Ice, Ice Problems: Combat-ing the Crappiest Surface at the Ice Hockey World Championship
World federation prolongs ice-related time intervals due to concerns - Following the ice-related issues: World Federation Invokes Third Provision for Additional Support
Hey there, sports fans! You know what's getting a bit skatey these days? The ice surface at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Herning, Denmark. Yep, that's right—the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is feeling the heat due to the less-than-stellar ice, which is causing some pretty significant ice issues.
In an attempt to sort things out, the IIHF's extended the intermission intervals by two minutes for each game. That adds up to a whopping 17 minutes of downtime between periods! They're hoping this extra time will give the ice maintenance crews a chance to truly tackle the issues on the ice surface, making it fully frozen and ultra-hard after each resurfacing. As they say, "Time well spent is never wasted."
What's the deal with this crappy ice, you ask? Let's get into it. During Germany's 5-2 win against Norway on Tuesday, the game came to a halt not just once, but twice, thanks to a giant hole on the ice. Talk about a facepalm moment! The German players were less than impressed with the subpar ice. Even NHL goaltender Philipp Grubauer hopped on the bandwagon, asking for a potential fix.
So, what's the warm-up plan for the German team? Taking on the defending vice-world champions, Switzerland, this time around (4:20 PM/ProSieben and Magentasport). Germany's team, coached by Harold Kreis, has already won all three matches, so they're really starting to heat things up!
Could the problem be due to pesky issues like temperature control, humidity, or arena infrastructure? Sources don't exactly give us the low-down on that, but we bet these factors are playing a role in the less-than-ideal ice conditions. Regardless, the IIHF's got its skates on, extending intermissions as a common solution in international tournaments when ice quality starts to take a dive.
Stay tuned, folks! We'll keep you posted on any more updates and whether these ice-cold solutions work out. But until then, let's hope for some smoother skating and less holey ice at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Herning.
[1] Source: IIHF Website[4] Source: Ice Hockey Intelligence Blog
Despite the ongoing ice issues at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Herning, Denmark, the IIHF has extended intermission intervals by two minutes for each game in an effort to give the maintenance crew enough time to tackle the problems. Moreover, the community and employment policies may need to address factors such as temperature control, humidity, and arena infrastructure to ensure optimal ice conditions in future tournaments.
