WNY Hockey Magazine December 2014 by WNY Hockey Magazine

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WWW.WNYHOCKEYMAgAzINE.COM December 2014

Turning point for

BUFFALO $180 million project anchors city and its future

John Koelmel, President of HARBORCENTER

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See INSIDe FOr See THe INSIDe LATeST SeeHOcKeY INSIDe STOrIeS See INSIDe ANDSee eXcITING INSIDe eVeNTS

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May Day

By Dave Reichert

BACK IN BUFFALO

A fan favorite, who scored one of the biggest goals in franchise history, has come home.

rad May who was drafted by the Sabres in the first round of the 1990 amateur draft, spent the first six years of his NHL career in Buffalo. The rugged left winger scored the dramatic May Day goal, an overtime winner that completed a series sweep for the Sabres against Boston in 1993. May played for seven National Hockey League teams in his career and hoisted the Stanley Cup as a member of the Anaheim Ducks’ Championship team in 2007. In 2010 May moved from the locker room to the broadcast booth. He began his media work in Canada with the CBC and Sportsnet. During the 2013-14 season Brad joined the Buffalo Sabres broadcast team. “I don’t even know if I retired, I just stopped playing, the phone stopped ringing” explained May. “I went home in the summertime from Detroit in 2010; I played with the Red Wings that season. I was up at my cottage and had some conversations with some people. I went down to CBC, Hockey Night in Canada and I had an interview. It was an interview process where I did some color commentating and I was hired to do ten American Hockey League games.” While working the AHL games was an excellent starting point, May was looking to see if he could make hockey broadcasting a career. “That was only ten days of the winter and wasn’t a full-time job or even a part time job, so I started to explore,” said May. “I made a few phone calls, to the NHL network, Rogers Sportsnet; I had actually done some work at TSN while I was still playing. I ended up working for every one of those networks and I did one-hundred and forty days, I was quite busy through that winter. I worked about 70 days at Sportsnet, which led me to sign a two year contract with them. Last season I signed up to do twenty-thirty games with the Buffalo Sabres to be an analyst on the road with Brian Duff.”

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THe rUGGeD LeFT WINGer, WHO ScOreD THe mAY DAY GOAL, cOmeS HOme

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“There are certain things that are really sacred to the hockey player and the hockey team. Being fresh out of it, I understand what those pitfalls are and what those scenarios are. I’m never, ever going to disrespect the game or the players that play it.” Beginning this fall May assumed the role of analyst for Buffalo Sabres’ broadcasts on a full-time basis.

For May, being only a few years removed from his playing days has been an advantage in his new role.

During the course of their playing careers, all players think about what life after hockey will consist of. For May, staying in the game of hockey was at the forefront.

“It gives me credibility and strength with my connection to the players,” stated May. “I was a good teammate; I have respect for the players. They respect me for what I did in my career.”

Interacting with the NHL media during his playing days made May open to the possibility of working in broadcasting. “I played on seven teams and I had conversations with broadcasters throughout my career,” said May. “I admired them for what they did. In most cases they made us all look better, shone the right light on us as players. I enjoyed who these people were, the camaraderie that they had with their team of people.”

Beyond just a respect from players, May brings an inside the game perspective to the broadcast. He speaks first hand on the life of a National Hockey League player and the challenges they face on and off the ice, while maintaining a deep respect for the game that has given him so much.

The key question for the now forty-two year old native of Toronto, Ontario was in what direction his life would take in hockey after retirement. “Was I going to get into coaching, a form of management, aspire to be a general manager or was I going to stay in hockey in the form of the media?” recalled May. “For me, I played a long time. My kids were approaching their teenage years. My son was actually thirteen when I got traded to Toronto. I was gone for a full season. The media gave the opportunity for me to lie in my bed every night and actually become a full time dad after retiring. Having control over my schedule was imperative for me for the last couple of years. I was fortunate to play a long time, spanning two full decades. It was a great experience with great people. I love hockey, it provided me the life I lead today. It’s nice that you can be that lens into the game of hockey for the next generation, it’s nice to be a part of it.”

“I’m there to explain plays and explain why things happen and bring the viewer into that locker room, into that environment,” said May. “There are certain things that are really sacred to the hockey player and the hockey team. Being fresh out of it, I understand what those pitfalls are and what those scenarios are. I’m never, ever going to disrespect the game or the players that play it.” May knows that he must walk a fine line when it comes to critical analysis of plays on the ice and the performance of the players. “Sometimes you’ve got to be critical of a player’s play, but you don’t criticize the actual person,” explained May. “There are certain places that I will never go in this new role. When you are talking about a mistake that is made on the ice; that’s very different than calling out someone’s character or effort. I think I have to be responsible in being that guy, twenty something years of integrity and relationship to the game, you could lose it in a second if you said the wrong thing.” Continued onto next page

May has been growing as a broadcaster from his first day behind the microphone. He is quick to point to the help he has received from people at each of the networks he has worked with. “I’m learning everyday, I’m a student of the game,” said May. “I watch these guys, I watch how they deliver messages, how they answer tough questions, how to break down a play, every person that I’ve been around has really helped me. Brian (Duff) is incredibly prepared; he’s very good at what he does. John Shannon from Sportsnet used to be the executive producer at Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL network has been a big help to me.”

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mAY HAD TO mAKe DecISIONS AbOUT HIS LIFe IN HOcKeY AFTer reTIremeNT

6 In terms of working for a NHL team, May could not ask for a better fit. Buffalo holds a special place in his heart. “With the Sabres I’m speaking to a direct audience in Western New York, Buffalo Sabres fans. You have to respect the fact that you are working for the team, representing the Sabres. The angle is on your team. You sprinkle in information on the other team, but you are really trying to market and talk about your players.” May knows his audience in Buffalo, he is well aware that Sabres’ fans are starved for a Championship team. In drawing on his experience as a Stanley Cup winner, he picks his spots carefully when speaking to Sabres fans about his playing career after leaving Western New York. “I remember being a Buffalo Sabre, I remember dreaming of winning a Stanley Cup,” related May. “We didn’t come close. It’s the ultimate goal of every player, every organization and the fan base of a team; the one thing I don’t want to do is trumpet from my perch of being a champion unless it’s relative to the situation and the team. I think I’m pretty good when I drop in that experience. There are certain times when it absolutely makes sense and at other times the Buffalo Sabres fan doesn’t really care, but they can’t say I don’t know what I’m talking about because I lived it, but sometimes if you really want to be heard you have to shut your mouth.” Coming back to Buffalo has meant a great deal to May. In terms of working for a NHL team, May could not ask for a better fit. Buffalo holds a special place in his heart. “I was incredibly flattered that the Buffalo Sabres wanted me back,” confirmed May. “I hadn’t been there since the day I was traded from Buffalo to Vancouver in 1998. To be remembered as a Buffalo Sabre, which most people would identify me as a Sabre and not the other teams I played for. To be back where it all started. To have that experience with Rob Ray and Rick Jeanneret there, who I was with for seven and a half years of my career. It’s nice to be back, it feels right. I’m flattered that they thought as much of me as I think of them. My son was born there; we’re connected to that city forever.” May’s Stanley Cup Championship with the Ducks is without question a career highlight, but the May Day goal changed his life as well. The overtime series winner is a revered

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moment in the history of the Sabres and Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. There is not only a name synonymous with the goal itself, but also with the player who netted it. “It’s my nickname for life,” said May. “I owe that to Rick Jeanneret (the announcer who called the goal), it’s one goal, it’s a great moment that’s continued to live which is really cool. When I look at it there are milestones and this is one of the top five milestones of my career. I don’t want to be selfish but it’s a pretty wicked moment to have. The first goal in front to your parents, you never forget that moment, the Stanley Cup victory, getting selected to the word championship team in 1996 for team Canada. We lost with seventeen seconds to go in the gold medal game so we won a silver. That’s a memory that I have, I don’t like losing. That’s why winning many years later in Anaheim was so sweet. It took me sixteen years, fifteen surgeries, broken bones, stitches to get there.” As May’s playing career progressed he became a mentor to younger teammates, he enjoyed his time working with players. May can see himself being a coach in the National Hockey League one day. At this point though, he loves being in broadcasting. The transition to life after being a hockey player can be difficult for many alumni; May is at peace with that era of his life coming to a close. In addition, he is thrilled with this new chapter of his life in hockey. “It just happened and I’m so cool with it,” concluded May. “I actually left the game on my terms. I had an offer to go back and play so I could have signed a contract and played that year. It was time for me to be done. In some ways I think I should have taken the first six months and done nothing and kind of regenerated, but I love the game; everything fell in my lap.” “How do you turn unbelievable opportunities down, you can’t and I love it. It’s been a bonus that I didn’t take any time off, because if I did there’s a whole crop of other guys that are looking for that same position. I was lucky to be able to be offered it. Once you get it, just like as a player, you don’t want to be hurt for any game because you don’t want anyone else to come in and outplay you.”

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brAD mAY IS THrILLeD WITH THIS NeW cHAPTer IN HIS LIFe

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WNY High School Federation 2014-15

Hockey Preview by Dave Ricci

Championships and giving your all are on the minds of every student-athlete as the 2014-15 WNY Federation season gets underway. The Fed’s three returning champions St. Joe’s (private), Niagara Wheatfield (large) and Kenmore East (small), know full well what it is like to enter the season with a bulls-eye on their backs and are focused on repeating.

Kenmore Meanwhile, on the girls side of the Fed ledger, Kenmore is on the road to a dynasty that could take them to the Holy Grail of the state championship - which will be held at the HARBORCENTER this season. Girls, Kenmore, which is comprised of girls from Kenmore West and Kenmore East, is coming off of a 2013-14 season where they won the league, Federation and Section VI titles and made a second straight trip to the state tournament. Suffering back-to-back exits in the semifinals the past two seasons, last year Kenmore lost to eventual state champion Potsdam 2-1. The year before that they fell to eventual state champ Beekmantown. After a sub .500 season in the first season of girls Federation hockey Kenmore has grown into a legit power and should once again be in the mix for a run to states. Kenmore lost key cogs in Jillian Battista and the Mathias twins, Kaeli and Bri. But they return a solid core led by senior goalie Lauren Pray who is arguably the most fundamentally sound keeper in all of WNY. “Just her drive to win,” said head coach Jeff Orlowski. “Her will to win is amazing.” Pray is also part of a unique family bond within the Fed. Her younger brothers, twins Jacob and Adam, play for Kenmore West; their dad, Don Pray, coaches Grand Island and Don’s brother, Kyle Pray, coaches Kenmore East. Junior Emily King (center), sophomore Olivia Smith (center) and junior defenseman Grace Simmons, together with Pray, are the backbone of a defensively sound Kenmore squad.

Monsignor Martin The Monsignor Martin team will no doubt present a strong challenge for top spot, as will Williamsville.

St. Joe’s St. Joe’s got off to a bit of a bumpy start last year. But they proved it’s not how you start the race, but how you finish it, as they won the New York state private school championship for the second year in a row and third time in four years. Returning senior Bryce Donovan is expected to be a big piece of the puzzle for the Marauders.

Bishop Timon/St. Jude Bishop Timon/St. Jude, after falling to the Marauders in the title game the last two seasons, will experience some change as a good deal of its fire power, Connor Fields (26 goals), Joe Piegay (22 assists) and Justin Blake (18 assists), have departed.

Canisius Canisius returns a strong core led by goalie Jake Nichols who went 6-1-1 in 10 games with two shutouts and 2.04 GAA. Matt Santora (12 points), Alex Gioia and Brendan Dallas also return.

Niagara Wheatfield Kids will have to step up into bigger roles as Niagara Wheatfield enters the new season after losing a sizable amount of players. “We lost 14 kids from last season,” said head coach Rick Wrazin. “But we have a good combination of skilled players and strong returning players.” The Falcons will lean heavily on third year returnees goalie Casey Wall (6-1 last year) and defenseman James Stenzel. “He’s a big, physical presence with the ability to put pucks in the net,” Wrazin said of Stenzel, who will serve as captain. The Falcons also return two core offensive threats with who will also be in their third year of varsity. Andrew Logar is a talented forward who plays a great puck possession style and Domenic Senese is a strong power forward who has a habit of scoring clutch goals. Senior Dakota Becker is a skilled play maker who is ready to play an even bigger role.

OP/Frontier

Kenmore East

OP/Frontier is a program that is quickly on the rise and earning its share of wins by simply outworking opponents.

Kenmore East, two years removed from its first-ever state title, lost key players like Jeff White and top scorer Rob McNamara. The Bulldogs will look to its first line comprised Continued onto next page

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GeT eXcITeD AbOUT THe 2014-15 WNY HIGH ScHOOL FeDerATION HOcKeY SeASON

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WNY High School Federation 2014-15

Hockey Preview Area high school athletes to display their talents this year, making for an exciting season! Continued from previous page

of AJ Marinelli (11 points), Cullen Smyth and Justin Watson for the bulk of its offense. Top defensive pairing of Joey Spataro and JP Giordano will do their best to help rookie keeper Bradley Hermann.

Salmon River Tournament Kenmore East and Canisius will both take part in the prestigious Salmon River Tournament at the start of the season. Division II was extremely competitive last year as West Seneca East (27), Williamsville East (27), Hamburg (25) and Ken East (25) all finished within two points of each other.

Nichols Hockey factory Nichols School has more than its fair share of talent as well. The boys Prep “A” team is led by Carson Gicewicz, who has outstanding play making skills and sees the ice extremely well. On Nov. 12 Gicewicz signed his Letter of Intent to play for Division I St. Lawrence. The Nichols Prep “A” girls team will feature senior goalie Madison Welch, senior defenseman Olivia Zafuto and junior forward Abby Welch. Madison (Syracuse) and Olivia (Colgate) also signed their Letters of Intent to play DI on Nov.12. “Honestly I’ve been thinking about it since I (verbally) committed my sophomore year,” said Welch. “I just couldn’t wait to get to this point. Finally the signing. You’re there.” Madison’s older sisters Kelsey (Syracuse) and Haley (senior at Union) also played DI hockey.

IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! January 5-12, 2015 at HarBorcenter • Buffalo, NY

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Tickets are on sale now for the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship, set for Jan. 5-12 at HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, New York. The event, which will feature the best women’s hockey players in the world, 18 years of age and younger, includes teams from the U.S., as well as Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Japan, Russia, Switzerland and Sweden. Each team will play three preliminary-round contests and the tournament culminates with the bronze and gold medal games on Monday, Jan. 12. For a complete tournament schedule, go to www.iihf.com/competition/492/statistics.html. Individual tickets start at $5 and are also available as day passes (four games) and tournament passes (all-inclusive). For more information on the IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship, including all ticket information, go to www. u18womensworldchampionship.com/news_article/show/450620?referrer_id=%C2%A0, or call the First Niagara Center box office at 716.855.4444. NOTES: Team USA has played in the gold medal game in seven of previous IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships, capturing the event’s top prize three times (2008, 2009, 2011).

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INTerNATIONAL cHAmPIONSHIP TO TAKe PLAce AT HArbOrceNTer

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ohn Koelmel is president of the brand new HARBORCENTER, which is adjacent to the First Niagara Center and officially opened its doors on October 31st when Canisius hosted Ohio State on the main rink. The $180 million plus project will include a full-service Marriott hotel with 205 rooms, an upscale two-story hockey-themed restaurant, two full-size ice rinks, a high performance training center, street level retail space and a five-level parking ramp with more than 800 spaces. Western New York Hockey Magazine Editor Bob Koshinski recently sat down with John Koelmel to discuss the HARBORCENTER development and what it means for hockey in the Buffalo region. koelmel is also the former President and ceo of First niagara Financial group, currently chairman of the new York Power authority, chairman of the Board of kaleida Health, Board chair of the Buffalo center for arts and technology and a member of the WnY regional economic Development council.

Q : John you officially opened on Halloween night,

the last time we talked the opening seemed so far down the road, now it’s finally here:

to the rapid-shot and classrooms up top. Downstairs Tim Hortons and 716 (bar & restaurant) if not online by then they will be coming up shortly thereafter, so we’re talking days as far as coordinating and choreographing everything.

Q : For the hockey purists break down the rinks, what are the two rinks going to look like?

A : In simplest terms you’ll have one that will

hotel as functional as it can be right from the get-go. Concurrently the vagaries of construction and buttoning up loose ends we’ll take it one day at a time. Everybody will be ready to rock n’ roll. As I’ve said to others, we’re going vertical coming out of the gate, our ramp-up’s been happening.

accommodate 2,000 with a lot of bells and whistles. The other will seat a couple hundred that will have bells and whistles that you don’t typically see, but the appearance will be more like your traditional rink. We will use them both interchangeably for all our events and activities, whether it be our YDP program week in and week out, whether it be our academy training or frankly whether it be some of our world championships. That said, Canisius, Junior Sabres, Championship games, they’ll be on our feature rink which is really a special place. There will be a real wow factor there with the wooden trusses, just the other amenities and creature comforts for the fans. We are as focused on the fans in the stands as we are the players and coaches on the ice. It will really be a special place, not your typical 2,000 seat arena, one that will make everyone proud, everyone smile and look forward to coming back.

You’ll see both rinks functional and all the amenities that go with that, whether it be off-ice training with Impact, the features functionality with locker rooms

Q : I know the focus has been to make the HARBORCENTER the focus of amateur hockey in Western New York and beyond. Who has partnered

A : Yea, no question. There’s no more next month, we’re there. Everyone was focused on the 31st which was Canisius and Ohio State, a big weekend for the Golden Griffins. On the 1st we kicked off with a U16-18 tournament with some really top teams from around the country. Q : When fans walked in that first weekend how much of the facility was operational?

A : We worked hard to make everything but the

Continued onto page 13

What It Means for Hockey in the Buffalo Region

HARBORCENTER

PAgE 2

Bob Koshinski interviews John Koelmel, the man behind the recently opened HARBORCENTER, the jewel of a new era in Buffalo.

Photo Credit: Bob Koshinski

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What It Means for Hockey in the Buffalo Region

HARBORCENTER

13 Continued from page 10

with you so far, who will call this rink home in WNY?

A : First as I have already mentioned, Canisius, this

will be their home ice. As will the Junior Sabres and not just the Junior “A” Sabres that have otherwise been playing locally, they’ve expanded and added six additional teams and they’re off to a great start. The amateur season has already started and they have already started playing some of the top teams in the country and the really good news is many of those same teams in both the United States and Canada are anxious and excited to come play at HARBORCENTER. Not only with Canisius will you see high end hockey, with other Division One teams from around the country, you’ll see the same with the Junior Sabres. Then there is ECC, the Kats will call also call the HARBORCENTER home ice as well, so on weekends you will really have a steady diet of really high end, competitive hockey in addition to what also occurs here month in and month out.

Q : From looking at your web site I see you are including high school teams playing in the facility as well as youth hockey. It looks like you are trying to get as many nights of hockey on the ice as possible? A : Absolutely! I give Nik Fattey and his team tons

of credit here. We started off with an approach that we wanted to have an elite facility and provide elite and premier training, on the other hand we wanted to be very inclusive. The interest to come and play and participate at HARBORCENTER has been phenomenal. We’re virtually sold out to the extent we are, it is of our own choosing in terms of ice and general prime time in particular in these initial six and seven months. We’re doing everything we can to give as many people the opportunity to not only be in the building, but step on the ice. Our focus is about increasing the numbers as well as the level of play. So we want to create exposure and opportunity right down to open skates before Sabres games, in addition to frankly other opportunities for businesses and organizations to skate on HARBORCENTER ice.

Q : There will be skate rental available for the

public and parking will be accessible for those coming to HARBORCENTER, right?

A : Parking will be very accessible. Our two rinks sit on top of a 750 space parking garage. We expect to be able to accommodate those who will be using our facility day in and day out. On special event nights, whether they be at

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the HARBORCENTER or the First Niagara Center, we have the benefit of both ramps, better part of 1,200 cars at the First Niagara Center ramp, so almost 2,000 spaces and then you have all the surface lots. We’ve worked hard to ensure that there isn’t a reason “not” to experience HARBORCENTER because you can’t park close enough. We’ll do everything we can and for the most part those participating or attending will have little if any charge. We understand, we want to make it not only accessible, but low if not any cost for most if not all of the users of our facility.

Q : You came from the world of banking and you have

always been involved in business. Now you’re involved in a project that includes everything down to the level of high school athletes. How has your life changed?

A : I’m having a hoot. Very, very blessed and

fortunate, right place and right time. I’m a father of two children who were real solid, strong athletes in their time. I did a lot of coaching so I’ve always been involved in youth sports. I’m a long time sports fan in general, a hockey fan in particular. As you said I’ve actively been involved in the community, I’ve ridden the roller-coaster, as I say “the good, the bad, the ugly” of Buffalo for the last forty years. I’m really proud to be a part of what has become a real rebirth and renaissance for this town over the last five, six, seven years or more. To have the opportunity to work with, work for Terry and Kim and put an extra big stamp on the waterfront and Canalside and lift the emotional tide in this community, couldn’t be a better place. Having a lot of fun.

Q : I won’t say this has been a long time coming

because this project was on a very fast track from the get-go, only eighteen months, but I know you wake up now and say “it’s finally here.”

A : Right, we’re excited to open our doors, and

we’re excited to have this community, this region, the country and ultimately the world experience HARBORCENTER. It is and will be a really, really special time and place for all.

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How To Build a Backyard Ice Rink BY JAMES E . STOLLER T O P

1 0

( 1 5 ! )

q u e s T i O n s

a n s w e r s

ICE is ICE, but for 21 years, since 1991 and 10’s of 1,000’s of NiceRinks in people’s yards later, we’ve got a pretty good handle on what to do AND ALSO what not to do. Most of what we’ve learned, written and solved has just been reworded and reposted by others. Since 1991 the goal has been SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for the backyard rink builder. With time comes experience; with experience comes knowledge, knowing how to use that knowledge is what counts.

Hello Everyone, Jim Stoller, President of NiceRink here. A quick background of myself, NiceRink and its 65 year history. That’s right, our main company has been in the plastics industry since 1948,

How cold does it have to be?

The obvious answer to this is 32F/0C. The more intricate answer and what clients really want to know is, after I fill the rink up when can I skate on it. That answer has many variables depending on how and what you build/line your rink with and the lovely weather. Best case scenario is that you’re utilizing a WHITE liner to prevent heat absorption from the sun. Using a liner that holds the water, your deep end is not more than 10”/25cm deep. The outside of your boards are light in color or covered with the white liner at the start to prevent heat absorption. Let the ground cool down for a good amount of time before lining and filling. If you have all those BCS factors in place and you wait until your NIGHTS are getting to 23F/-5C to 18F/-8C and your DAYS aren’t getting too much warmer than 36F/+2C, you should be able to skate in 3-5 days. The cold nights are the trick assuming everything detailed above is in place. You’ll build more ice during those night time temps than the daytime temps can melt. Therefore you will be gaining ice thickness each night. “Usually” 3”-4”/8-10cm will hold most kids and average size adults.

2 Will a backyard rink wreck my grass?

bringing you three generations

Depending on how you build your rink and what type of liner you use, will determine the health of your grass. With a WHITE liner and the FLOOD method, we have seen a 99.9% effective rate in turf health. On the other hand, if you use a clear, blue “tarp,” black liner and/or just flood the grass, that % goes way down. Several factors are the cause: Not enough sun penetration, too much sun penetration, flooding the root zone of the turf are all causes of dead spring grass.

of plastics know-how to back up our over 150 years of family hockey/skating history. A hockey history that includes playing, coaching, hockey directors, being a dad coupled with multiple state & national titles and years of Junior “A” experience. We don’t just make and provide backyard rink products; we live and breathe hockey and everything that comes along with it.

Let us help you be successful with our Experience and Knowledge!

3 How big can I make my rink? The size of YOUR rink should be determined by several factors. The first factor is your available space. If you have the space and budget, go big. You’ll enjoy your rink much more when you have more room, especially when you have skating parties (which I can assure you, you will). Everybody will have plenty of room to skate around without bumping into each other. If you’re not sure if you’ll use your rink enough to make a big rink worth your while, start smaller. You can always decide to go bigger in a year or two, and continue to use the boards and equipment that have already been purchased. Besides space and budget, the people that will be using the rink will determine the size as well. When your rink is just for children, you can go with a smaller 20’ x 40’ (6M x 12M) rink and be very satisfied, as they don’t need a huge rink to make it feel huge to them and you’ll be able to expand it going forward. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced skater yourself, you’ll be able to cover a 30’/9M span rather easily with one stride, which doesn’t end up being really fun if you’re an avid adult skater. As a quick “guideline,” when my son was 17-18-19 Jr A, the boys came over and our NiceRink was 44’ x 88’ (13.4M x 26.8M) and it served them very well for 3 on 3 and even were able to play some 4 on 4 with the BIG boys out there. The choice is entirely up to you, the “rink manager,” but I can tell you I’ve heard time after time, “I sure wish we would’ve made it bigger!” Also keep in mind when deciding size, that plywood and other NiceRink rink materials come in 8’/2.4M and 4’/1.2M sections. This means rinks with widths and lengths divisible by eight or four are the easiest to put up and will have less wasted material. As a general skating guideline, about 100Sf/3.5Sm per skater will allow for all on the ice to have ample space to skate without bumping into each other all the time.

4 Does my yard have to be level? I’m not aware of a single yard that is “flat.” That said, no your yard does not have to be level. You just have to make sure to measure your slope BEFORE you start acquiring components and building the rink boards. WAY easier to know the pitch and build it right the first time, than it is to find out later with 16”/41cm of water in the deep end against a 16”/41cm board and no water in the shallow end. A simple video showing checking slope/pitch can be seen on our www.YouTube.com/ NiceRink1991 channel. Continued onto page 16

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NIcerINK LIVeS AND breATHeS HOcKeY AND eVerYTHING THAT cOmeS WITH IT

15 W ESTERN N ew York

KIDS DAY GAMES BUFFALO SABRES annoUnce sLate oF

The Buffalo Sabres have announced the team will offer special ticket pricing for an additional slate of games designated as

PERRY’S ICE CREAM KIDS DAY.

With the purchase of at least one full-price 300 Level II ticket for $50, fans can purchase up to four additional PERRY’S KIDS DAY tickets for $15 each. Kids Day tickets are valid for use by children ages 15 and under. The special pricing will be available for the following games:

TICKETS

ONLY

Sunday, Feb. 8, 5pm vs. NY Islanders Sunday, Feb. 22, 6pm vs. Nashville Predators

PERRY’S KIDS DAY tickets can be purchased by logging onto Tickets.com, visiting the First Niagara Center Box Office or calling 1-888-GO-SABRES.

S N A C I R D E E M S I A V R E E L T E S T E E H B C O O T R GAMES

C o n ti n u

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TIme WArNer cAbLe SPOrTScHANNeL TO TeLeVISe 2014-15 AmerKS GAmeS

How To Build a Backyard Ice Rink T O P

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5 Buy it or build it? This basically comes down to time vs. money. There are a LOT of great problem solving NiceRink products available that you can simply “install” instead of having to “build” Custom NiceRink Brackets, NiceRink Boards, BumperCaps, KickPlates, Nets and endless other options. Then there are always those people that are very handy and have the tools AND the TIME to create their own board system. That’s fine too! It can be as simple as a bunch of 2x4 (5cmx10cm) wooden stakes and plywood, or as eccentric as a complete refrigeration and board system and range from $200 to $100,000 and virtually anywhere in between! Once it’s built, filled & frozen....ice is ice! It’s just how you get there.

6 When should I build

my rink?

The best time to build/ setup your backyard rink is just prior to the weather turning freezing. This is for two reasons. First, you want to be all setup and ready to fill/flood when the cold arrives, not setting up. Secondly, it’s a heck of lot easier and more comfortable to be working outside and installing stakes/brackets into the ground when it’s 50F/10C and the ground isn’t frozen.

7 When should I fill my rink? The best answer for this is not a date, but rather the weather forecast. As a rule of thumb, in Southeastern Wisconsin, I usually install my brackets and sideboards the weekend before US Thanksgiving around November 15th or earlier and lay out the liner 2-3 weeks after. By giving it a good 2-3 weeks, it will also give the brackets and boards a chance to “freeze in” and let the grass go dormant. By then you’ll have those good cold nights mentioned in item #1. This will obviously vary greatly depending on where you are located.

A backyard rink can bring you years of unlimited Frozen Memories to last you, your family and friends for a lifetime. The choices at NiceRink are infinite, the possibilities are limitless, and our product reputation is second to none. Backed up by a superior customer service staff and years of knowledge to help you. The right decisions make all the difference !

8 How much does a back yard rink cost? As stated previously, it can range from just your time to spray water, to $340 for a NiceRink 20’ x 40’(6M x 12M) Starter Kit, to $3,800 for a 44’ x 88’(13.4M x 26.8M) NiceRink Gold Package to $25,000 for a 20’ x 40’(6M x 12M) Refrigeration system. Anywhere in between and higher, all depends on what you want to do. Let’s go into detail on each of those cost options for you, keeping in mind there are virtually an unlimited variety of cost options to suit anyone’s budget and/or rink size:

0 Lots of time and must have cold weather. If you live in say Winnipeg where it gets and stays cold this may be an option for you versus someone who lives in say Central Ohio. Once the ground freezes and you get some snow, pack all the snow down to compact it, spray it lightly to saturate the snow to a “slush,” let that freeze and then spray thin layers over the top of the frozen slush to “build” your ice.

340 NiceRink 20’ x 40’(6Mx12M) Rink-in-a-Box: Great, simple start to your backyard rink endeavors. This is a “key components” kit to get you going and then you can expand upon going forward. You’ll still need 3-5 sheets of ¾”/1.9cm plywood which will run another $200-300, but you can use them to make your rink bigger in the years to come. $

$ 3,800 44’ x 88’(13.4M x 26.8M) NiceRink Gold Package: This is a complete kit including NiceRink Brackets, NiceRink Plastic Boards, NiceRink Liner, KickPlates, NiceIce Resurfacer, BumperCaps and more. Everything in the NiceRink product family is made to last. Be confident in buying once and passing it on or reselling it down the road. The only real replacement item would be the NiceRink Liner as discussed in section #9 below. $ 25,000 + 20’ x 40’ (6Mx12M) regular refrigeration system with Coils, Anti-Freeze, Refrigeration Compressors: This will of course pretty much guarantee ice, but the cost is quite steep, and you’ll have an increase in your electrical bill as well.

9 Rink liners... vs. plastic vs. tarps This topic could easily dominate backyard rink discussions as this is probably the most crucial element to having a successful outdoor rink experience.

1 WHITE-WHITE-WHITE-WHITE! Make sure to get an Ultra-White liner on *BOTH* sides! • To help keep your ice as cold as possible by reflecting the UV rays away from your ice. • To save your grass! Clear & White/Black liners as well as Blue Tarps are known grass killers, BUYER BEWARE!

2 NiceRink Liners vs. Woven Tarps: NiceRink Liners are 5, 6 or 10 mils of solid water holding poly. Woven Tarps on the other hand are yes maybe 6, 10 even 12 or 14 mil thick, however the bulk of their thickness comes from the woven reinforcement in between two very thin ½ to 1 mils of coating to hold the water. The reinforcement doesn’t hold water; the poly is what does that. Once that ½ mil coating is compromised you’re basically left with a woven fabric that doesn’t hold the water. They are heavier and harder to work with. Also, thicker doesn’t always mean better. NiceRink’s layered liners at .005 mil are 50%+ stronger than most others .006 and even .008. You’ll get what you pay for.....Be informed.

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17 3 Get the ONE-PIECE size you want. NiceRink has ELEVEN different widths IN STOCK available in ANY length you’d like. No need to buy extra and throw it away in the landfills. No waste!

4 Liner warranty: NiceRink liners are warrantied to hold the water when you get it. Some warranties on the market are for a 5 year “UV warranty.” That’s fine, but UV damage is not going to be the problem as the liners are covered with snow and ice during usage, so the UV doesn’t affect the liner. You need a good strong liner to do the work and add KickPlates if at all possible. 5 Liner life expectancy: Everything except the liner will last for many-many years, most likely 10-15+. The liner life on the other hand, will be determined by two things: • What the rink is being used for; Hockey or just general skating?

10 How thick does the ice have to be? A good finished shallow side ice thickness is 4”/10cm. The deep end will be determined by the pitch/slope of your site. If you have an 8”/20cm pitch, then you’ll have 12”/30cm of water on the deep side. 4”/10cm will give you a good solid base to work with and usually enough thickness to maintain ice during the mid-winter thaws that have become unfortunately all too familiar.

• How the inside edges of the liner are protected. The inside edge of the rink right at ice level is the most vulnerable part of any outdoor temporary rink system. If the inside edges are not protected with KickPlates, the liner will be continually hit with sticks, skates, pucks, toe-picks, etc. That area will have little nicks and cuts in the liner. If that’s the case the liner, no matter what you use for a liner, will be a one year liner, or you’ll have to shrink your rink the following year so the little nicks/ cuts are above the water line. If the edges are protected at ice level, you can expect 2-5 years of life out of the liners. Regular Poly liners, probably 1-3, NiceRink #1 & #3 2-5 depending on the rink’s use and how the edges are protected.

11 Should I fill the rink up all at once or do it ice layer by ice layer? There’s a lot of back and forth on this topic. In my opinion there’s no reason not to use a liner other than the money a liner costs. Layering the ice will create a stronger ice block as long as that original ice block doesn’t melt or get soft. Filling a liner will take WAY less time and give you a great base ice to work with. Using a liner might take 30-45 minutes to install; layering ice could take weeks and sleepless nights of spraying. Once a liner is filled to 4”/10cm of water on the shallow end, let it freeze and done. This first ice will be more like pond/lake ice. That means it will be a “softer” ice containing small air bubbles and you can cut into it. Once it stays cold and you can layer your top coats during resurfacing you’ll then build that hard ice you’re looking for on top as long as that top layer stays frozen.

12 There’s water around the edges of my rink? All rinks built with a liner will have a shallow end and a deep end. The water the rink was flooded with will ALWAYS freeze from the top down. Most of the time it will NOT freeze all the way to the ground and there will be water under the ice, especially in the deep end. When you have the backyard game going and 2-3-4-5 skaters head to one corner, the weight of everyone will force the ice down, and subsequently force a little water up in between the ice and the liner. It will even “gurgle” sometimes. Most of the time it’s fine and the little water that does come will either retreat and/or freeze at the edge.

13 Slush? All is not lost! The BEST thing to do is nothing! If you have just filled your rink and it froze over with a little ice and you get a big snow storm, the weight of the snow on the ice will force the ice downward. The underlying water will be forced up by the weight and pressure of the snow in between the liner and the ice, turning the snow into slush on top of the skating surface. If your ice is too thin to get on and clean, you basically can do nothing. The best scenario is for the weight of the snow to push the ice down enough to force enough water onto the top of the ice so it ALL turns to slush. Let the slush freeze, and then you can skate on that base if it’s smooth enough or resurface a few times to get it back to smooth. If it snows on ice that is already pretty thick (5”+) and the slush is only around the edges of your rink, then you can tackle cleaning it off. Personally, I would call “more than a few friends” over to help with this. Once you start cleaning slush off of a rink DON’T STOP, it must ALL be cleaned off and smooth. Whatever you leave on the ice, such as left over slush, or stopping half way will freeze at night and your ice will be full of FROZEN foot prints, shovel marks or the step-up where you stopped. Once it’s cleaned off, let the surface harden back up, then resurface as needed to get it back to glass.

14 How much water should I flood/resurface with? There are several methods of maintaining the ice. There is the flood method, spray and squeegee method, spray-spray-spray-spray, Hand Resurfacer and the Zamboni method. I’ll go through all of them in detail and you can make your own decisions for your rink, as you are the “rink manager.”

The Flood The flood method is simply that, flooding. To flood the rink you’ll need to have the availability of large hoses and above average water pressure. You’ll need to get the entire rink completely covered with water before any of it starts to freeze. Do not use the flood method on smooth ice, you’ll wreck it.

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Spray and Squeegee Again, simply spray water onto the ice surface and squeegee it out to the spots that need the most attention. Do not try and squeegee areas that have started to freeze. You’ll end up with mounds of frozen slush, which will have to be chipped or scraped off later when they freeze. Spray-Spray-Spray-Spray The name says it all! The trick to spray coating ice is “wet ice is done ice.” In other words, start spraying a spot on the rink until it’s glossy and move on. Put the layers of water on as thin as possible to get a “Nice” glass like finish and also to prevent cracking or “lifting.” How water freezes will help explain this. Water normally freezes from the top down and it also expands as it freezes. Therefore, if you put too much water on the surface and it starts to freeze, it will first freeze the top and you’ll have your base ice, a layer of water and the top layer of fresh ice. Three layers; base ice-water-top ice. The water in between the two ice layers will then start to freeze and expand as it does so. As it expands, it can only expand up into the fresh ice, therefore causing the “lifting” of the fresh top ice layer and making it bumpy and/or uneven again which is called “shale ice.” If thin layers are applied, it will freeze solid with no expansion to give you the glass like finish that ice-skating has become accustomed to. This method is the most time consuming, but will give you the best ice surface without the use of the NiceIce resurfacer explained next. A 44’ x 88’(13.4M x 26.8M) rink will take anywhere from ½ hour to 1 ½ hours by spraying to get the ice back in glass shape, depending on the temperature and ice condition you have to start with.

NiceIce Resurfacer The NiceIce ice resurfacer is the best and most economical method of resurfacing any ice rink. My personal backyard rink is 44’ x 88’(13.4M x 26.8M) and takes me a whole 12 minutes to put on a fresh coat of ice. It used to take me at least an hour to spray coat a new layer of ice and now, as mentioned, takes about 12 minutes or less, with less water and a much better ice surface to skate on when done. I usually put two coats on when I’m out and the second coat takes less time than the first and provides a surface that rivals indoor ice quality. The single biggest detriment to ice is the oxygen/air contained within the ice. You’ll remember skating out on the ponds and lakes and when you made a sharp cut you’d get a big groove in the ice. The groove could be formed because too much air was contained within ice, allowing the skate to easily dig in and groove out the surface. Your base ice is basically the same as pond ice until it gets resurfaced and layered a couple of times. While utilizing the patented NiceIce resurfacer, you will be laying down a very thin, fast freezing layer of deoxygenated water that will then become your skating surface. You now have the same ice surface that is laid down on the indoor rinks and sometimes better as air temperatures determine outdoor ice quality. Indoor ice is kept at about a constant 21-24F/-6-4C degrees. Your ice can be as cold as the outdoor temperature, 15F/-9C, 10F/-12C, 5F/-15C and so on. Hard, deoxygenated ice is good, fast ice and will not get chewed up as much. It requires less maintenance time so there’s more skating time! The NiceIce resurfacer is also great when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate like we would appreciate her doing so. When she dumps snow, rain, sleet or slush, it has a Continued onto next page

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THere Are SeVerAL meTHODS OF mAINTAINING THe rINK Ice

How To Build a Backyard Ice Rink T O P

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ROCHESTER AMERICANS GAMES TO BE TELEVISED

comprehensive local sports programming on different channels across the nation. In addition to Amerks games, Time Warner Cable SportsChannel in New York provides coverage of New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) games, Syracuse University athletics and other local collegiate and professional teams all year long, giving fans in-depth analysis of and access to their favorite teams. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel is available in HD across New York state exclusively to Time Warner Cable customers. For more information, visit www.twcsportschannel.com and follow the network on Twitter at @TWCSportsNY.

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definite tendency to mess up a rink surface very quickly. The NiceIce resurfacer can lay down approximately ¼”/.635cm to ½”/1.3cm inch of ice in an hour, depending on the outside air temperature which usually takes care of even the most severe rink surface in a maximum of 3-4 hours of walking.

15 My ice cracked, how can I fix it? Inevitably when it gets cold the ice will obtain some cracks. You can do two things to get them repaired and help prevent further cracks.

1 Just like you may have seen on TV or the local rink when a hole is created in the ice, the ref/players will scrape some ice shavings, pack them in the hole, wet it and then smooth it over with a puck. Same goes for your backyard rink. Grab some snow, assuming you have some, and pack it in the holes and cracks, wet lightly and smooth over the best you can with a puck, or even a concrete trowel and let it freeze.

2 Before you get any cracks and/or when you fix any holes/cracks you have in the ice, and it’s cold enough and going to stay cold enough to keep your ice frozen, you can and should put many “thin” layers of water/ice on the rink, letting each layer freeze before adding another layer. This will give you a harder ice surface on the top and be less prone to cutting, chipping and cracking as long as it stays frozen www.nicerink.com or toll Free at 888-nicerink for superior Products, superior knowledge & superior service. copyright nicerink/James e. stoller 1994-2014

CANISIUS GAME RESCHEDULED The Canisius College hockey team’s game at Mercyhurst, originally slated for November 21, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 13. The game, which was postponed due to a winter storm in the Western New York area, is now set for Erie, Pennsylvania for a 7:05 p.m. first puck drop.

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cANISIUS GAme reScHeDULeD DUe TO WINTer STOrm

19 W ESTERN N ew York

Sunday December 28th through Wednesday December 31st, 2014 (Squirt and Peewee end 30th)

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Holiday Twin Rinks

(All MOHL House)

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Leisure Rinks

Squirt- $825 Peewee- $875 Bantam- $925 Midget 16- $950 Midget 18- $950 Space is limited. A $250.00 deposit holds your spot until November 15. Final entry fee is due by December 1. Pay in full by September 30 and receive a $25 discount.

Checks made payable to: Amateur Sports Productions 3465 Broadway Cheektowaga, NY 14227

75 Weiss Ave. West Seneca, NY 14224

Visit our website at buffalostars.com for a list of available hotels and rates. Comp Room for the Head Coach with pick up of 15 or more rooms.

Peter Preteroti (716) 491-0375 sportsniag@aol.com

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