ice meister. A man of my own heart - he has my respect.

READ ARTICLE

End Zone Nets

2010-12-19T17:30:00.000-05:00

Purely for hockey viewing purposes, I have always hated the nets in the end zones. I've changed my mind. I challenge you to read this and keep a dry eye: http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=cincinnati&sParam=35344223.story

7 year old boy allowed to decide custody case because of violence in the home.

2010-12-14T21:22:00.001-05:00

7 year old boy allowed to decide custody case because of violence in the home.

Cincinnati Oh. (AP) -
A seven year old boy was at the center of a Hamilton County courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulation requiring that family unity be maintained to the highest degree reasonably possible.

The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried and said that they also beat him.

After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.

After two recesses to check legal references and confer with the child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Cincinnati Bengals professional football team, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

Behind The Scenes - What Keeps The Cyclones In Motion

2010-11-29T18:01:00.002-05:00

Actually, the title should be "WHO" keeps the Cyclones in motion.

The answer? Equipment Manager Chris Burke and Athletic Trainer Bob Case.

Regular readers may recall than on a few prior occasions I've lauded the maintenance staff at US Bank Arena for all their work before, after, during, and between events at the arena. I like to recognize the folks who make it all happen and who are under-appreciated.

Well, more specific to the Cyclones operations are Burke and Case. Most fans probably have no idea the long, hard hours they put in for the team. They are not an NHL operation with a full staff of helpers. Basically it is just the two of them to handle all of the team's equipment needs and basic medical needs.

They are the first to arrive and the last to leave. While the players are waiting in their apartment or hotel for the game, Burke is there setting up their dressing room. Then, when they leave to go to the bar or even just go home, Burke is there packing their stuff, making repairs, doing the laundry, etc.

The night before the home opener this year, I was at the arena until after 3:00 AM stringing the second goal net. That's the latest I've been there in 4 years and that time it was by my choice as the best fit for my schedule. Well, the Cyclones played in Toledo that night. Burke and Case came rolling in to US Bank Arena in the middle of the night and had to unpack and set everything up for the big home opener.

Mind you, they first had to pack up in Toledo and load up the bus, then ride the bus back to the practice rink in Evendale where the players got in their cars and went home. But, all the equipment had to be moved from the bus to the team van, driven downtown, and then unload and set up for the next game.

This is routine operating procedure for these guys. Take this current weekend, they had games Friday and Saturday at home, but then had to pack up Saturday night to be ready to travel to Toledo for the Sunday afternoon game, then haul it all back again to get ready for practice Monday morning.

Endless, thankless, essential jobs that no fan should take for granted!

Thanks guys, I wouldn't have two rings without you! All I had to do was show up and drive in circles!

Ice Edger Between Periods

2010-11-13T23:00:00.002-05:00

First, WOOHOOO BIG WIN CYCLONES!!! They boy's took the Gwinnett Gladiators to school tonight on fundamental hockey. The Gladiators have a lot of talent, but the Cyclones played good solid, blue-collar hockey. It may have taken a shootout but a win is a win!

Cyclones are back to a .500 record, climbing from the league cellar to 1-point away from first place in the division. Yahooooo!

Now, to the ice. You may have noticed Drew the Operations Manager going around the boards with a lawn mower looking machine before I go out on the Zam. That's an ice edger and is a lot like a lawn mower with blades to shave the ice. The edges always build up frozen muck from the snow being pushed up against the boards and the Zamboni going slower around the boards and leaving more water unless the operator is careful and reduces his water on the first lap.

Also the shaving blade is tapered on the ends so it doesn't leave grooves out on the ice. Between the length of the taper and the space of the side of the conditioner, it's about 5 inches in from the edge before the blade is cutting at full depth. On all the rest of the laps, the overlap takes care of the depth; but around the boards the blade is simply not cutting as deep.

So, the edger serves the purpose of cutting down that recurring high spot around the boards. Typically this is only done after-hours and the fans don't see it. But, right now we have a little problem. I've mentioned before that Zamboni machines get treated a lot like a boat - they are either sitting idle or running at full power most of their lives. They shake, vibrate, and occasionally parts fail.

In this case, part of the board brush broke early in the season and we're still waiting for the replacement parts. The board brush comes out between the front and back wheels on the driver's side, sort of like a street sweeper brush, and whisks the built up ice and snow out and under the Zamboni. It is then retracted after the first lap.

With this being broken, we're running the edger around very lightly just to blow the bulk of that frozen muck out away from the boards. This is also why you see the maintenance guys with shovels running around the corners because the conditioner dragging at the back of the Zamboni simply can't fully follow the curvature of the boards in the corners. Again, usually the board brush is my best friend here, but until it is repaired, we're doing it "Old School."

Whatever it takes to help the team win. That's our job, to make their playing surface as good as it can possibly be (which may not be perfect) to give them their best chance at victory. That's the only reason I have a job. To help them win if I can.

Big Win 11/10 and Ice Conditions

2010-11-11T17:39:00.002-05:00

Thankfully the Cyclones earned their first home win last night, on a Wet Wednesday at US Bank Arena. We really needed that! By allowing it to go to OT they gave up a point to a division rival, but a win is a win. Defense and goaltending were solid as they gave up a lot of shots on goal. The team needed to feel what it is like to win, especially at home.

It looks like, hopefully, they are starting to gel, learn Coach Skalke's systems, and learn about each other. As a bonus, today we learned that Dustin Sproat is returning!

You may have noticed the massive wet spot in the ice last night. We sure did! Frankly, we're not exactly sure what caused it. The area in front of the Cyclones bench is always the first to get sloppy. It has to do with where the brine under the ice is piped out, back to the chiller room; and the air flow of the building seems to flow more there, causing vaporization. This is always the first area to get wet - if you were in the house for the 2008 Kelly Cup clincher game in June, you saw it wet in that spot.

We're not really sure what caused it last night - all systems were working. But, it is understandable that this area was the first to be affected, since it is known to be a weaker spot. When the equilibrium is upset, this will be the first place to see the symptoms.

For the second intermission cut, I was turning the resurfacing water OFF going up the bench side in front of the visitor bench, and not turning it back on until making the turn to go up the other side. Still, it was wet. We dry-cut deep after the game, down through the wet/soft stuff, turned out all the lights, and reduced the building temperature. By now all systems have been double-checked.

Saturday is "Throwback Night" so we'll have lots of people in the building. Lots of body heat and moisture in the air from exhaling. All enemies of good ice, but it's all figured in to the equation of an ice arena.

Come on out Saturday, see Dustin Sproat's return, check out the Throwback Jerseys and old-tyme pricing as the Cyclones take on the league-leading Gwinnett Gladiators!

2010-11 Expectations

2010-10-03T19:33:00.003-05:00

Hi All, it's been a while since a substantive post. Sorry. This year I renewed another passion of mine - motorcycling. I enjoy an odd sense of extremes - Zamboni in winter and Harley-Davidson in the summer. But you don't read this to hear about me.

A lot of change for 2010-11, eh? But, then again, seeing all the players we are getting back, a lot remains the same. Actually, the philosophy behind the team definitely remains the same - from the top of the front office all the way down to the ice. That's a good thing for us all.

What can we reasonably expect for this year? Well, there are many variables but I'm liking the way things look. At this level, you sort of expect a down year after a championship year. It's natural, players who don't get promoted may get picked off by another team. Coaches get promoted, etc. But, this team went to the conference finals in 2009 after winning the Kelly Cup in 2008.

Then, by all accounts, the 2010 championship team wasn't expected to go that far but they really showed a tremendously strong work ethic and went all the way. This really proves that anything is possible.

From what I'm seeing, Coach Skalde has a true leader's approach to the game and seems to have everything necessary. He's getting a lot of solid players back (to start the season, at least) and he's getting the opportunity to bring in some of his own boys. I think it is fair to have high expectations for this year. I think the Cyclones organization is up to the challenge.

The ice is in, now getting flooded for depth and a coat of solid white paint over the hockey lines in preparation for Disney on Ice next week. It should be good and settled by opening night!

NEW COACH!

2010-08-12T13:51:00.001-05:00

Feeling good about new Cyclones head coach Jerrod Skalde!

Welcome, Coach. I look forward to meeting you and working with you.

"Guido the Blade"

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

2010-07-31T19:27:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is having a great summer. It just occurred to me that I never put up a post about playoff ice conditions. Sorry, I've been consumed by the summer. Suffice to say it's difficult but manageable. I'm glad the playoffs ended early this year, though!

All the Cyclones summer news sort of has last seasons' ice report seeming sort of lame.

First, chronologically speaking, congrats to Coach Stork on his new gig in Greenville! He definitely deserves the shot. It will be very interesting to see how he does as the head coach. He was sort of the "heavy" as part of the coaching team with Chuck Weber. It was Stork running the "bag drills" and dishing out the toughness in practice. I think he and Weber really balanced each other so it will be interesting to see how they both do under different circumstances. I wonder if he will mellow a bit and have a "heavy" of his own or if he'll be the heavy and have an assistant to be the sympathetic one. Or, he might just go hard-core all the way. I could see that happening.

It's a shame that the timing sent Stork to Greenville for the "sure thing" and we lost him. But, we can't blame him for taking the assured opportunity; and I'm a firm believer in things "meant to be" so this must be what's right.

Second, huge congrats to Coach Weber for getting his well-deserved shot at an AHL head coaching position!!!! I think he will do great, but it will be a true test of his abilities. He's been in his comfort zone here in Cincinnati, and he'll definitely be out of his element in the AHL. But, he is a leader in the truest sense of the word. A wise Major General from the US Air Force once said "It is always a question of leadership." I happen to agree.

What I think he will find the most challenging will be having to deal with the parent club. The parent clubs really didn't place many demands on him at the ECHL level. His job was to teach the players professionalism and a winning attitude - basically to see them through a period of maturing in the professional careers. About the only thing the really insisted on was a goalie rotation in the regular season so they both got experience.

With the AHL directly feeding the NHL, it is a whole different story. Not only is he expected to groom the players, generally speaking, for advancement, he is also expected to prepare certain players for certain roles that are needed by the NHL club. This isn't always conducive to the AHL club actually winning. If they need one or two players to get experience with a system employed by the NHL parent team, they might have to play that system even if it is not what the AHL team needs to succeed. He could get calls on a daily basis saying "bench this guy" or "play this goalie" or "give so-and-so 25 minutes of ice time," etc.

Where does all this leave Cincinnati? We'll have to wait and see. I've barely talked with any of the full time staff this summer. The longest conversation I have had was with Drew the new Operations Manager about his experience at Ice Maintenance and Resurfacer Operations school. I have high confidence, however, in the organization.

Ray Harris is well-connected and he knows what he wants. The folks in the local administration are also very good at their jobs. Kristin Ropp, as we know, was just named the ECHL executive of the year (CONGRATS to her as well!!!!). Somebody on the Section 60 board commented that Coach Weber probably had a successor to suggest and I agree with that likelihood. Then they have all their connections with both the Nashville and Montreal organizations.

The biggest thing they need to do is find a coach with vision. They are outstanding leaders, in their own right, in that they know how to stay out of the way of somebody who's performing at or above expectations. So, they don't need a milquetoast they need an assertive coach who knows what he wants, how to get there, and isn't afraid to go after what he wants.

Only time will tell. I think we have to accept that this could really be a "rebuilding" season - which is sports rationalization for a "bad" season. But, then again, the Cyclones went for dormance to conference finals in one season and championship in the second, then an expected "rebuilding" year back to conference finals before returning to the championship. We've seen first hand that the impossible is possible.

Have a little faith, Cyclones fans. We have a great foundation here despite the volatility of AA level hockey. Section 60's countdown shows 75 days until the first game of the 2010-11 season.

Let's Play Hockey!!!!!!!!!!

Tradition...

2010-06-18T23:05:00.002-05:00

I just received the traditional "congratulations" email from Dick Barnfield, the Zamboni driver in South Carolina. We started it after the Stingrays beat the defending Kelly Cup Champ. Cyclones last year, so I got to get the bounce-back congrats from him. Hopefully the Cyclones will retain the cup for a few years before I have to make the congratulations call to the next winning team's Zamboni driver.

The folks in Charleston are a class act. They were in 2008, 2009, and this year as well; and they had high praise for the class and professionalism of the Cyclones when they were visiting.

4 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

2010-06-05T21:03:00.003-05:00

Four years ago today, I first squatted on cyclonesinsider.blogspot.com and took over.

Since then, the Cyclones have been to the playoffs every year, TWO KELLY CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS, Conference championship one other year, increased attendance every year, 171 blog posts, and the list goes on.

What a super ride it has been! I continue to be very proud to have some small part to contribute to this organization. They truly are a dedicated, committed team - and by team I mean everyone involved, not just the skaters. The commitment clearly translates into success, for us all to enjoy!

See you all in 2010-11! Let's Go Cyclones!

And, as promised, the playoff ice condition post will be forthcoming.

Coming Soon: Spring Time Playoff Ice

2010-06-03T00:39:00.002-05:00

I have a house full of guests for stepdaughter's wedding. When I get my head above water next week, I'm planning an entry on the conditions, techniques, trials, and tribulations of keeping ice so late in the season - for the most important games of the season.

Stay tuned...

Championship Memories 2010

2010-05-23T20:57:00.003-05:00

Wow - I'm finally getting a few minutes to sit down in front of the computer and make a worthy post-Kelly Cup championship blog entry.

My earlier analysis played out - the grizzled, experienced, battle-tested Cyclones came through. The adversity they faced - in the wake of not being a star-studded team - truly prepared them to be champions. I have to admit, in each of the four rounds, I thought they had a good chance of being knocked out. Thank goodness they proved me wrong!!

I'm still just stunned that they took Idaho in 5 games. And, if you think about it, it's more like 4 1/2 games since the only Idaho win required them to go to OT. I just think that Idaho fell into that syndrome of the regular season and playoffs being too easy to get wins causing lack of preparedness for the finals.

Not that they were not a tough team - because they were very tough. The total commitment of the Cyclones in games 4 and 5 won the mental battle and the series. They absolutely stuck to the defensive system; they stuck to the plan on offense; and the did all the little things that champions do: diving to keep the pick in the zone or knock it off a a Steelhead's stick, sacrificing the body to block shots and deliver checks, skating 100% every shift, and just believing in themselves.

It's cliche but it's true - the playoffs are a battle of attrition won on the mistakes of the other team. The deeper into the playoffs, the more this holds true. The Cyclones made a few mistakes, and Idaho took advantage; but by and large the Cyclones played perfect hockey. By perfect, I mean they played the game they needed to play.

Commitment really is the operative word here. Being on the inside, but basically a part-time outsider, I have a "fishbowl" view of the team and the arena. Everyone there is thoroughly committed, from Kristin Ropp the VP and General Manager of the building down to the changeover guys and cleaning crew. "Down" is a poor word to use, because these are the folks who make the building tick.

While everyone else was celebrating the win Friday night, the cleaning crew had a record crowd to clean after (not to mention all the confetti) and the changeover crew had to stay the night removing glass, some boards, and covering the ice in Pro-Deck in preparation for WWE to load in first thing Saturday morning. Then, after wrestling, they had to turn the rink back over to ice for team and staff pictures Sunday morning.

No rest for the weary is truly the way these guys live. Commitment - everyone there knows the reason they play is to win the championship. Among the staff, it is unspoken or less-spoken, but it is there. We all know it. I just try in my own way to be as committed; I think I measure up (I sure hope so). I really appreciate the opportunity they give me doing the ice work for the Cyclones.

Much praise to the Cyclones players, coaches, staff, and most of all to the fans who make it all possible. Despite a general lack of respect in the mainstream media, we true Cyclones fans have everything to be proud of as the only contemporary CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER team in Cincinnati.

These were things that needed to be said and stand on their own. I'm planning an entry in a week or so about the oddities of keeping ice in 70+ degree weather as well as posting some camera-phone video of the winning moments.

CONGRATULATIONS CYCLONES!!!!!!!

The Taste of Victory is SWEET!!!!!

2010-05-22T06:37:00.000-05:00

More to follow after some much needed sleep.

Game Day Migraine

2010-05-21T14:12:00.001-05:00

Ugh - your humble Zamboni driver has a raging migraine. But for the first time in my lifetime of migraines, I hope there are 15,000 screaming fans at US Bank Arena tonight!

And, here is a great article on Roeder:

http://wap.wcpo.com/w/main/story/11166116/

Heartbreaking Game 3 double-OT Loss

2010-05-18T23:08:00.003-05:00

Let us not remember this for the double-OT loss. As heartbreaking as that was, let us remember this game as the one when the Cyclones erased a 3-goal deficit to force the OT. Let us remember how the Cyclones dominated the first OT. Finally, let us remember that the playoffs are decided by who makes the most of the others' mistakes and who catches a lucky break here and there.

The Cyclones did nearly everything right - but they did make their mistakes and gave up goals as a result.

Remember, we beat these guys twice in their own house, and it took 4+ periods for Idaho to win tonight. The Cyclones can still do it. One game at a time - bring it on, Thursday.

By the way, in the second OT intermission, I didn't have a mechanical problem. The ice was extremely rough after 100 minutes of hockey, so I lowered the blade extra deep for maximum cutting. I knew I would fill the snow tank but I also knew I had plenty of time since there were no on-ice promotions so I elected to risk filling the tank since I had time to dump.

The white tux is officially retired. Thursday will be basic black golf shirt & jeans.

I'm liking our chances...

2010-05-17T12:07:00.002-05:00

I have to be honest, I was very worried in 2008. That team found winning so easy through the regular season and could practically score at will. Winning the Brabham cup, especially by such a wide margin, could have been a curse. Too many teams have won the regular season and faltered in the playoffs (remember the St. Louis Blues in the '90s?). I think winning easily through the season can be poor preparation for the post-season and all the adversity that comes with it. It's the scrappy teams, the teams that work hard and know how to face adversity, who usually do better.

Idaho seems to be in that situation right now. They won the regular season, had a first round bye, and didn't go the distance in the two rounds they have played. Until Friday night they had only played 10 playoff games compared to the Cyclones 19. They gave up two losses at home - their first back-to-back home losses all season.

The 2010 Cyclones, on the other hand, are the worker bees. They've had a successful but very difficult season; and they've had an exceptionally difficult post-season. They have been doing everything right for the last 6 games because they've been challenged, met the challenge head on, and spit it its eye.

Come on down Tuesday and Thursday night. Bring your mac-n-cheese Tuesday!!!

Let's go Cyclones!!!!!

Like Rodney Dangerfield: "No Respect"

2010-05-16T21:07:00.004-05:00

Flyer's also come back from 0-3 to win Series.

All of the articles I've seen on the Philadelphia Flyers coming back from three games down, like the Cyclones, to win the series say that the Flyers are only the THIRD team to accomplish that feat when in fact we know they are the SEVENTH!

I guess it is just a fact of life that the major markets and networks just see the sports world for the major leagues alone. Granted, they are the best in the world but they need their minor leagues to support them and there are some outstanding athletes, coaches, and organizations in the minor leagues.

So, the Flyers are only the third NHL team to make the comeback, and that's all that seems to matter to the mainstream media. But we all know they are #7, coming a day AFTER the Cyclones did the same thing.

I believe the Cyclones' victory had to have been a topic for discussion in the Flyers dressing room. "If the Cyclones can do it, we can do it" had to have been said by somebody in the Flyers organization.

The Cyclones comeback also reminds me of the 1980 Olympic hockey victory - the "Miracle on Ice" was the game against Russia in the semi-final round, but it's the game everyone remembers. The USA boys still had to take on Finland for gold. Kind of similar this year, the 4-game comeback will be remembered for a long time. It would be super sweet to continue, as the 1980 team did, and win it all!!!

Let's Go Cyclones!!!

Goodbye, you "Pesky Royals"

2010-05-13T15:41:00.002-05:00

The Reading Royals' motivational playoff t-shirt read "Here Come those Pesky Royals," a fitting slogan for a #7 seed team making it as far as they did in the playoffs. It was an effective slogan for them, I believe. Actually, I think they were more than just "pesky." They were the real deal. They earned what they got and should be commended and respected for it.

We are loving it that the Cyclones are only the 6th team in the history of professional hockey to come back and win the series after being down by three games. The Royals, on the other hand, have to be only the 6th team to ever lose a series after being up by three games.

That is unthinkable. They have to feel horrible about it. But, such is life in professional sports. The Cyclones also earned everything they got and showed a ton of grit and determination to get this done.

GO CYCLONES! Stump the Steelheads!!!!!

Pandemonium at US Bank Arena!!!

2010-05-12T21:45:00.003-05:00

History-making comeback!

I can't express how proud I am to have contributed some small part to this history-making Cyclones victory. It was an exceptionally special moment for all Cyclones fans, staff, players, and coaches!

Now, no time to relax - time to take on the Idaho Steelheads!

Records Speak For Themselves

2010-05-11T22:15:00.005-05:00

Cincinnati Reds franchise W/L percentage: .507

Cincinnati Bengals franchise W/L percentage: .437

Cincinnati Mighty Ducks franchise W/L percentage. .489

Cyclones W/L percentage, current incarnation 2006-2010: .648

Cyclones IHL W/L percentage: .586

Cyclones original ECHL W/L percentage: .613

How you like me now?

No disrespect intended, especially to the well-established Reds and Bengals. The Reds have played something like 19,000 total games. That is amazing. But, the numbers show, the Cyclones have been consistent winners while being one of the most volatile and unstable teams due to minor leagues, league changes, venue changes, etc.

Incredible Playoff Hockey!

2010-05-11T21:59:00.003-05:00

I can't say enough for the Cyclones - down for the count, 3 games to 0, on the brink of elimination and coming back to take three in a row and force game 7. Now it's like a one game series at home. One more win for a return to the Kelly Cup Finals! Simply amazing.

The really cool thing is they don't one one or two super-stars who dominate their play. They are getting production from everyone and the unlikely heroes are so fun to watch. Will Ortiz, signed after his college eligibility ended this year, was deservedly the #1 star of the game. He was the Pete Rose of hockey tonight, 110% all the way.

As for the ice, it really gets tricky this time of year. The arena was designed to maintain ice at 80 degrees / 80 percent humidity. But when it gets close, it gets harder to maintain with good quality. Tonight we started the game at about 18-20 degrees but by the end of the game it was in the mid-twenties. Inject a few thousand people, generating body head and moisture (breathing), and the equilibrium of the whole building goes out of whack.

I was cutting as deep with the blade as I could - completely filling the snow tank every cut. I was worried that I might have to dash off the ice to dump snow and come back. I was also using a bare minimum amount of water. Cyclones won, so they like my ice tonight!

Top 19 Things About Cincinnati

2010-05-04T09:22:00.002-05:00

From Fox19 News:

CYCLONES

First Intermission Fiasco Cut

2010-05-01T22:01:00.005-05:00

Well Cyclones fans, we lost again to those pesky Royals. The Cyclones did almost everything right tonight and could not pull off the win. Very tough game. But, if you watched my first intermission resurfacing, at least you got a little bit of entertainment.

Fox 19 News is doing a story on the Top 19 Things to do in Cincinnati and the Cyclones made the list. The videographer was the rider and the reporter was watching from the tunnel. So, why was my pattern such a mess?

Well, I guess technically I choked a little but there is more to the story. They were a little late getting down to me, and then they wanted me to wear a body mic, so we quickly fished it through my shirt and hung it out the collar. I hurriedly hopped into the Zamboni and went out onto the ice.

At some point, the camera guy called to my attention that the microphone had come out of my shirt and he asked me to try to replace it so he could ask me questions. It took me at least a full lap to find it. I was more worried about a cut ice cut, which was complicated by soft ice due to the humidity and warm temperature.

It was fiddling with the microphone cord I missed the first pass up the middle, making a third pass up the bench-side of the rink. Not only that, I drifted too far and left a teardrop shaped miss on the inside. I wasn't smart enough to go up the middle on the other end, and went up the other side a third time. This put the turns for the rest of the cut very, very tight.

I had to try to power-slide to line up for the turns. But I remained distracted by that microphone cord, which, by the way, was destroyed! When the wire fell out of my shirt, the fell down into the conditioner where the microphone was ripped off the end of the wire. When I finally pulled it up to me, there was nothing but bare wire!

By this point I was fairly befuddled, and missed a spot in the turn on the west end of the arena; then a few passes later I missed another spot on the same end. This was a complicated fix because they were only 2 Zamboni-widths apart. I should have taken the outer one, turned around at the blue line, crossed to the boards, and lined up for the other. But the clock was running down and I wanted to get off the ice.

So, I swung out to the outside miss, barely catching it with the left side of the conditioner, then made an odd left turn, very sharp with quite a power-slide. HOO-RAH! I got it. I really confused the guys lining up the net, but they got out of the way.

That's what happened folks, if I wasn't so modest I would remark that my professional skills helped me make it out of the predicament gracefully.

The good news is that quality of the ice cut was very good. Blade depth was correct and water usage was right. Despite my awkward pattern, I got the job done. Too bad it was no use to the Cyclones as they dropped the second game.

Now, they have to take 2 games in Reading (preferably 3 but no less than 2) and then win the 4th in Game 6 or game 7 back at home. They can do it but they'll have to reach deep inside and find a way to ratchet up to a new level of play.

The Fox 19 story should be on the air Monday morning sometime during the show that starts at 6:AM. They interviewed me off-ice after the cut; and they got good footage of Twister' sliding head stand.

Chitty Chity Bang Bang, I Love You!

2010-04-06T21:57:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a game! Tonight's game 1 Cyclones/Stingrays 2010 Kelly Cup Playoffs was an absolute smoker. All the pre-game buzz was about the 5 AHL players sent down to South Carolina would make them unstoppable. Their morning skate impressed everybody; but the Cyclones poured the coals to them with a stunning 6-1 victory.

If you were there, you saw my breakdown in the 2nd Intermission. Making the first pass up the middle of the ice I felt the Zamboni lurch and make an odd noise, then get more quiet than normal. Bad news. I looked up to see their was no snow going from the vertical conveyor to the dump tank.

Problem: Chain off.

The chain that drives the horizontal conveyor came off. Actually, the hydraulic pump than drives the chain came loose, causing the slack that caused the chain to pop off. It's a 15 year old machine and as I've mentioned in prior posts, Zamboni machines have a hard life. They are either turned off or running 100%; they get very few "easy" hours of operation. Occasionally, all that vibration causes something to break or come loose; thus, tonight's malfunction.

Luckily, we have a back-up machine at US Bank Arena. Affectionately known as "Chitty," short of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, our old 1975 model HDB still runs. It's different to drive - you have to manually keep the RPM's at 2500-2800 with the pedal instead of just setting it with a lever on the model 520. If you let them drop too low, it "lugs" the engine and can cause valve damage - and just clog up the snow. But; if you run it too high, it can overheat, stall, and eventually blow the motor. Switching mid-resurfacing from one style to the other is a little odd but it is manageable.

The delay from getting out there was we had to fill Chitty with water. Maybe we should have it filled for every game, but for the once or twice a year, max, that it is needed it just isn't worth wasting the water and risking the tank rusting worse.

Also if you noticed me driving in circles when I first went out with Chitty, there are two reasons. First, I needed to set the blade shaving depth. It was very high so it wasn't shaving the ice at all. Once the water is turned on, you can't see how much is being shaved. When it is cutting cry, you can see when the ice turns nice and smooth. Secondly, during all those loops I picked up all the snow I had to leave on the ice from the breakdown. It is best to take up those huge piles in small chunks. I hear Twister had some fun with snowballs...

All in all, the delay was only about 7 or 8 minutes and the ice was good.

Ice Back In; a Victory; a Playoff Berth Clinched

2010-03-18T21:46:00.002-05:00

Well it was a good day for the Cyclones today. First the ice, they didn't get started making the ice until midnight Monday. Typically it's about a 72-hour process, so, tonight's game was 5 hours before that; not to mention that we try to finish the game prep by 5:00 or 5:30 to let it harden well. But that is not all - both teams had their morning skate this morning. So, literally 58 hours after starting the process, the ice was skated on for the first time. That's some speedy work done by the full-time crew.

It was a little shallow - less than one inch; but it was adequate to get by for one game. They'll flood water on it all day tomorrow and it will be back to normal by Saturday's game. New ice can be horrible to skate on. It's soft, yet can be brittle as the lower layers can sheer off. The players and coaches hate it. This morning, especially for Johnston's skate (which was second), it was really awful. Since it was so thin (about 5/8 inch) I couldn't risk shaving too deep after the Cyclones skated. We needed that precious depth. Then we shaved as low as we dared before applying a final 5 coats of water and getting off the ice by 5:00.

I guess the ice wasn't so bad for the Cyclones, since the won a decisive 7-1 victory. This victory secures their playoff berth for the fourth straight season in a row. Excellent work by Coach Weber and Coach Stork!

Ice OUT for the Circus

2010-03-03T20:13:00.002-05:00

On Monday this week the compressors were shut down for ice melting. By Tuesday the ice had "popped" as it lost its bond with the concrete below. Bring on the Bobcat; the ice comes out in a few hours.

Bull Riding first, then the Circus while the ice is out. The ice can be covered for just rodeo, moto-cross, or monster trucks. They put down the "Pro Deck", then plywood and plastic, under truckloads and truckloads of dirt. But, for the circus the ice has to come out because of threaded tubes set in the concrete for eye-bolts used as tie-down points for parts of the circus.

Also, they say that despite the decking, plywood, and dirt, the elephants feet are still sensitive to the cold.

Now when the circus leaves, we'll have just a few short days to restore the ice for skating. It will be a marathon, non-stop process.

Huh?

2010-02-13T23:42:00.003-05:00

Some clown beat me over the head with a hockey stick, knocked me unconscious, and took my place!!!!!!!! Argh!!!

Commanding victory by the Cyclones tonight and now they are firmly in first place in the division. The Cyclones have 67 points on 51 games with a record of .657. Kalamazoo is in second place with 56 points and a .596 record. They have played 4 fewer games but even if the catch up and win all 4, the Cyclones would still have a 3-point lead on them.

Also, this bodes well for the Cyclones down the stretch. Look at the Goals For and Goals Allowed for the teams. echl.leaguestat.com click on Standings...

In our division, the Cyclones are rocking out with 170-139; or, 31 more goals scored than goals allowed. That is impressive. Elmira is best in the league with a +46 which is incredible but they've still one 6 fewer games. Competition in their division is a .500 team and two teams below .500, so the Jackals are basically "bottom feeders" living off the scraps of the crappy teams below them.

I'm really liking the position the Cyclones are in. As usual, Coach Weber works his magic act and keeps players coming from the unexpected when needed, and quickly molding them into the team beliefs, values, and systems.

This is a great place to be, at this point in the season.

Oh yeah, apparently Johnstown didn't like how dry their goal crease was left after the second intermission. In 25+ years, off and on, driving the Zamoni and making ice, I've never had a complaint about the crease being too dry. Usually they complain that it is too wet when driver's don't reduce their water over the repeated passes over that area. Maybe I turned it off a little too soon tonight, but I was still surprised by that complaint.

Of course, had they not been in the process of being annhilated by the far superior Cyclones, they might not have complained. The losers always hated the ice; the winners always say how great it was.

Saturday Game 2/13

2010-02-11T22:09:00.001-05:00

All I can say is if you come to this game, you'll see something never before seen at a Cyclones game.

If you don't, you'll miss it and you'll be sorry.

Be there or be square.

You Should Become a Season Ticket Holder

2010-01-31T19:29:00.002-05:00

Tired of waiting in long lines for tickets outside US Bank Arena for Cyclones games?

The solution: become a season ticket holder.

This is not just a blatant shill for the team. It just makes sense. Becoming a season ticket holder saves you time, saves you money, gives you added benefits, and supports the team. I hate buying tickets at Ticketmaster outlets as much as anybody. For Cyclones games they default to "Best Available" and try to charge you $24.50 for first row VIP seats. The fees are high, and it's just a pain. But it is also a pain to go to the Arena in advance to save the fees. That leaves a lot of folks in long lines at the box office on game days.

Look at the benefits below of buying season tickets... First, you save $2.00 per ticket. You also are guaranteed to get all the premium giveaway items. Can't make every game? You can trade your unused tickets for future games. It's a great way to bring a few friends to enjoy the action and spread the Cyclones cheer. Full-season ticket holders choose their seats and have the same seats for every game.

Know for sure you can't make all 36 games? You can get the 18-game half season package and still get lots of benefits.

It just seems like a weird time of growing pains for the Cyclones and fans. Interest is building, excitement is growing, and attendance keeps going up and up. This is leading to crowds at the box office that are a great sign but frustrate everybody. The team needs to get to the next level, which is to greatly widen the base of season ticket holders. This guarantees attendance (therefore revenue) for the team and helps them stabilize their operations. They recognize that and give all the extra benefits and discounts.

It's a great deal, you should consider taking advantage of it!

Full Season Benefits:

- Same seat for every game
- Special season-ticket-holder-only premium item (full and 18 game ticket holders only)
- 10% off Cyclones merchandise
- Special postgame skate for season ticket holders only
- Preseason kickoff party
- Ability to purchase same great seat for playoff games
- Ability to pre-purchase conveniently located parking
- Ability to exchange unused tickets (certain restrictions apply)
- Guaranteed premium items (applies to all games included in your season ticket package)
- Personalized service from an assigned Ticket Account Executive

Season ticket prices are prorated according to the number of games left in the season when tickets are purchased!

Does your company entertain clients or employees? Call 513-421-PUCK and ask about the different season ticket Business Plans available. The Cyclones have the perfect package to cater to your needs.

Contact one of our ticket account executives at 513-421-PUCK

Joe Stills x354 jstills@usbankarena.com
Josh Burdine x391 jburdine@usbankarena.com
Brandon Bernhardt x394 bbernhardt@usbankarena.com
Matt Piening x 390 mpiening@usbankarena.com

"Shoot The Puck" - not really the answer...

2010-01-25T22:01:00.002-05:00

OK, if you're one of these people, I apologize in advance. We're all entitled to our opinions. Some of us just blog about it. Yes, this Cyclones' power play is frustratingly anemic, 18th out of 20 in the league, at 15.5%. For a high-power, skill team, especially, that is bad.

During the power play, I always hear people in the crowd screaming "SHOOT IT!" or "Shoot the puck!!." That really isn't the strategy on the power play. They don't want a mass of shots, they want a few quality shots and then hopefully a goal. Yes, it's frustrating, but that is the best strategy.

Penalty kill systems have gotten better and better, and so has goaltending - particularly since the advent of the "Butterfly" style. The defenders choke the shooting lanes and good goalies produce like the extra man. What you don't want is taking a bad shot, having it bounce off a defender's shin pads, and giving up a breakaway for the shorthanded team.

Take a good look at the puck and whether or not there is actually a lane through to the goalie. Usually, there is not because of that choke factor I mentioned. They keep the puck moving, trying to lure a defender out of position and catch the goalie having to move laterally (at the same time). That's when power play goals happen.

And believe it or not, the 5-on-3 is not a guarantee of a goal. The defenders just collapse in to a tight triangle in the slot and really choke the lanes. They let the power play team move the puck all they want around the outside, but simply never leave the slot unless they are sure they have a chance to clear the puck.

So, yes I admit it is frustrating. And maybe in the closing 20-25 seconds of the power play they should just shoot it & see what happens. But by and large, that is not the best strategy. Like I said, watch the shooting lanes during a power play, see if you notice how there is rarely a clear path to the goal.

Ice In The Desert

2010-01-11T19:02:00.007-05:00

Your intrepid Zamboni Driver is far away from the winter doldrums of Cincinnati - visiting my in-laws in Phoenix. The Coyotes played Saturday night, but I did not go. We stayed in and watched football instead. I know, it's bad. But we don't see the family often and my wierd outlook is that I hate the cheap noseblead seats but I'm too cheap to buy lower-bowl seats for NHL games.

We did go by their home arena - Jobbing.com Arena. Probably the worst sponsored name in all of sports; but it is a beautiful building. We saw a game here a couple of years ago and it was awesome. They have the distinct advantage in the desert to build without the restrictions of surrounding buildings. When we went, there was nothing for miles around, just the arena and parking lots. Now the Cardinals' football stadium, University of Phoenix Stadium, sits next door and they are both surrounded with shops, condos, movie theatres, etc. It's actually in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona.

What amazed me when we came to the game was the refrigeration system. It's 70 degrees right now in January and gets much hotter in the spring and fall. We get really antsy when Cincinnati gets to 70 - and here that is a low temperature. When we were walking back to our car, I noticed this huge building behind the arena. At first I thought it was their offices, or something like that. But then I noticed heavily insulated pipes running from the building to the arena, over the loading dock area.

At US Bank Arena, the chiller facility or "ice plant" is in a room probably 15 x 40 feet, with cooling towers outside. But at Jobbing.com arena, that building is the "Chiller House" all dedicated to the massive refrigeration system needed to keep ice in the desert. The cooling towers are including within the building, but it is all simply huge. Pretty wild. Here are some pics:

First, a view of the arena and chiller house together, to show the persepctive.

Now here is the back side of the arena itself. You can see the loading dock and the large insulated pipes carrying the chilled brine solution to the ice inside the arena.

Finally, here is the chiller house. You can see the cooling towers inside the fence. The back 2/3 of the building contains the compressors, etc.

Finally, to prove I can laugh at myself, here is a picture of my hand with the Jumping Cactus impaled on my fingers. Stupid midwesterner! 20 barbs in three fingers. It's like getting 10 strikes with a Taser.

2010 Winter Classic, and other commentary

2010-01-01T19:39:00.003-05:00

Well the Cyclones have the night off tonight, atop the division in first place. The odd thing is their two division rivals, Kalamazoo and Toledo, play each other tonight. If Toledo wins, they take first place; however, they have played more games so the Cyclones are likely to pass them. Kalamazoo won't not take first place, but they have played fewer games than the Cyclones so they have more games to catch up and pass our team. Who to root for? I don't know. I think instead the thing to want is continued good play from the Cyclones - let them control their own destiny.

I watched the 2010 Winter Classic today. Bruins vs. Flyers at Fenway Park. I thought it was awesome. The "pond hockey" theme is just a good marketing approach by the NHL (and I'm slow to compliment NHL marketing). It is odd, though, that a baseball park really looks like a horrible place to watch hockey. There are virtually no "premium" seats at all. Two of the corners have close seats but that's as close as it gets. The first few rows along the baselines look terrible, below the dashers. I guess the club seats are pretty good.

It's odd because I think hockey does not translate well to television at all - especially to novice watchers who don't understand the game. 16x9 HD TV format helps, but you still can't really see play developing, etc. But, the TV coverage of the Winter Classic was really good, the overhead camera was a nice angle.

I read an article about the future of the winter classic, suggesting possible locations. One that I thought sounded good is Michigan Stadium. 100,000 people at a hockey game. That's cool. Lambeau would be good for a Wild game, too.

We'll see who gets it next year. Too bad Cincinnati is a little too far south - a Blue Jackets game at OSU would be very cool.

From the ice meister perspective, it was interesting that they used smaller Model 440 Zamboni machines at this year's Winter Classic. They were concerned about weight on the temporary ice sheet, so they went with the smaller studio-sized machine.

Bad Juju in the Zamboni Jersey...

2009-12-26T23:01:00.002-05:00

Well it wasn't such a good intro for my fancy new Zamboni jersey that I got for Christmas. If you were there, you know the Cyclones played hard but came up short AND I had another Propane Nightmare. The crew salvaged a tank of propane off a fork lift, and the valve promptly froze when I switched to that tank.

I guess I'll have to retire the jersey until the Cyclones win at home again.

Not Much to Report

2009-12-22T21:44:00.003-05:00

Your intrepid Zamboni driver is anxiously awaiting the Christmas celebrations and then the return to home ice hockey Saturday 12/26.

I am getting rather tired of having to reject the sudden onslaught of SPAM comments being made on blog posts for hookers, pills, get rich schemes, and did I mention hookers & pills?

Might have to turn comments off completely; but I've always wished I got more comments and some discussion about Zambonis and ice making.

The same goes for Twitter, half of all new "followers" have 1 tweet, 0 followers, and are following hundreds. Their one tweet refers you to their website where they are not selling sex, but rather "time and companionship only" and any sexual contact is purely a coincidence between consenting adults. Sheesh.

Stupid SPAM. The Internet not as fun of a place as it once was. Watch what your kids are looking at online!

End of rant.

10,000 Strong

2009-12-06T17:43:00.001-05:00

This first person to read this post will be the 10,000th person to read this blog.

Thanks for everyones' support.

Guido

Wetness 12-4-09

2009-12-04T23:03:00.003-05:00

Astute observers in the 3611 fans who enjoyed tonight's win over the Everblades may have noticed the ice appearing wet, especially in the second period. That was caused by a convergence of bad luck. You may also have noticed that your humble neighborhood Zamboni driver was not there until the second period. I had another commitment so I had to be late, leaving John the Operations Manager stand in for me.

As previously mentioned, John has a lot of show experience but not a lot of ice experience, so he's learning. Tonight's ice was especially challenging, especially for a newer driver. I guess the wet weather had the ice a little soft. It's also a little too thick in spots, causing an insulation effect to actually work against the ice freezing up. When it gets like this, the cuts are very slushy and the driver has to be careful not to lay too much water. This just adds to the slush, leaves the ice wet, and causes slush build-up in the conditioner and conveyors.

So, John inadvertently put down too much water. Actually it would be better phrased that he put down too much for the conditions; ordinarily that should have been fine. For the second intermission cut, I barely laid any water and the ends were still wet at the end of overtime.

For the shootout cut, I lowered the blade an extra turn of the wheel for maximum cutting. Since the shootout cuts are dry (no water) I cut it extra deep to really leave them smooth, hard ice. I nearly filled the snow tank on just 4 passes down the ice (I raise the blade when making the turn-around). Tonight after the post-game skate, John has the task of taking two more full tanks of snow off the ice. This will cut out that soft top layer and expose good hardened ice. Then it will sit overnight with the outside temp near freezing which will help tremendously.

This should be resolved for Redsfest night on Saturday. It's all just part of dealing with the ever-dynamic nature of a sheet of ice covering nearly 17000 square feet.

More good news - Kalamazoo lost again tonight so the Cyclones are within 1 point of Kalamazoo for first place in the division.

Another Big Win Over Kalamazoo

2009-12-04T11:44:00.002-05:00

Wednesday's win over Kalamazoo was another huge victory. It further instills in our Cyclones that the K-Wings are not invincible. It also takes 2 points from them in the standings. The Wings still have one game in-hand over the Cyclones but we've closed their lead to 2 points. This early in the season, the points race really isn't a big factor but it does show the progress.

Don't get me wrong, K-Zoo is a good team and seem to be the toughest competition in the North Division. The Wings started the season so strong, it was important for the Cyclones to take these last three games to prove to themselves, and everyone, that they are still the real deal.

Attendance is also still excellent. We've slipped to 9th place but compared to the first year back that it outstanding. This weekend should bring two good crowds to raise that average even more. 4500 per game is darn respectable, but the more the merrier, eh?

Photo Essay

2009-11-30T13:41:00.004-05:00

Check out the Queen City Discovery blog about yours truly. I'd rather be modest and not post this but Ronny Salerno, a photography student at NKU, did such a good job his work should be shared; you might not find it otherwise:

Who Is The Cyclones Insider?

He has some other very cool & interesting stories about unusual things around Cincinnati on his blog. My favorite is his entry about the forgotten, abandoned, unfinished Cincinnati subway system.

Enjoy!

Huge Victory Over Kalamazoo

2009-11-27T23:19:00.003-05:00

Cyclones sweep the Kalamazoo Wings in the two-game homestand. This is a huge victory for the Cyclones both in terms of the standings as well as a moral victory. The Wings are the best team in the division with a record of 11-4-1 for 23 points; they came to Cincinnati Wednesday at 11-2-1. The Cyclones have now dished out half of the Wings's losses.

Now in the standings the Cyclones are in second place in the North Division with 19 points, 4 points behind Kalamazoo.

The moral victory of beating the wings twice is tremendous. Wednesday the Wings had a long bus ride and were tired - not that the Cyclones didn't earn the win, because they did; but the Wings weren't 100% for that game. Friday's game is another story. The Wings played with fervor but the Cyclones played with more.

The good guys kept their heads in the game, they fought hard and won the little battles for the puck, and kept pressure on the Wings. That shows the grit, determination, and desire of this Cyclones team.

That's the stuff great teams are made of. Go Cyclones!!!!!

Also, three cheers to JT Wyman and David Desharnais for getting the call to the NHL with Montreal this week!

Great Attendance!

2009-11-17T21:48:00.003-05:00

Sure there have only been 4 home games so far but, holy cow, how cool is it to be FIRST PLACE in League Average Attendance.

The turnstiles at US Bank Arena have seen 26,610 in attendance over 4 games for an average of 6553 per game.

That is outstanding! The league average is 4428 per game, so the Cyclones have blown that away at 150% of average.

By comparison, Trenton is in the cellar with 1858 per game.

Keep it up Cyclones fans! Keep it coming. Tell a buddy, bring a friend to a hockey game!

Slow on Posting

2009-11-12T23:31:00.003-05:00

I've been slow on "Insider" posts for the past few weeks but there just hasn't been much to report. It's odd that they are 5-4 but only in third place in the division. Kalamazoo is just off to an incredible start and Toledo almost as much, although they've slipped a little.

Kalamazoo can't keep this pace for 72 games. As long as the Cyclones just keep their nose to the grindstone, they'll be fine. They have a good strong, fast, talented team.

I don't know about you, but I can't help but notice how fun they are to watch this year. This weekend in Kalamazoo will be huge - let's go Cyclones!

The Nets Are Laced

2009-10-21T21:26:00.002-05:00

It is a tedious process, about 4 hours per net just for lacing (add time to paint with epoxy enamel paint and let dry) but it has to be done. We finished the net replacements today, they won't be used until Saturday's home opener so they'll be bright and shiny.

With each "stitch" of the net to the frame, I chanted "Kelly Cup" in my head for good luck. I did this when I strung the nets for the 2007-08 Championship Season. I didn't do the nets last year - so I'm hoping this will be part of new championship mojo to for 2009-10

Maybe my blisters will be gone by Saturday.

Preseason Propane Nightmares

2009-10-10T00:55:00.004-05:00

Good crowd tonight at US Bank Arena for the Cyclones vs. Toledo Walley pre-seson game. If you were there, you saw a couple of different things happening with the Zamboni. First- I wasn't driving; I was being chauferred by John, the new Operations Manager. Second, you saw a Zamboni malfunction during the second intermission. I'll explain.

John took over as the Operations Manager last year after Brandon moved on to greener pastures. John has show experience from working at Riverbend Music Center but he has never worked with ice. He is coming along and will be fine in the end, but he needs to build experience so he did all the pre-game prep and did the pre-game and first intermission cuts. I noticed some things that were easier to demonstrate than lecture about, so I took the second intermission cut with him riding and talked him through some of my techniques.

Then, "it" happened. The Zam started that familiar sound of losing power as it used the last of the propane in one tank. No problem, methinks to meself, as I flip the switch to the other propane tank and restore the Zamboni's full throttle power at 2500 RPM. Well, that should have happened. Instead I was treated to a very weak throttle, I could barely keep the Zam running at about 1000 RPM. Fortunately I was thinking fast and got all the water turned off and the conditioner raised off the ice. We had a carpet runner on the way to put under the conditioner and protect the ice if I completely stalled.

Fortunately it did not get that bad. I could keep it running at about 1200 RPM and drive gingerly, limping the machine just off the ice to get a new propane tank. We got the new tank on in place of the original empty and I was able to finish the cut. I think John was just glad I was driving for that little adventure.

This is a known glitch with these continuously reused propane bottles. They have a safety valve inside to prevent the gas from escaping if the valve is opened with nothing connected. That would just release propane out into the air and be dangerous. Hoses or devices that plug in to the bottles have a bar inside that pushes back the safety valve and releases the gas into the hose line or device.

Sometimes that freezes up and won't allow the propane to come through; or as in tonight's case, it was allowing a small amount to pass through but not the full amount. This was just enough gas getting to the engine to give me power to limp off the ice.

There is a way to prevent this from affecting a game cut by simply always using a brand new tank for 1 ice cut and then switching to the other tank and using it out until empty. This way you have some assurance that the other tank, when needed, will perform as it should. Then replace the other tank and do the same thing: run one cut on the new tank, then back to the other to run it out.

We failed to do that last night and we paid the price.

So that's my propane nightmare event. Actually there is an indie rock band called Pendulum with a song called "Propane Nightmares" that I'm reminded of. The song has nothing to do with Zamboni machines but the title is perfect.

KATN in 2009-10

2009-09-17T13:43:00.002-05:00

Hi all current and future Cyclones fans. The roster for this season is shaping up nicely! There is a good mix of new and returning players as well as with young and veteran players.

I'm posting a quick blurb on each so far, so when their friends and family search them online, they'll find this blog...

7-13-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced this afternoon that they have agreed to terms with center Barret Ehgoetz for the 2009-10 season. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Ehgoetz, 28, finished last season with 22 goals and 42 assists for 64 points in the regular season and was tied for 17th in the league in scoring. He added five goals and six assists for eleven points as Cincinnati advanced to the American Conference Finals for the second straight year. Barret also notched a pair of assists in the All-Star Game in January.

7-14-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced today that they have re-signed defenseman Jason Woll to a contract. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Woll, 24, will launch his first full season as a professional after spending the final ten games of the regular season and 15 games of the Kelly Cup playoffs with the Cyclones in the spring. He joined the club after finishing his senior year at Milwaukee School of Engineering. At MSOE, Jason played in 108 games and netted 14 goals to go with 63 assists for 77 points and 319 penalty minutes. A three-time Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic selection, he was also selected to the MCHA All-Tournament team in 2006-07. Woll also twice in his career earned MCHA ‘Defensive Player of the Week’ honors. In addition, he was a four-time member of the league’s All-Conference team at seasons end—only the third player in MCHA history to achieve this.

7-30-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced today that they have agreed to terms with defenseman Jamie Coghlan. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Coghlan, 25, enters his second season as a professional after splitting last season between Fresno and Cincinnati. Starting the season with Fresno, Jamie played in twelve games and had an assist and nine penalty minutes for the Pacific Division leaders. When the Falcons folded on December 22, he signed as a free agent with Cincinnati. He appeared in 41 games with the Cyclones, netting a goal and four assists for five points and 43 penalty minutes. His +11 plus/minus rating was fifth-best on the club and second-best among Cincinnati rearguards.

8-3-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced this afternoon that they have completed a trade with the Alaska Aces. The deal brings defenseman Doug Krantz to the Queen City, while forward Justin Johnson heads to Alaska. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Krantz, 25, begins his second professional season after playing his rookie campaign with North Division rival Wheeling. He collected three goals and 21 assists for 24 points in 66 games with the Nailers. Doug collected two goals and six assists for eight points in eight games against Cincinnati in the regular season. He had one two-goal game as a rookie, a pair of lamplighters in a 10-4 loss at U.S. Bank Arena against the Cyclones on Jan. 14. In the opening round of the North Division playoffs he had a goal and three assists for four points in the seven game series loss to Cincinnati. The highlight being a two assist contest in game six to force the decisive game. He was acquired by Alaska from Wheeling earlier in the off-season.

8-6-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced this morning that they have agreed to terms with forwards Jonathan Duchesneau and Mark Voakes for the 2009-10 season. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Duchesneau (DOO-shuhn-oh), 22, played last season with Riviere-du-Loup (LNAH) and collected seven goals and ten assists for 17 points in 34 games. He also had a pair of assists in five playoff games. The third-year man launched his professional career with Flint (IHL) during 2007-08, notching three goals and 22 assists for 25 points in 58 games.

Voakes, 25, closed out his collegiate playing career at Wilfrid Laurier, netting 13 goals and 37 assists for 50 points. He was the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Most Valuable Player this past season, finished second among graduating seniors in Canadian University (CIS) scoring nationally and received his second straight First-Team All-OUA selection.

8-10-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced tonight that they have agreed to terms with forward Dustin Sproat.. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Sproat, 28, enters his second season as a professional after splitting last season between Fresno and Cincinnati. Starting the season with Fresno, Dustin played in 16 games and collected a pair of goals and four assists for six points with the Pacific Division leaders. When the Falcons folded on December 22, he signed as a free agent with Cincinnati. He appeared in 39 games with the Cyclones and picked up 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points. Dustin collected nine multiple point games for the club and was the second-leading scorer on the squad in the postseason with seven goals and eight assists in 15 games. He also had a pair of two goal games in the Kelly Cup playoffs.

8-20-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced today that they have agreed to terms with defenseman Brian O’Hanley. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

O’Hanley, 24, enters his second season as a professional after splitting last season between Fresno and Cincinnati. Starting the season with Fresno, Brian saw action in 27 games and had three assists and 14 penalty minutes for the Pacific Division leaders. When the Falcons folded on December 22, he signed as a free agent with Cincinnati. He played 43 games for the North Division champions and notched eight assists and 37 penalty minutes. His first goal as a professional was netted in the fourth game of the division semifinals—a Cincinnati victory that evened the series at two games apiece. The Cyclones would win that affair in seven games and advance to the American Conference Finals before being eliminated by eventual Kelly Cup champion South Carolina.

8-24-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, announced this afternoon that they have agreed to terms with forward Adam Krug and defenseman Kirk Medernach for the upcoming season.

Krug, 26, signed with the Cyclones at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season from Adrian College. The Bulldogs missed out on an NCAA Division III postseason berth despite posting a 27-1-1 record. Adrian College won its final 26 games of the season to capture the Midwestern Collegiate Hockey Association’s regular season and tournament titles. Adam was the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division III hockey (netting the most by any senior player) with 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points in 28 games. He signed with the Cyclones on March 13 and netted a goal and two assists for three points in eleven games.

Medernach, 24, spent the 2008-09 season at Mercyhurst College, playing in 29 games and picking up a goal with ten assists for eleven points and accumulated 46 penalty minutes. Kirk signed with the Cyclones on March 26 and played in one game (March 28 at Johnstown, a 2-1 Cincinnati victory).

8-27-09
Ohio –The Cincinnati Cyclones, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, announced this morning that they have agreed to terms with forward Hans Benson for the 2009-10 season.

Benson, 25, spent last season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with Springfield, appearing in 35 games and notching an assist to go with 98 penalty minutes. Hans also was involved in 15 fights during the campaign.

9-1-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones announced this morning that they have signed forward Jimmy Kilpatrick to a contract for the 2009-10 season. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Kilpatrick, 24, played in the first two games of last season with Las Vegas, before being traded to the Cyclones on October 22. Jimmy erupted for 24 goals and 25 assists for 49 points in 43 games with Cincinnati. He also appeared in three games with Houston (AHL). During the Kelly Cup playoffs, he netted a pair of goals and handed out 14 assists for 16 points in 15 postseason contests.

9-3-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, announced this morning they have agreed to terms with defenseman Doug Krantz and forward Kenton Dulle for the 2009-10 season.

Krantz, 26, played his rookie season last year with Wheeling. He appeared in 66 games with the Nailers and tallied three goals and 21 assists for 24 points during the campaign. Two of his goals, ironically, came against the Cyclones in a 10-4 loss to Cincinnati on January 17. Doug also played in seven Kelly Cup playoff games, netting a goal and adding three assists for four points. Wheeling was edged in seven games by Cincinnati in the North Division semifinals. His rights were secured in a trade with Alaska in exchange for forward Justin Johnson on August 3.

Dulle, 21, finished his junior career with Kamloops (Western Hockey League) playing in 65 games for the Blazers and tallying 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points while adding 92 penalty minutes. He was also Kamloops’ leading scorer in the postseason with three goals and a pair of assists for five points. Kenton registered three multiple goal games in the regular season to go with 13 multiple point contests. He had a 14-game point streak (8-13-21) from October 26 through December 10.

9-8-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, announced this morning they have signed defenseman Kevin Roeder for the 2009-10 season. Roeder has played the last four years at nearby Miami University.

Roeder, 23, finished his four year career at Miami with five goals and 31 assists for 36 points in 152 games. He amassed a +50 plus/minus rating over his career—including a brilliant +27 mark as a junior (2007-08). He also collected 154 penalty minutes during his time with the Redhawks.

“Kevin Roeder had a tremendous impact on our program over the four years he was here,” Miami University Hockey Head Coach Enrico Blasi said. “He was a difference maker in the collegiate game with his physical play. I think he will bring a similar style to the pro game.”

9-9-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, announced this afternoon they have agreed to terms with defenseman Brock Sheahan for the 2009-10 season.

Sheahan, 25, spent his rookie season with Wheeling, collecting four goals and 13 assists for 17 points while playing all 72 games. He finished the season with a +10 plus/minus rating, fourth-best on the squad. Brock was even or better in the plus/minus category in 59 of the 72 games the Nailers played. He had his lone multiple point game on December 26 in a 10-6 victory over Reading, notching a goal and adding an assist.

9-14-09
The Cincinnati Cyclones, ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators, announced this morning they have agreed to terms with defenseman Dwayne Zinger for the 2009-10 season.

Zinger, 33, spent his ninth professional season with Odense (Denmark), appearing in 27 games, collecting a goal and seven assists for eight points and 34 penalty minutes. He spent his first eight seasons as a pro playing in the American Hockey League (AHL), playing in 636 games, netting 23 goals and adding 70 assists for 93 points and amassing 869 penalty minutes. Dwayne also saw time in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing seven games with the Washington Capitals during the 2003-04 season.

Icemaking Soundtrack

2009-09-14T15:17:00.004-05:00

Here's some truly trivial information but what the heck.

When reading my posts about ice making, did you ever wonder how I pass the time while doing things like dumping 1500 gallons of water or cutting out an extra half-inch or more of painted ice?

All I can say is thank goodness for the Ipod! It really helps pass the time.

My playlist for this year's flooding was rather eclectic: a punk rock mix from The Ramones, Clash, Misfits, Bouncing Souls, Rancid, and others began the day. Then I came more current with Cage The Elephant and Out Lady Peace, and I cruised out the day to Weezer.

More useless information you never thought you would want to know...

Ice 2009

2009-09-12T18:48:00.005-05:00

The ice is coming along nicely, it is between 3/4 and 1 inch thick as of about 6:00 PM today. I put 8 tanks of water on it between 11:00 - 6:00; that's over 1500 gallons of water.

Wide-angle view:

And much thanks to the sponsors, first, Beacon is back:

And the Ohio Lottery moves from the boards to the ice:

And finally, The Plastic Surgery Group also comes to the ice:

How It's Made: Hockey Ice

2009-09-09T11:20:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time I put up a post about the icemaking process.

Here is a very cool video of the icemaking process at an NHL rink. They definitely have all the cool toys to get it done but essentially the process is the same. This is taking from the "How It's Made" TV show.

Enjoy!

Building Twitter Base

2009-08-23T15:36:00.002-05:00

Follow me on Twitter... http://twitter.com/cyclonesinsider

I'd like to get the followers way up before the seasons starts. After eliminating today's round of porn and other spam, I only have 36.

Using Twitter, I'll give live, real-time updates, posts, and insider information during Cyclones games. With Twitter you can get them to come right to your phone.

Sign up today!

Ice Rink Research

2009-08-15T15:48:00.003-05:00

Most people know of this blog for it's primary purpose, the Zamboni Driver's perspective of the Cincinnati Cyclones. But many people stumble across it doing a search about the cost of running an ice rink on Google or other search engines. Google that phrase and this blog is the second entry, hitting on my post from December 8, 2006.

It amazes me how many people - from around the world - seem to be doing research on the cost of building and operating an ice rink. I guess that speaks well for ice sports around the world, if people are researching facility costs.

That blog entry does not have specifics, it's just generalizations about the cost so readers can get an appreciation of why prices might be so high. Still, it is very cool that people find and read the blog. I hope they have found it useful.

I would love to get some feedback from people doing this research - where else you sought information, how useful my information and others' was, and mostly: Did you actually buy or build an ice rink?

Please email me.

Kalamazoo KINGS....

2009-06-20T22:51:00.003-05:00

That's right, the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League (baseball). I just discovered their existence when perusing the Florence Freedom schedule. Silly me for never noticing, but they've been around awhile and are former league champions. Oh well. Obviously the name is a play on words of the Kalamazoo Wings hockey team, which is a good marketing idea.

Anyhoo... I was thinking that since the Wings will again be a Cyclones rival, we should flood a Florence Freedom game when they play the Wings - all decked out in Cyclones gear. I'm going to suggest it to the team as well, it would be a perfect tie-in. But even unofficially, it would be fun.

The Freedom host the Wings for three games August 4, 5, and 6. Start clearing your calendars. We can do this; and maybe get a little pre-season press out of it.

Welcome (Back) To the Neighborhood Wings

2009-06-09T21:36:00.003-05:00

The Kalamazoo Wings, former Cyclones rivals in the old IHL, will join the ECHL North Division next season.

ECHL PRESS RELEASE

This is good news. After losing Mississippi, Dayton, and Phoenix it's nice to add a team back. So along with the return of Toledo, the net loss to the league is only 1 team.

I have fond memories of the old Kalamazoo Wings / Michigan K-Wings so it will be nice to play them again. It's a good road trip there and a very nice arena. It's small, but it's not a dump. It has a lot of personality but is modern enough that it isn't an embarrassment.

They have a rich hockey history. Some former Wings players you might recognize include:
Doug Barrault, Gord Dineen, Brent Fedyk, MANNY FERNANDEZ, Ron Hextall,Tony Hrkac, Duane Joyce, Marc Labelle, JAMIE LANGENBRUNNER, BRAD LUKOWICH, Roman Lyashenko, Pat MacLeod, Steve Maltais, RICHARD MATVICHUK, Richard Sevigny, Pascal Trepanier, MARTY TURCO, and ROMAN TUREK.

Stingrays 2009 Kelly Cup Champions

2009-06-06T00:37:00.004-05:00

Alaska made it a series but South Carolina took the series in Game 7 tonight in Anchorage.

Congratulations Stingrays and Congrats Stingrays fans. I'm sorry you did not get the joy of the win at home, but the win is the win.

It was hard-earned series of playoff hockey.

Stingrays up 3 games to 1

2009-05-29T20:40:00.002-05:00

The South Carolina Stingrays won a decisive 5-0 win over the Alaska Aces tonight to take command of the series 3 games to 1. The early buzz was that the Aces were a titan of a team that could not be stopped. Well, to win it they now have to stretch it out to 7 games, so they're not quite the juggernaut they were rumored to be.

Tonights game saw 91 minutes of penalty time on 29 infractions. Alaska seems have had the meltdown 54 minutes on 16 infractions. A lot of the Stingray penalties were incidental to the initial Aces penalty. In the third period Alaska's Stefanishion got a true goon's hat trick with a 3-fer penalty of a tripping, roughing, and misconduct all on the same whistle. Maybe they can't handle the pressure of not winning easily.

There are two schools of thought on who to root for after being eliminated in the playoffs. Some folks hate the team that eliminates their guys so they root for the oppononents. I understand that and respect it.

I lean the other way. I figure it's better to be beaten by the champions. It also eliminates the frustration of wondering if my guys would have beaten the other guys if they had advanced. And, if the Stingrays win, the Kelly Cup stays in our conference. There's a sub-plot of pride in that.

Finally, I have to say that the Stingrays guys were gentlemen, professional, and sportsmanlike while at USBA. I can't say the same for some of the other teams who came through during the past three years. It's one thing to put on the game face, be all-business, and focus on winning. But being rude and un-cool is not necessary. The Stingrays were none of that.

They were true professionals. Yeah, losing stinks. But if we had to lose, they were an OK team to lose to and I hope they take the Kelly Cup tomorrow night at home so their fans can enjoy the celebration that we know from last year is oh, so sweet.

And, Congratulations Cyclones

2009-05-16T16:29:00.003-05:00

For last nights post-game entry, I was obliged to give appropriate, sportsman-like cudos to the Stingrays on their victory.

But today, I salute the Cyclones: the players, coaches, support staff, and administration on what was still a terrific season. I think we all appreciate this team; we are very lucky.

Let's recap. After winning the Kelly Cup last year, the team was basically gutted. Some players got promoted and others became the high-dollar players on other teams at this level. I don't remember the exact number, but only 6 or 7 returned from last year. With McElroy and Syroczynski injured, only Barret Ehgoetz remained in this final series. So, basically it was a total rebuild.

We all remember the slow start to the season, and the somewhat shaky goaltending. No offense to Lacasse and Gajewsky, they are young and developing. Lacasse really improved and matured quickly this season. We had the revolving door of second goalies for a while, before settling in with Nie.

Despite all the hardships and challenges thrown at this team, they kept coming back. It's amazing that after the slow start they came back to earn a record of 42-26-2-3 for a .604 record - good enough to take the North Division title again.

Then they battled on, winning the division in the playoffs, proving they truly deserved it. They played South Carolina with their heads held high. I'm proud of the work they did and proud to have been a part of it.

Coaches Weber and Stork lead the charge. Somehow, they managed to be adaptable strategists and leaders, pulling the ever-changing and ever-challenged roster together. Somehow, they always got more out of the players than might be expected. I'm reminded of that old saying about the total being better than the sum of the parts. That's what this team did all year.

From the icemaking standpoint, we had a really good year. We had no oddball problems with the Zamboni, which is really good. I've mentioned before how the working life of a Zamboni is so hard because they are always worked at maximum output. The chiller plant held tough all year as well. We had a few rough weeks when one of the hot water boilers went out and we had to resurface with cold water; but besides that everything ran smoothly.

The players from other teams almost always had kind words about the ice, the arena, and the way they are treated in Cincinnati.

All in all, this year was a success. How can it be anything else? There can be only one leaguechampion each year, but this team are champs in our hearts.

Cheers also go out to all the fans. Average attendance this year was 3104 per game - a huge increase of 68% over the 1844 per game in 2006-07. But it was more than just numbers. Cyclones fans know the game, know the team, and are consistently supportive, loud, and dedicated.

The team has earned the support - and the fans have responded by giving it.

Hugs all around! Thanks players! Thanks coaches! Thanks US Bank Arena and Nederlander!

2009-10 is just around the corner. Budget now, buy season tickets. Continue to support Cyclones hockey, please!

Congratulations Stingrays!

2009-05-15T21:49:00.002-05:00

South Carolina Stingrays, 2009 ECHL American Conference Champions

I hope you take it all the way to become the Kelly Cup Champs.

There is no shame for the Cyclones in this loss. The Stingrays were simply the better team and they earned the victory. But the Cyclones truly over-achieved this year - a testament to their determination and their leadership.

Coming back and going this far, after being gutted last year - sending the in-demand champion players hither and yon - is truly remarkable. They had such a rough start to the season but still turned it around and won the division again. Then they proved it was not a fluke by winning the division in the playoffs.

The sweep by Carolina somewhat surprises me. But the games, I think, were closer than the outcome reflected. The Cyclones kept getting too far behind to come back.

The buzz from the officials who have worked games with Alaska say they are a mighty juggernaut, probably unstoppable. But I hope the Stingrays go all the way. It always feels better to lose to champs.

Still, I repeat that while of course I am disappointed, I think the Cyclones have a lot to be proud of. I'm happy to be part of the organization. They really do it right.

Here's to next season! Let's Go Cyclones!

Down 3 games to 0 is rough territory...

2009-05-14T19:38:00.001-05:00

Game 4, Conference Finals 2009, May 15 at 7:30 at US Bank Arena.

The Cyclones need the fans - The 7th Man - now more than ever! Wear white for S.O.S.: Save Our Season.

Come show your support!

Rough Start, Eh?

2009-05-09T23:20:00.002-05:00

Well, from the sounds of it, the Cyclones did that thing where they get too far behind the curve to recover. Three unanswered goals in the third is great, except when you've already given up two streaks of three goals.

Still, it's better than the Cyclones' rout of Elmira in Game one of that Series. We know we can score. The pentalty kill looks great with allowing only 1 of 8 and a power play percentage of 40% is impressive.

They need to dial it in for Monday. Rest a little, relax a little, and tune up a lot.

They can do it. Split the first two, come back and get 2 of 3 here at home, and win it in Charleston.

One game at a time.

Leadership and Coaching

2009-05-08T19:23:00.003-05:00

On the eve of the ECHL Amercian Conference finals between the Cyclones and Stingrays, I find myself pondering what will make one team victorious over the other this round. As tough as both teams are, and as evenly matched as both teams are, what will make the difference?

In a word: Leadership.

I think that the coaching will be critical this round for two reasons. The first reason is about strategy. These games will be a chess match, with coaches trying to proactively outwit each other while also reacting to what is thrown at them.

The second is the raw nature of leadership. Which coach will be able to invoke the best in his players - motivating them to play at a level higher than they ever have before? That coach, whoever he is, will be the winning coach.

On the other hand, there will be no shame to the losing coach because I believe both are fine men and accomplished leaders. They would not be where they are if they were not. But one will be better over the next two weeks. His team will be better and will advance to the Kelly Cup Finals.

My faith is in Coach Weber and Coach Stork. They have proven that they can do it. Let's see them do it again!

Repeat Conference Finals: South Carolina Stingrays

2009-05-05T23:08:00.004-05:00

The Stingrays fought off a late resurgance by the Brabham Cup winning Florida Everblades Tuesday night to advance and face the Cyclones at the conference finals for the second year in a row. Florida was up 3-0 in Game 5 and the Stingrays came back to win it. In game 6, the Stingrays were up 3-1 when Florida forced OT with two goals in the last 1:31. The Stingrays got the winning goal halfway through the first OT.

The moral of the story is the Cyclones playoff rallying cry: DESIRE. They have it, we've seen that. But so does the opponent. The only question is who has MORE.

The stats on the Everblades/Stingrays game 6 are very interesting. Florida put 46 shots on goal in regulation and only scored the second and third goals on shots after the 40th. The Stingrays, on the other hand, scored their 3 goals in regulation in only 11 shots. That's unbelievable.

Clearly we are playing a team that can score goals on limited shots that also has a hot goaltender. That is a capable enemy. Stingray goalie Jonathon Boutin was the 5th best goalie in 08-09 league stats with a .912 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average.

Cyclones goalie Ryan Nie was 18 overall with a .896 and 2.99 in the regular season. But Nie has been on fire in the playoffs with the #1 best goaltender stats of 1.85 goals against and a .925 save percentage. Smokin'!

SC's Boutin and Reimer rank 12th and 11th in playoff stats, with Reading's Teslak coming in #10.

Team stats are a mixed bag. The Cyclones have a 0.727 record and 36 goals-for and 30 goals against. The Stingrays are 0.682 with 45 goals for and 36 against.

Stats Schmats. It all comes down to future performance but it is interesting to look at the numbers. They tell me that this series will be very, very interesting and exciting.

Watch, listen, come to the home games!!! Every living breathing fan will be needed to root the Cyclones on to victory!

Props to the Enquirer...

2009-05-04T21:43:00.002-05:00

A story about the next round made the third from the top in the online headlines.

Enquirer 5/5

Interesting tidbit about their travel plans in the article.

Conference Finals, Here We Come!

2009-05-02T10:33:00.005-05:00

Being realistic last fall, after seeing the Cyclones win the Kelly Cup and then, logically, losing most of the team, I was content to see them make the playoffs this year. I wouldn't have been disappointed but not upset if they got bumped in the first round; it would have been understandable. Then with the rough start they had, I was just hoping for them to bounce back to a .500 season so fans had at least a 50% chance of seeing a win.

Stupid me! There's an old saying in leadership that you get from your team (crew, shift, squad, etc.) whatever you expect from them. Have low expectations, you'll get low results. Coach Weber and Coach Stork clearly never lowered their expectations for the Cyclones, for we find ourselves again in the Conference Finals for the second year in a row. I know that sometimes I sound like a bootlicker of Chuck Weber's. It's not that at all. I've studied leadership for a long time and I simply recognize that he is an outstanding leader, in the truest sense of the word.

We would not have what we have if here were not. He's also a brilliant strategist. Going from Johnstown in basically a playoff series at the end of the regular season, to Wheeling, to Elmira presented three different styles of hockey to face. This is especially true from Wheeling to Elmira. Weber and Stork had to adjust their strategies and devise systems to defeat two totally different styles. They had to prepare the players to face this challenge, give them to tools to accomplish it, and "sell" it to them in a way that they actually used the systems taught.

Obviously, it worked.

I expected the Elmira series to go 5 or 6 games, just because it is so hard to run with a physical team. The Cyclones showed they can play the physical game and give it right back to them - and keep their skill up & score goals. A sweep, ending in a shutout. Awesome.

I took some pot-shots at Mike Sgroi in previous posts. I should say now that it is over and I have to give respect to the Elmira Jackals team. They made it as far as they did; they are doing something I only dreamed of doing as a youth hockey player. Minor league players are truly in it for "love of the game" because they sure don't get paid the big bucks. They played a style that I do not like and I hope never comes to Cincinnati; but still they played professional hockey in a successful regular season and through the second round of the playoffs.

Hats-off to Elmira, they were a worthy adversary. But now, let them be gone. They taught the Cyclones some lessons in toughness and patience in the series. This boosts the confidence of the Cyclones that they can go deep and it reaffirms their faith in their leadership (including on-ice leaders like Ehgoetz).

Let the Cyclones take that education all the way down the stretch!

Coach Weber's Game 4 Insight

2009-05-01T13:56:00.003-05:00

If you are not following the official Cyclones twitter, you need to.

http://twitter.com/CincyCyclones

For those who are not yet following, here is what you just missed:

Coach Weber says the first 10 minutes will decide tonights game. Elmira will come out flying and as long as the Cyclones withstand the rush, the 'Clones will have a shot at winning.

That's good stuff. As I mentioned in the last post, elimination games are always the hardest to win. It will be huge if the Cyclones can pull off the sweep. On the other hand, if they don't I'm still not worried. But taking this series in 4 is a tremendous confidence-builder for the next round and it also earns the club a few extra days of rest.

Go now, sign up for the real Cyclones twitter from John "The Hammer" Hamel and while you're at it, follow my twitter at http://twitter.com/cyclonesinsider

Game 4 thoughts...

2009-04-30T20:44:00.001-05:00

Well the Cyclones have the chance Friday to advance to Conference Finals. I think they have proven to be the better team, taking the 3 games to zero lead.

However, elimination games are always the toughest and Elmira does have the chance to compete. It is quite possible that the Jackals muster one last whimper of a win in Game 4.

If that happens, I believe the Cyclones can take them in Game 5 on Saturday. If the Jackals do 'bring it' on Friday, they will be out of gas by Saturday.

One game at a time. That is the way it must be done; but I like the outlook.

I actually have a new tux idea for conference finals if everything works out. Games 3-4-5 at home will feature an impeccably derssed Zamboni driver.

#11 Doesn't want to go to the hockey game...

2009-04-29T20:40:00.001-05:00

Coach even told him they have food there!

Click Here

Preparing for Game 3 vs. Elmira

2009-04-28T19:16:00.004-05:00

Well, in 24 hours game three will be well underway. I hope everyone can listen on either Max FM 97.7 / 99.5 or online through www.cycloneshockey.com. Maybe the boys can't here us cheering but they'll still know the faithful are out there and will play their best.

The Elmira Jackals are a tough team. They did not get this far by accident and they can't be taken for granted. Coach Weber was quoted in the Enquirer saying this will be a "long series" but the Cyclones definitely have the advantage so far. Taking both games at home is huge - especially given their home-ice woes. And now they are in Elmira, with their strong road record. I really believe they can take this series in Elmira. It could just as easily come back here for a game 6 but I think they have a good chance of winning it there.

It's funny, some of the articles have talked about the Cyclones being a physical team, their number of fights this year, and their total penalties. I guess watching them I never really looked at them this way but upon reflection it is true. They still play with skill as well, though, which is what I love about them. They definitely play aggressively and physical when necessary - but they play clean and play it straight. Good stuff.

So, if they win it in Elmira, the bad news is that we won't see them at home again until Game #3 of the Conference Finals against either Florida or South Carolina. Both teams have a better regular season record, so the winner is guaranteed to have home ice advantage. That series is tied at 1 each and they don't play game 3 until Friday. The good news is that series games are compressed toward the end of the time slot, so whoever we play will probably have less rest.

If they do make it to Conference Finals, I have a new tuxedo to break out. Actually, I bought it last year for my daughter's wedding. It's a standard black tux. I'll probably wear a white shirt with a red vest.

The white jacket will be reserved for Kelly Cup finals. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We still have to knock off Elmira. One game at a time, but it can be done.

Wow, that was a smoker!!!

2009-04-25T22:23:00.004-05:00

Game 2, Division Finals, Saturday, April 25, 2009 - A game of oddities

COME FROM BEHIND VICTORY! - 3 unanswered goals by the Cyclones to tie the game and force OT.

Penalty Shot (GOAL) - Mac Faulkner

Hat Trick - Mac Faulkner

"NO GOAL" - Distinct Kicking Motion, no goal Elmira

Overtime - Cyclones Win on a goal by Jimmy Kilpatrick

Great Game by the Cyclones. They looked a little rubber-legged early in the game but rallied for the victory, proving that last night's blowout was not a pure fluke.

After the game, Jackal Mike Sgroi got a special delivery in the dressing room, caught by camera phone.

Click Here.

Sgroi Meltdown

2009-04-24T22:00:00.003-05:00

Jackal Mike Sgroi has a major meltdown after being tossed out - caught on video!

Click Here

Reflecting on the Wheeling Series

2009-04-23T17:29:00.005-05:00

Sorry it's taken me so long for this entry. Once again my "real job" seriously interferes with the rest of my life.

So, what a series that was! You talk about highs and lows! Truly, there is no shame in that series for either team. Of course I'm darn glad the Cyclones emerged victorious, but had Wheeling won, I would have had to have said that they earned it. I was particularly happy with the wide-open style of hockey played by both teams - sort of old mid-1980's Edmonton Oilers hockey. I love it.

And three cheers to the Nailers for not playing the trap and not playing clutch-and-grab hockey. Even when they had the lead - which is pretty much what we at home had to endure - they played it straight. They didn't stand 4 guys up across the blue line, take the puck, and chip it back into the Cyclones zone. That's not hockey. I hate when teams play it. Wheeling's coaching staff deserves praise for not stooping to that style.

Monday's game 7 was, IMHO, awesome. I know I have said how "special" it was too many times; but it truly was. Games 7 is rare, and OT in game 7 is more rare. Double OT, wow. Incredible - especially when the good guys win at home. My wife has asthma and she says how horrible it is not being able to breathe during an asthma attack; well, I think I started having an asthma attack in the second period and didn't start breathing again until it was all over.

I think the boys got a harsh education in the adversity of playoff hockey. Honestly, I wondered if they could pull through. Thankfully they did. Wheeling was a worthy opponent and put the Cyclones through their paces. The Cyclones ultimately found the way to win. That's what playoff hockey is all about.

Major cudos to the team and the leadership - Coach Weber and Coach Stork - in securing the series success.

The ice cuts for a double-OT game were interesting. The ice is softening up with the spring weather. Trying to give them the best possible ice, I cut as deep as I dared and used as little water as possible. As a result, I filled the snow tank completely on all 5 cuts. I was a little worried that I would have filled it before finishing and have to go dashing off the ice to dump and return. We had a secret code worked out so the rest of the staff would know everything was OK and that was why I was leaving (rather than leaving for some mechanical problem).

Looking ahead, I think Elmira will be a very different series and present new challenges. The Jackals are more of a physical and goonish team. That's fine for the skilled Cyclones as long as they don't lose control of their emotions. It's a difficult balance to put your heart and soul into the game but not get emotional and lose control. They have to do that. Period.

I believe they can. If they do, the series could be a sweep but I think it is more likely to go 5 games.

The Twittering seems to be popular so I'll continue. During the first intermission Monday night I believe I made history - delivering the world's first tweet from upon the Zamboni while resurfacing during a pro hockey game. A buddy of mine happened to catch the moment on camera. Note I'm looking down at something - I'm sending the tweet at this very moment:

Sign up to follow my twittering at: http://twitter.com/cyclonesinsider

Let's pack the house this weekend and start this series off with 2 wins!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ug-Ug-Ugly Saturday Night

2009-04-19T15:08:00.002-05:00

Painful. I don't know how else to describe it; but it was exceptionally painful to watch Game 6 vs. Wheeling. Losing 6-0 at home after three wins in Wheeling is humiliating. However, it's not all doom and gloom from where I'm sitting. Making no excuses, let's analyze things and talk about it.

First, I didn't think the Cyclones played too horribly. In fact the score isn't really reflective of the game itself. The Cyclones out shot the Nailers 41 to 33 but Curtis Darling was hot. Very hot. Also many of the Cyclones shots were from the outside, not the good inside the dots "Grade A" shots on goal.

The Wheeling defense did an excellent job keeping the Cyclones on the outside, and Darling took care of what got by.

The Wheeling offense definitely took advantage of Cyclones' mistakes and capitalized with goals. That's playoff hockey. Period. You also have to figure that, while the Cyclones got the victories in Wheeling, they had to travel back and forth, while the Wheeling guys were at least able to catch some rest. Maybe the travel caught up to the young Cyclones by Friday night.

And finally, Wheeling's back was definitely up against the wall. They had just suffered the humiliation of losing all three games at home after decisive wins in the first two games. They were facing elimination. The absolute need to win has a way of motivating a team.

The Cyclones couldn't catch a break and everything lined up for the Nailers. They got a lot of lucky breaks - but they also earned their luck through solid play and good decisionmaking. That's hockey; especially playoff hockey.

Monday will be a different story. Now the Cyclones are also up against the wall but they are at home, with the "7th Man" being the fans in the house.

Now Twittering

2009-04-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

I've decided to take a stab at Twittering. The playoff run seems the perfect time to experiment. My plan is for mostly game-day and game-time tweets, and also making notifications of new long-form blog entries here.

My Twitter address is http://twitter.com/cyclonesinsider

Cyclones on a role now! I think their youthfulness showed during last Thursday and Friday's games. Clearly they learned from their experience and came back with a vengeance Saturday and Wednesday.

Let's hope they finish the Nailers Friday and Saturday!

The Special Nature of Playoff Hockey

2009-04-13T13:49:00.003-05:00

The playoffs truly are a special time if you're a hockey fan. The difference in intensity from the last game of the regular season to the first game of the playoffs is palpable. The crowds at US Bank Arena last Thursday and Friday got a taste of it, even if both were losing efforts by the Cyclones.

I was reminded about how special the playoffs are by watching John, the new operations manager at the arena. He has a background in stage and theatre, but no experience in hockey. Since starting in January, he's been learning the sport. During Friday's game, he commented to me about the difference he felt in the building. It was his child-like enthusiasm and observation that reminded me to appreciate the playoffs, regardless of the outcome.

Those games were disappointing in outcome but the hockey played was great. The Cyclones are a young team, some still learning how to be professional athletes and how to deal with advsersity. Wheeling brought a good game, and a hot goalie.

The playoffs are, obviously, the best teams. They bring their best games because every game matters. The result is that all strengths are subdued and all weaknesses are magnified. Game outcomes are often the result of one team making the most of the other's mistakes.

For example. Thursday night. I think the Cyclones are a better team than the Nailers. The Cyclones played a decent game. They spent more time in Wheeling's zone; they won the small battles for the puck; they made the extra effort nearly every play. But they made two mistakes in the first period and both resulting in Wheeling goals.

The Cyclones scoring prowess was subdued by Wheeling's stepped-up play, and their weakness was then exploited by the Nailers for goals. They were never able to recover.

Friday night's game was basically the same. I think the Cyclones slipped a little, maybe the Nailers got in their heads a little. Clearly, however, Saturday was a different story.

It took them two losses to get there, but the Cyclones turned the table on the Nailers and brought their own A-Game as they CRUSHED the Nailers.

It's going to take more games like Saturday and less (or no) games like Thursday and Friday for the Cyclones to go deep in the playoffs.

Here's hoping they have it in them. I believe they do.

Good Momentum Into The Playoffs

2009-04-06T19:07:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was an excellent end of the regular season, sending the Cyclones into the playoffs with momentum. Coming from behind on Friday night showed their spirit and determination to prevail in battle; and crushing the Chiefs on Saturday showed they can put away an opponent.

Friday's game was virtually the same as an elimination game in a playoff series. Johnstown had to win to have a chance of getting in the playoffs. Their backs were against the wall. They had to win. The Cyclones, on the other hand, were playing for standing and home ice advantage in the playoffs but that is not the same as facing elimination.

After so many Friday loss/Saturday win weekends this season, it was awesome to see that they have the grit and determination to stay in the game.

Saturday night, 11, 417 in attendance. A regular season record. Awesome. Both nights I really felt that playoff intensity that we hadn't really had since last year. Frankly, this season has been fairly mellow. That's OK and to be expected, coming of the natural high of a championship, only returning 7 players, then losing most of them, a certain degree of lame-ness is to be expected. I hate to use the word lame because of the negative connotation, but if you've been to games you know what I mean.

It was great to feel that electricity in the air - high voltage Cyclones hockey.

In a way, I'm feeling better about this team's playoff chances than I was at this time last year. Too many teams win the regular season title and then choke in the playoffs. How many times have the St. Louis Blues won the President's Trophy and then been sent home like crying children early in the playoffs? Things came so easy for last year's team, I worried that they had not learned how to deal with adversity well enough for a deep playoff run.

Clearly they did. Excellent leadership, personal responsibility, and a drive to win took them all the way to the cup. The road for the 2008-09 Cyclones definitely travels a different path. What these guys lack in raw talent they make up for in determination and a blue-collar work ethic; and obviously the leadership team is still in place. Actually I think the leadership this year is stronger with Barret Ehgoetz as the Captain taking the leadership role out onto the ice.

Have faith, Cyclones fans. Our chances are strong.

One win at a time, 16 times, and the Kelly Cup stays in Cincinnati.

Three Cheers for the Good Guys

2009-03-30T14:41:00.005-05:00

I found this buried on page 6 of the Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday March 29, 2009.

This is an awesome program initiated by Dustin Sproat while he was in Fresno and is now established in seven cities.

Read the article.

Check out the hp4k.org website.

Say "thanks, Dustin" the next time you see Sproat and the rest of the guys.

Spread the word.

Destiny

2009-03-26T22:16:00.002-05:00

That's her name.

The guest Zamboni driver for the pre-game cut tonight was Destiny. She's a local Zam driver I spotted and recognized as talented. Once upon a time, somebody gave me a chance. It's only natural, when the time is right, to do the same for somebody else.

Zamboni driving is part learned skill, part a form of art, and a heavy dose of caring enough to perfect your skill and your art. I see that spark in Destiny. Circumstances all worked out, and she got her shot.

She did pretty darn good, eh?

She owes me a blog entry about her experience. Stay tuned for that.

Now let's hope the Cyclones shake off tonight's loss and fulfill their playoff Destiny!

Surprise Tomorrow...

2009-03-25T16:14:00.002-05:00

... if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?

Suffice to say it will happen during the ice cut between warmup and the first period.

Want to see it happen? Show up.

Status: 3-21-09

2009-03-21T09:38:00.002-05:00

As of today the Cyclones stand alone in First Place in the North Division, with all division teams having played 64 games. But with 74 points is a 4-way tie between Johnston, Trenton, Elmira, and Wheeling. Mathematically, Dayton is still in unlikely playoff contention with 63 points. Only Reading is out but 6 teams in contention is more teams that the total of teams in each of the other divisions.

That's a long-winded way of saying that the last 8 games are crucial for the Cyclones, any way you shake it.

It's going to be a wild ride, and fun to watch the stats and standing jumping around these last few weeks. This will be the last post I comment on standings. Call it superstition, but every time I've commented on their place in the standings, they've immediately fallen.

It will be like bumper-cars down the home stretch, the Cyclones need to play their best game every night and put the occasional inconsistency behind them. If they can do that, that can do the unprecedented in ECHL hockey.

What a Difference a Couple of Weeks Make

2009-03-12T19:16:00.002-05:00

A couple of posts ago, I commented on the Cyclones hot/cold performance and lamented that they were in second place, firmly, but with odds against gaining first place. Well, times have changed - mostly.

Last weekend was another Friday night loss followed by a Saturday night blowout win. I'd really like to see them tune that up but the fact that they bounce back. It shows character and it shows that they slip but they don't like to lose. They'll have to work on that for playoffs but they are definitely on the right track.

In the last 10 games, they are 6-4-0-0 which is consistent with their over season average of .592. Meanwhile, Johnstown as slid with a last-ten record of 3-6-1-0. Their misfortune puts the Cyclones in the #1 place in the division with Johntown now having played the same number of games instead of having extra games in-hand.

Wheeling is two points behind and has played one more game. The race to keep first place is definitely between the Cyclones and the Chiefs and our boys have the momentum. This is a very good time of year to have the edge in the momentum department.

The teams meet in 5 of the Cyclones' last 12 games. Their destiny is in their hands. Three of those games are the final three home games.

No excuses, Cyclones fans - we all need to be there to raise the roof on USBA for these games!

Ice Out For Circus

2009-03-02T21:21:00.004-05:00

I've written before about the icemaking process. This post is about ice removal. Once ice goes in for hockey in September or October, the only time it comes out is for the circus. For all other shows it is covered but the circus needs to access tie-in points in the concrete.

To remove the ice, the compressors are turned off and "downdraft" fans are turned on to push the heat from the ceiling down at the floor to facilitate melting. It actually starts melting pretty fast. Once it 'pops' then it's time to take it out. Basically the pop us just the melting process at the point when the ice bond to the concrete below is broken.

Then, bring in the Bobcat. I've done ice removals before where we just let it melt and then cleaned the floor by a massive spray-down with a fire hose. The Bobcat method is not only quicker, but it conserves water. I did not participate in the removal that happened March 1, 2009 but I did get pictures of the aftermath.

You can see the giant piles of ice that was sheared up by the Bobcat and deposited outside the southeast corner of the building:

You can see that from the chunks that it is not terribly thick. Ice acts as an insulator; in fact an inch of ice has about the same insulation qualities as an inch of pink fiberglass attic insulation. Yes it is cold, but the raw insulation factor is about the same. So if you let the ice build up too think, it actually insulates against itself whereby the top of the ice is too far away and too insulated from the cold pipes below, so the top stays soft and slow to skate it.

Here are close-ups of just how thick (well, thin, actually) the ice is:

Keep rooting for the Cyclones while they are on the road for the next two weeks, then be sure to come out for their homecoming March 18!

2-28-09: Redemption

2009-03-02T04:14:00.002-05:00

The Cyclones' A-Team showed up Saturday night! As they have done several times this year, they let themselves get knocked around by a team one night, then come back the next and whack them hard. I guess that is better than winning first, then falling apart. It concerns me a little, because in the playoffs they will have to work that out and be more consistent; but they are proving what they can do. The just have to do that every night.

There redemption Saturday night was made even more sweet with Johnstown suffering an uncharacteristic 3-game losing streak. The Cyclones now nold the #1 spot in the division with 69 points - a 4-point cushion over the Chiefs, who still have two games in-hand on the Cyclones, so the best they could do is Tie if they win both of those games. Elmire and Wheeling also threaten with 65 points; both have only one game in-hand on the Cyclones and not a good of a record so they are less of a threat.

I had my own bit of redemption Saturday night by not crashing the Zamboni. My mojo is in my hat, I guess. I remembered the "Speedy Hat" Saturday night and all was right with the world again.

2-27-09: A Night Of Imperfection

2009-02-28T15:15:00.003-05:00

Those of you at the game on Friday February 27 know that it was a night of imperfection. Our Cyclones showed their imperfection as they were out-skated, out-smarted, and out-worked by the Elmira Jackels. Elmira played with more passion; they won the little battles; they played smart.

This year, the Cyclones team is human. They are more playing at their level, rather than way above like last year. Still, they are an excellent team. They are .591 after 55 games and second in the division. Johnstown definitely has a leap over them with two more points in the standings and two games in hand; but Elmira is tied in points and has played one more game than the Cyclones. Our boys really need to win tonight and not let Elmire have those two points; but we are strongly in second place.

At this point last year I was really worried that the Cyclones were over-achieving and would fizzle out. Of course they did not and they brought home the Kelly Cup. Since this year they are proving themselves to be human, I'm not worried. They are in good standing to have a strong finish and possibly go all the way again.

Your humble Zamboni driver was rather imperfect last night as well. If you were there and watched me in the first intermission, you saw my crash into the boards on the west-end. Wow, it scared me. I thought I was going through the boards. I was so mad at my self that I felt like I could vomit until I finally fell asleep last night.

What happened? Well, put simply, I screwed up. I make no excuses. As I give the analysis of what happened, understand that I am not trying to minimize my mistake - only explain it. As mentioned in previous posts, the Zamboni has a hydrastatic transmission. It is all hydraulic and there is no "neutral" like in a car. In a hydrastatic transmission, neutral is all wheels locked instead of all wheels spinning freely. When I let off the pedal (which is not a throttle, it is a transmission clutch control) the wheels lock up.

While driving, smooth is the key. Smooth acceleration and smooth deceleration. I was running a little late getting onto the ice and I was slow in my first lap. The rest of the time I was rushing, trying to make up time or at least not lose any more. So, I was not very smooth. I was going full-out in the straight stretches, and not slowing down until the last minute.

On the lap in question, I waited too long to start slowing down so I let off the pedal almost completely. Well, that caused the wheels to lock up. Like slamming on car brakes on an icy road, that put the Zamboni into an uncontrolled skid. I'm pretty good at driving on ice (rink ice and road ice) and I can usually recover from a skid and control a vehicle.

But in this case, I simply did not have enough time nor enough space to recover. I put it in reverse and gunned it; but it was too little, too late. It did take the edge off, so to speak, but I still crunched the boards pretty hard.

Fully loaded with water, the Zamboni weighs over 8700 pounds! That is a lot of mass sliding at the boards, even if only at 9 miles per hour. That's over 20,000 ft-pounds of energy, out of control! It's about the same as a small economy car losing control at almost 20 miles per hour.

Shew. I was just sick. Thank goodness it did not damage the boards and delay the game.

I'm human. I'll bounce back. So will the Cyclones!

4 DAYS TO WORLD RECORD

2009-02-17T22:35:00.002-05:00

That's right Twister fans, just 4 days to the big event, Saturday February 21.

Don't miss Twister's big night. He will appreciate your support (so will his massage therapist).

Also Friday 2/20 they'll have $1.00 John Morrel hot dogs.

The boys are back in town and they need our support. Because of other teams having games in-hand, they have the opportunity to pass the Cyclones in the standings. Johnstown passed us last night, and they still have played two fewer games. Wheeling is in a position to pass the Cyclones as well.

They need a good stretch of wins to secure a top seed; come on our and root them on!

POST #100 - Dedicated to TWISTER

2009-02-07T12:17:00.007-05:00

It's hard to believe it, but this is my 100th post as the "Cyclones Insider!" It's been a strange but fun trip, and I'm still glad to be here.

This post is dedicated to the Cyclones' fearless and ultra-cool mascot, TWISTER. If you're a Cyclone fan, you probably know that Twister's "signature" gag is doing a headstand while sliding down the ice during the intermission resurfacing. It is an awesome trick, and TWISTER owns it.

Saturday night, February 21, 2009 will be a very special night for that toothless tornado of a hockey mascot. TWISTER will be attempting to set a WORLD RECORD for the Longest Sliding Head-Stand On Ice by a mascot. The only question remaining is if we can find a massage therapist in Cincinnati who is up the the task of loosening up our breezy buddy so he's ready for the big slide.

In honor of the special event, the give-away will be a bobble - but not a bobble head. No, Twister, in getting his second bobble as a Cyclone (also a record) will be featured in a BOBBLE-LEGS statue.

His crazy legs will forever be preserved on his very own bobble-leg.

This is an event that you do not want to miss!

GO Cyclones, Go TWISTER!

ECHL = Best Value

2009-01-18T21:16:00.002-05:00

Sometimes we have to step back and take a look to truly appreciate what we have.

I recently attended hockey games from all three main levels within a 9-day stretch. Tuesday, January 6 I watched the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Florida Panthers at Air Canada Centre; then Friday January 9 I watched the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs take on the Lake Erie Monsters at Copps Coliseum; finally on Wednesday January 14 I returned to see our Cyclones destroy Wheeling at US Bank Arena.

It was a very cool hockey journey. Here is how it made me truly appreciate the Cyclones, the ECHL, and US Bank Arena:

Obvoiusly the NHL is the major league and the place all hockey players aspire to end up. It's awesome hockey, the best in the world. The players are the biggest, they are the best, the brightest, the fastest and the baddest. The new arenas are a marvel of construction, design, and crowd-handling. They have the best of everything, including all the best ice making systems including purified water, heated sub-floor, and two Zambonis.

On the down-side, I paid $100 US to sit so high up I felt like the view would have been better from the International Space Station. The seats were cramped so bad I could tell you the guy next to me's shoe size. The upper deck is so steep it feels like you could plummet to the bottom when you reach down to pick up your way-over-priced soda.

What's worst, from that level you don't truly get an appreciation for what you're seeing. They seem slow. The hits seem lethargic, and shots seem like something from juniors. The only hint as to the intensity of NHL hockey I noticed came from passing and the distinctive "thwack!" of a tape-to-tape pass being caught. To hear it so loud, from so far away, is the only thing that truly demonstrated the raw power of NHL hockey.

Want to sit down low and see what it really is like? Prepare to shell out $400 Canadian for a single game seat. You could be a Cyclones season ticket holder for that. Don't get me wrong, I still have total respect for the NHL but it is way out of my price range, even for an occasional treat.

Next, on to Hamilton. Copps Coliseum was built in 1985 and it very similar to US Bank Arena. It's the same architectural style, but upgrades commensurate with 10 years of evolution. We sat in the lower bowl, right by the player tunnel, for $25 Canadian each. That is a modest price and the hockey was very good. Definitely a better value in terms of the hockey you see for the price you pay than the NHL.

The skill is a step better than the ECHL but the biggest difference I see is the physical size of the players. These guys are absolute monsters. Guys like Latendresse and Desharnais are dwarfed by the guys around them. As you can imagine, the hits are harder and they are a step faster if for no other reason than their longer legs.

The main detractor I've seen in the AHL (and old IHL when affiliations became the norm) is the players seem to play a little easier, as if they don't want to risk an injury causing them to miss a call-up. Also the coaching staff is more bound by the orders of the parent club to play certain guys specified amounts of time and/or to play the systems of the parent club so the guys are familiar - even if the system is not the best fit for the squad. It leads to a somewhat diluted game, in my humble opinion.

You still can't argue that, technically, it is better hockey but I am talking about value.

Enter ECHL. I'll start with the negatives first. Yes, they players are very young and many are seeing the game professionally for the first time. They are smaller in size and have less game wisdom. Many have a lower skill level and are more prone to make mistakes. We've seen it out of the Cyclones from years past, and to a certain degree even this year.

HOWEVER, I still love the ECHL, the Cyclones, and the arena. First, the arena occasionally gets knocked for being "sterile" and not a "traditional hockey barn." Maybe, but it's where I saw my first professional hockey game (WHA Stingers, 1977) so I'll always have a place in my heart for it. But even if you don't share the nostalgia, what the building gives everyone is a quality, mostly modern if not modest, and overall very nice place for hockey. It's definitely no dump in the ghetto.

Now, the league. The players all over the league are in it for "the love of the game." Sounds corny, but it's true. League minimum salary is around $400 per week plus lodging and insurance; but as soon as the season is over they get their last check, get kicked out of their apartment, and get their health insurance cut off. There is no glory in long bus rides, being far away from home, and playing a 72+ game schedule while hoping beyond hope to get a shot at a call-up.

The players play with all their hearts, nearly every game, in the attempt to just get noticed and for the reason of pure pride. It's just so refreshing to me.

And all this for TEN BUCKS. You can watch a game from the third row for a measley THREE PERCENT of the cost of the same seat for an NHL game. Tell you you're only seeing 3% of the hockey and I'll call you a liar every time

In my estimation, it's at least 65% as good as NHL. I think more, actually, but I know I am biased. Even if you think it's 25$ as good, you're only paying 3% of the cost.

As I do the math, that's an awesome value, especially in tough economic times.

GO CYCLONES!

Bulldogs Game

2009-01-15T22:29:00.003-05:00

I still need to sit down and write a good entry on the value we as fans get from the ECHL. My thoughts on this have been strongly reinforced after seeing NHL, AHL, and ECHL games in 8 days. Meanwhile, here's a pic of my in the Zamboni garage at the Copps Coliseum for the Bulldogs game: And here is a short video clip of us driving across the 401 highway in the snowstorm:

It's times like this when I'm glad to be a Zamboni driver!

Toronto Trip - Finally Home

2009-01-12T21:23:00.007-05:00

After battling a raging snowstorm between London, Ontario an Dayton, Ohio and taking the wrath of a US Customs agent at the border who clearly hates people, I am finally home from a great trip.

The trip had great highlights: Maple Leafs game, Bulldogs game, and the trip to the Zamboni factory in Brantford, Ontario.

The Zamboni factory is their final production plant for the model 400-series Zamboni. These are smaller machines geared toward studio rinks and single-sheet arenas. They ordinally don't do factory tours, but I did get a pretty good look at the place. It was more like the shop at Orange County Choppers (without the attitudes and rampant swearing); nothing pretentious, just a place to get things done.

The best part about it was the "graveyard" of Olympia machines out back that were taken in trade and will be scrapped.

Here is a pic of Wayne Gretzky Parkway in Brantford:

Here's the sign out front of the Zamboni factory:

Here I am by a historic Model J Zamboni in the lobby of the Factory:

This model was designed to be small and maneuver through tight corners, and is based on the old paddle-and-chain original technology.

Here I am by a Model K machine:

This one came along after the current enclosed auger style but was designed for arenas that did not have the clearance for a machine that lifts the tank to dump. It was improved technology like the auger-based dumping machines, but used the paddle-and-chain.

The paddle-and-chain machines had to be shoveled out after use, or melted with a stream of water through a drain in the bottom of the tank.

Both of these machines have been meticulously restored to original condition and they are fully functional.

Here is the snowstorm we drove through coming home. We were driving through snow for about 300 miles of the trip. This is on the 401 Highway between London and Windsor:

Stand by for the next blog entry, comparing the value we get from ECHL hockey compared to the AHL and NHL.

Toronto Update #2 - Good Game in Hamilton

2009-01-09T23:08:00.004-05:00

Here on our last night in the Great White North, we had the pleasure of watching the Bulldogs chew up and spit out the Lake Erie Monsters in a 3-0 victory.

Loic Lacasse played great in net. At first I was disappointed to see him instead of Cedric, but then it was nice to see him playing so well at the AHL level. It was nothing fancy, just good old fashion solid goaltending. It earned him the shutout. Very cool.

Latendresse and Desharnais both got a lot of playing time. They look so small compared to the average size of AHL players, but they played great. The both got both assists on the second and third goals. Bulldog's 2nd goal on a power play in the third period was scored by Carle from Latendresse and Desharnais and the third goal, even strength, was scored by Glumac from Latendresse and Desharnais.

Latendresse was the #2 star of the game and Desharnais was named "The Hardest Working Bulldog" of the game, which is a sponsored award given after the #1 star is announced.

Other Cyclones in the lineup were Russell, Beauregard, and Stewart.

We got the added bonus again of both national anthems, so we proudly sang the Star Spangled Banner in the crowd. Believe it or not, we had a much better time overall at the Bulldogs game than we did at the Maple Leafs game on Tuesday. Maybe it was because we were in the 8th row by the player tunnel for the Bulldogs game and out seats for the Leafs game seemed like they were further up than the Northwest Territories.

Quite honestly, I don't know if I'll go back to another NHL game unless/until I care enough to spend the money to sit in the lower bowl.

The Bulldogs also gave me a tour of their backstage area, Zamboni room, and chiller room. I got a pic on my wife's camera phone but the network here won't allow emailing picture messages. Unfortunately I left my digital camera out in my truck. Grrrr.

Pic to follow upon our return, along with some more commentary on both games, AND exclusive coverage of my private tour of the Zamboni factory in Brantford, Ontario (birthplace of the Great One).