Coliseum gets new Zamboni

Could they attach a seat to it and let fans ride around?

Very cool article about the Zambonis and the history of them at the Coliseum. I really liked the part about the pre-Zamboni era. Blake, how thick is the actual ice? I remember being told once quite awhile ago and thinking "Wow, that's pretty thin," but cannot remember what it was now.

Blake, that was a good article. Did I read it correctly that for the NCAA they will use both Zambonis? I have seen other venues use two to resurface the ice. Will both Zambonis be used at the Komet games for the rest of the year?

Forgive me Frozen Water, but I got a kick out of a blogger named "Frozen Water" asking a question about ice. It kind of tickled me. Sorry.

Has anyone else read Justin Cohn's article in the Journal this morning? A couple of things in there has me reading "in between the lines". Kinda sounds like we may be getting prepared for some big changes.

No, not for insurance reasons, Me78.

FW, I believe it will be between 1 inch and 1 1/2. I don't have my notes at home with me. If I recall correctly, the white paper with the painted lines and such is 1/2 inch from the floor.

Alan, it will not be used at Komets games this year.

There should be pictures of the new one up later on the story.

They'll stick with one Zamboni at Komets games, using No. 3.

Reggie Hayes' joke today: Pressed for time

Tiger Woods agreed to interviews with ESPN and the Golf Channel, but Woods set a limit of five minutes for each interview. Apparently, he felt more comfortable with a quickie.

I think it's stupid that they don't use two Zambonis at Komets games. The intermissions are incredibly long here, especially during the second intermission when they ALWAYS stop the 18 minute clock for about 6-8 minutes to allow for more time for all the stuff going on at ice level. I can't think 25 minute breaks are a good thing for a team.....If they used two machine, then they could resurface much faster.

Alan: Hhahahaha! You have me there and I have no retort.

gregsand77: Are you telling me you do not love your chance to catch a foam lightbulb or some size extra small T-shirts?? Come on now, man! I think that is last call for beer also. I'm not a drinker, so I could be off on that last part.

I agree with the intermissions being to long in between periods. They should not be able to stop the clock for the so called intermission entertainment.

Fans can't ride a zamboni for insurance purposes.. But they strap a kid onto a 4 wheeler and let a bird do dounuts all over the ice... Sounds logical.

FrTHE ICE SURFACE

How thick is the ice?

Ice is approximately 3/4" of an inch thick and is usually chilled at 16 degrees fahrenheit. The thicker the ice, the softer and slower it becomes.

How are the markings applied to the ice?

The markings (lines, circles, creases, etc.) are painted onto a half-inch thick sheet of ice, which is sprayed onto a concrete floor that has frozen pipes imbedded. An additional coating is applied to secure the markings and build the ice up to the prescribed thickness.

Why is the red line broken?

In the days of black and white television it was difficult to differentiate between the red and blue lines, hence the broken red line.

om Joe Louis Arena Search

LOL

Depends on who is paying the insurance. On one, the Komets pay, on the other the Coliseum pays and the Komets are not permitted to pay for it.

I meant donuts.. Blogging from my phone is kind of lame...

OK, I got my little bundle of joy, AKA my summons for money for next year's tickets. I think the confusion is coming from one sheet (the white one) saying that "This year's plan will consist of 40 games, regular season games, exhibition games, and tickets TOWARDS an expanded playoff format." Whatever that last portion means is above my knowledge. The other sheet, the orange nice, expensive one, says that "you are agreeing to a separate automatic billing for your 2011 Komet Home Playoff Game Tickets in January of 2011." As I think Hoss wrote on the other thread, Adults lower arena is $625, Seniors/Students are $475, Children are $300. Upper is $550, $400, and $275.

So the coliseum would have to pay the insurance. That sucks, it'd be cool to offer that. I know a few people that would jump at it. Couldn't they charge something to ride to offset the insurance?

They probably figure it's not worth the hassle. Call them and see.

They have fans ride on the Zambonis in Detroit.

Having two Zambonis resurface the ice would mean having to pay two Zamboni drivers. This is minor league hockey, all the between periods (as well as between whistle) events help pay the bills and may even draw a few fans, especially those with kids. One of the reasons the Komets are successful at a time when others are struggling at best is all the extra marketing $ they get because of these events.

MrsCrouss, Detroit has fans that are capable of making offers that can't be refused.... :-)

The most logical reason for only one zamboni is that back stage there is only room for one. And with our on-ice cars each intermission there is just not enough room for both zambonis, 2 cars, and only one zamboni garage. The games should be fun this weekend. Not sure which teams will be bringing their bands yet.

The long intermissions have been written up for the League per the referee's complaints. I know because I am the one who writes them up. They are suppose to be 18 minutes in length. Part of the problems are the teams playing theirs games are not ready to come on the ice. All the other things and the cars must be off the ice before they can come out. That all takes time. I hope that helps you understand.

Blake, We use two Zambonis at the Dallas stars games. They also have one that 6 to 10 people can ride on. It has a really loud horn on it. It is really cool. I have sat in the drivers seat. Great thing! Keep up the good work my friend.

I understand what all you guys are saying, but I never said anything about decreasing the promos during the intermissions. Right now however, they run too long, so the clock has to be stopped. It happens EVERY second intermission, regardless of whether there is a mini mites game going on. The clock gets stopped at 10 minutes every game! Now, there is usually several coliseum staffers around that can drive the zamboni. Paul is around almost every game night but he doesnt always drive the Zam. If they ran 2 machines, they could resurface faster, and the required 10 minutes for the flood would be shorter due to 2 machines. Thus, they wouldn't have to stop the clock because they are just getting out there to do the movie skit.......

Finding the room for the extra Zamboni backstage would be a pretty big problem because there's not a whole lot of room back there. They are driving the extra one up from the basement this weekend.

Frozen Water....maybe call them and see what the ticket package includes? I'm sure a lot of people on here would like to hear you report back for them since there is so much confusion and no one has called to get an answer, or if so, no one has mentioned what was said.

Hmmmm Zamboni chicken or demo derby in between periods?

I vote for the Demo Derby, only because thats my hobby when it hockey is done!

Agree Scooter. Besides, Paul doesn't swerve or stop for anybody so chicken would be demo derby anyway... :-)