Safer impacts, better sightlines among chief benefits for new rink infrastructure
Mosaic Place is now a little more modern – and safe – when it comes to hosting hockey games.
The City of Moose Jaw partnered with the Moose Jaw Warriors this fall to install new Crystalplex boards and glass, with the new infrastructure completing installation last week.
The entire project took about two weeks from start to finish, with technicians from Athletica Sports Systems seeing to the installation. Mosaic Place workers soon after began laying down the ice surface, with the rink ready for action this week.
“It went really well and you can definitely see how much better it is,” said facility operations manager Dave Senger. “Fans will notice the difference, for sure.”
The main reason for the replacement – at a cost of $446,313, shared by the city and the Warriors – is player safety. The glass is set into the boards and attached to a spring-loaded system that allows it to move and flex with impact. The Western Hockey League mandated the replacement several years ago, with Moose Jaw one of only three teams not to have it in place prior to the 2018-19 season. “There’s no question it’s a lot safer,” said Senger. “Having the glass able to move like that really makes a difference when it comes to taking hard hits, a lot of the impact is absorbed.”
The effect is exactly as seen in National Hockey League games, where big hits will see major backand-forth glass sway as the system does its job. That’s no coincidence, either: the same Crystalplex 6A systems are in use in 29 NHL arenas. The system comes with a major improvement in fan views. Not only are the individual panes much wider, there are fewer sightlines blocked, meaning fans behind the glass will be able to see the action that much better.
The arena staff themselves also benefit when it comes to conversion times and replacing broken panes. Where the old glass would micro shatter and require a painstaking process to replace, Crystalplex glass takes a fraction of the time.
“It’s a lot quicker because you aren’t using a suction cup and forklift; it’s just two guys hand lifting with suction cups lifting it out and putting it back in,” Senger said. “And this glass won’t shatter; it’ll just crack, and we have one spare for every piece. So basically, a broken sheet of glass at a Warrior game will be replaced in two minutes. There’s no clearing of glass or anything like that.”
That also helps when taking down the glass during mid-hockey season events like concerts and trade shows, since the glass can be removed from the boards far quicker and easier than in the past. The ice was installed as usual, taking about eight hours using the Jet Ice system to paint and put down the first surface covering. Building up a coating about an inch thick took four days, with the brandnew, unmarked sheet ready for the Warriors Kids Camp on Monday morning.
“So the little guys will have the first chance to skate on it and put the first puck marks on the boards,” Senger said with a laugh.