By Shane Miller (Whetstone Staff Writer)

The action during a hockey game doesn’t leave the ice when the players do.

Watching a Zamboni machine work its magic on the ice is sometimes more entertaining than the game.

“During a period, there are many hard cuts and sharp turns made by players and this causes ruts and cuts in the ice,” said Matt Bartalini, Wesley hockey goalie. “These ruts and cuts can cause players to catch an edge and fall or even twist, pull, or strain a joint or muscle.”

In order to return the ice back to its original smooth surface, a machine called an ice resurfacer is used.

Some ice resurfacers are mistakenly called Zambonis because the Zamboni brand was the first and most popular maker of the machine.

Drew Carter, a 21-year-old Wesley student, traveled from Delaware to Mystic, Conn., to take an 8-hour certification course to learn how to drive the Zamboni at the Harrington Ice Rink, where Wesley plays.

“It takes skills like hand-eye coordination and knowing different types of ice conditions,” Carter said. “Some examples are spraying less water when the ice is too thick and remembering to turn the water valves off when turning through corners.”

The Zamboni is complicated even though its shape is simple.

“One water tank shoots cold water out the front to clean while a blade cuts the ice down and pushes it onto a horizontal augur (shaped like a drill bit),” Carter said. “The augur then guides the snow toward the middle of the Zamboni where a tube acts like a vacuum and sucks the snow into a large container.”

Wesley hockey player Joe Fleming said he performs better on smooth ice.

“Freshly cut ice allows for faster speed as well as better puck movement since there is no snow buildup and no bumps for the puck to hit,” he said.

To finish the job, the Zamboni uses a separate water tank that sprays water at 105 degrees on to a cloth running along the bottom, which allows the water to spread evenly across the freshly shaved ice.

Once the 105-degree water hits the surface of the ice, it takes about five minutes to drop the temperature for the water to freeze.

“Freshly cut ice keeps the game entertaining,” said Wesley hockey player Earl Johnson. “Everything is moving at full speed and it’s easier to stick-handle, shoot and skate.”

Each Zamboni rolls along the ice on four large tires that have spikes.

“Each tire has spikes that stick out no more than a quarter of an inch, which causes (static electricity) and gives you 99 percent control,” Carter said. “Visibility can be tough for an inexperienced driver, because the front of the Zamboni obstructs your view until twenty feet ahead.”

Carter explained that there are some tricks to help determine how well a driver is doing.

“Some Zambonis have a small gap by the driver seat (on the floor) where you can see the ice traveling to the augur,” he said. “If you see pure white you’re actually cutting too deep into the ice.”

Carter’s favorite part of operating a Zamboni is knowing that strangers stare from the crowd in amazement and confusion.

“Having a $120,000 piece of machinery under my control means I have to fully stay focused,” he said.