Ice is back at Prospera and that can only mean one thing

There’s a buzz - along with a bit of a chill in the air at Prospera Place.

That’s because the Kelowna Rockets hockey season is inching closer. In fact, make that one-and-a-quarter inches to be precise; the ideal thickness of the playing surface once crews have concluded putting in the ice.

Fresh new lines have been painted on the floor and the logos are in place. That’s followed by the painstaking process of spraying very fine mist layers across the entire chilled surface to build up the ice over several days.

By Saturday the surface will be at it’s pristine sparkling best, highlighting that a whole new chapter of Rockets hockey is nearly upon us.

“You know the season is coming, it’s kind of like Christmas,” operations manager Ian Murray told Kelowna10. “It’s a brand-new beginning, you’re looking forward to it.”

Murray explained that Kelowna is blessed to have Wayne Pansegrau as a locally based expert in ice installations who has worked on NHL outdoor rinks and IIHF arenas. He supervised the paint and logo work.

“He’s done multiple projects and his work is excellent,” Murray said.

The process involves laying down the white across the whole floor first, then the various painted lines, followed by the specially made mesh fabric logos that water can flow through and freeze, Murray explained. Each step of the process involves a time-consuming spraying of fine layers of water to ensure the paint doesn’t bleed.

The arena surface should be all set by Saturday when it will be covered ahead of the Greta Van Fleet concert Monday night. Murray figured the ice should be ready for first skate by Tuesday afternoon.

“Everyone is looking forward to the new season, we’re all talking about it again,” he said.

Puck drops on the Kelowna Rockets’ regular season Friday, Sept. 24, at home to the Portland Winterhawks.

104.7 The Lizard will bring you live play-by-play action throughout the season with Regan Bartel.