There are some things in life that you just can’t explain. One of them is why grown men and women spend so much time playing hockey. It’s not like other sports where the game only lasts a few hours. You’ll be on your feet for most of the game, and there are a lot of physical actions that take place on the ice that require a lot of energy. It would seem that the perfect season for hockey is from October to April, and then again, maybe not. When the thermometer drops below 20 degrees, the allure of the game seems to disappear, and you might as well be watching paint dry.
So, how cold is it in a hockey arena? Let’s take a look. There are four primary components that make up the temperature inside a hockey arena: the air, the ice surface, the building, and the equipment and clothing of the players.
Table of Contents
Air Temperature
When the thermometer reads a number below 20 degrees, it means that the air in that area feels cold. In most cases, the air in a hockey arena will be the same temperature as the outside air, which in turn, determines the overall feel of the arena. In other words, the thermometer can be used to roughly estimate the cold ambient air inside the arena. This is something that you shouldn’t take for granted, especially if you’re planning on spending a lot of time outside the building in the near future. When the air is cold, it feels damp, and although it may not seem like it, that can affect your gameplay. One of the worst things that you can experience as a hockey player is to freeze out on the ice during a game, so it’s important to know how to stay warm in winter. You should always have an extra layer on you when you’re playing, whether it’s in the form of long johns, track pants, or any other type of tight pants. If you’re feeling more comfortable in jeans, then wear them instead of pants, and bring a coat with you as well.
Ice Temperature
The temperature of the ice is also important, mainly because it dictates how fast the ice will freeze after you step off of it during the game. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the coldest, most frozen ice and 1 being the warmest, least frozen ice, the temperature of the ice will have a lot to do with how fast you’ll be able to move about the rink. On average, the temperature of the ice will be around seven degrees below zero, but that can vary a lot, even by a couple of degrees. The best way to find out the exact temperature of the ice is to take a quick look at the rink’s thermometer, which should be placed at the front of the building in the center of the ice. If the ice is over seven degrees below zero, then it will be dangerously thin, and you’ll have to take special precautions to keep yourself from slipping and falling on the ice surface. In most cases, the ice will be somewhere between 1 and 7 degrees below zero, which means that if it’s between -10 and -20 degrees out, then the ice will be thick enough for you to skate on safely. The bottom line is that the thinner the ice, the faster it will freeze after you step off of it during the game. If you want to learn more, then be sure to check out this useful guide to understanding the thickness of ice in your area.
Building Temperature
The last factor that we need to consider is the building itself. This is a common topic when it comes to hockey arenas, since they have to stay at a specific temperature, usually around seven degrees above zero. In most cases, this will be achieved with an HVAC system, which stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. The building temperature is important, mainly because the ice and the air inside the rink can get pretty chilly. In most cases, the temperature of the building will determine how comfortable you’ll feel while playing. The higher the temperature inside the building, the more comfortable you’ll be, and that’s usually the case, but sometimes, the air inside the rink can feel a little chilly even when the building’s temperature is at its highest setting. If you want to stay comfortable during the game, then the best thing to do is to regulate the temperature of the air inside the building with an HVAC system, and that’s usually a simple process. Sometimes, the air that comes out of an HVAC system can feel a little cold as well, so if you’re not used to the cold, then it can be an adjustment. In most cases, people who live in Canada or the northern parts of the U.S. will have to deal with the cold more than people who live in the south, so be sure to bundle up when you go inside a hockey arena, especially if you’ve just walked off of the ice surface, and the thermometer is showing that it’s below zero outside. The good news is that even when the temperature of the air is at its lowest, it will still be warmer than the air inside buildings that aren’t specifically designed to keep the hockey fans comfortable. If you want to know more, then you can contact your local building authority or HVAC company to learn more about the special equipment and requirements that you’ll need to have in place to ensure that the building stays at the required temperature. In most cases, this will be as simple as drawing some hot air from outside and blowing it through a network of pipes, causing it to heat up as it passes by. In more extreme cases, a fan will be used to directly blow air across copper coils, heating up the air as it passes by. This is how most of the newer, state-of-the-art sports arenas are designed, and it’s something to look forward to once you’ve seen a construction site for a new building. It’s exciting to see how much thought goes into the design of a hockey arena, and it’s also a good sign of how committed the people who build them are to ensuring that the game goes smoothly. Sometimes, nothing can prepare you for the cold air that rushes in when the door is opened, especially if you don’t regularly play in extremely cold weather, so it’s good to know what to expect. You can also contact an HVAC company to learn more about the various specialized pieces of equipment that they use to regulate the temperature of large spaces, like hockey rinks.
Clothing And Equipment Temperature
The final, and perhaps the most important, factor that affects the taste of the game is the clothing and equipment of the players. This is something that you should never take for granted, and it’s especially vital that you get used to wearing multiple layers, because if you’re not, then it can be the difference between winning and losing a hockey game. The type of clothing that you’ll need will depend on the temperature of the air, and although the air might not feel cold, the clothing that you wear while playing can make you feel that way. In most cases, the air will feel cold, so you’ll need to wear lots of warm clothing, especially when you first arrive at the arena. Once the game starts, you can remove some of the clothing, but it’s better to have too much than not enough, especially if temperatures continue to drop as the game goes on.
One of the worst things that you can experience as a hockey player is to freeze out on the ice during a game. Even when the air feels cold, the temperature of the ice can vary, and it’s not always easy to determine where the thin ice ends and the hard surface begins. When this happens, you’ll find yourself in a situation where you can’t control where you land, and this can be pretty dangerous, especially if you’re not wearing the right equipment. When the puck is bouncing around the ice, and you’re not able to control where it goes, then you’re asking for trouble, and this is a situation that you want to avoid at all costs. The best way to avoid this is by wearing proper equipment, and it’s something that you should have in ready at all times, whether it’s in the form of shin guards, wrist guards, or any other type of protection that you feel is necessary.