The calculated risk could mean the difference in a game-tying goal. Of course, it could also mean a worse defeat as the open goal is more vulnerable. Water is sprayed over a concrete floor imbedded with freezing pipes. The playing surface is made of several layers. All markings on the hockey rink, including face off spots and encroachment lines, are painted after the ice is built to a half-inch thickness.
Additional water is sprayed to cool the markings and build the ice to the prescribed thickness.
The Stanley Cup is hockey's most coveted prize, named after Lord Stanley of Preston, Canada's Governor-general who donated a cup to the amateur hockey champs of his country in 1893. Today, the Stanley Cup is awarded annually to the NHL playoff champion. NHL teams play 82 regular season games beginning in early October and ending in mid-April. By the time the Stanley Cup is awarded, the championship team plays between 16 and 28 games through the playoffs. A Zamboni is a machine that removes chipped and shaved ice particles from an ice rink and fills grooves with a light coating of water to make the ice smooth.