Global warming melts backyard rinks, clouding NHL’s future

The impact of global warming on backyard and community rinks “also clouds the future of the NHL,” which “needs a steady stream of new players -- and future fans -- not just in colder climates but across the Sun Belt states,” according to Belson & Tabuchi of the N.Y. TIMES. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. environmental studies professor Robert McLeman started Rink Watch -- a “citizen science project that asked skaters to report skating conditions at backyard and community rinks through the winter.” The data from “nearly 20,000 rinks was distressing.” McLeman said that in cities like Toronto or Boston, backyard rinks were “becoming so unreliable that many people stopped building them.” He said, “It’s not the most catastrophic impact of global warming, but for communities where pond hockey and backyard rinks are part of the cultural identity, it represents a real loss.” The NHL has “no plan to play games on plastic ice,” even though several teams use it in their training facilities. NHL Senior EVP/Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs Kim Davis said, “Synthetic ice is not a substitute for traditional ice, but it is a strategically valuable tool for us to grow the game.” According to large plastic ice maker Glice, the market in the U.S., including “potentially a million backyard rinks, is worth” $5.4B (N.Y. TIMES, 4/5).