ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
— It’s December in Buffalo: Just how hard could it be to make ice outdoors?
Considering the equipment NHL ice-making specialist Dan Craig brought with him — dozens of rolls of plastic pipe, near-endless gallons of coolant and two 400-ton refrigeration units — it appears more difficult than might be expected.
Craig must build a 1 1/2-inch, smooth-as-glass surface that will hold up to rain, above-freezing temperatures and be fit for Sidney Crosby and company to play on Tuesday when the Sabres host the Penguins in the Winter Classic outdoor game.
This is no typical regular and rutty backyard rink Craig is building at Ralph Wilson Stadium. He’s preparing for what will be the league’s second outdoor game, the first in the United States.
“On the engineering side, it’s a lot different,” Craig said Thursday. “When I put a rink in my backyard, Mother Nature helps me or she takes it away. Here, I can make it and I can keep it.”
Evidence of that occurred Thursday when the first thin layer of ice was created despite a persistent drizzle, with temperatures in the upper 30s.
The Associated Press
