PITTSBURGH — More than an hour prior to when the gates opened at PPG Paints arena for the Penguins’ Dec. 30th showdown against the then first-place Carolina Hurricanes, Chris Banks, dressed in a black suit, perused the playing surface, stopping every 10 or so paces to take notes.

Few would understand his observations, but if something was missed, many would notice. Such is life for the Penguins’ director of ice operations.

After a dozen or so readings of temperatures and adjusted calculations, Banks made his way back to the tunnel where he and team operations manager, Josh McCue, looked everything over. More than 14,000 were expected to attend that evening’s game, and as always, the ice had to be perfect.

As the duo retired to their rinkside office to file their latest readings and update their staff on what needed to be done prior to puck drop, Pat Clarke and his crew also gathered for another night of action. From slushy surfaces, to fans slipping mid-slap shot during intermission entertainment, they too had to prepare for everything.

This is a typical day for those responsible for preparing and maintaining the playing surface at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins allowed the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to tag along for this one game, to see how everything fell into place. Below is a detailed layout of what unfolded.

Quiet calculations

Three hours before the Penguins and Hurricanes met at center ice, Banks was already into the thick of his routine.

A Mars, Pa., resident, his introduction to the field didn’t come via a fancy degree, but rather organic experience, having started out as the Zamboni driver for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins in 2007. The NHL club eventually noticed his talents and relocated him to the Steel City.

“There’s not really a conventional way into this job,” he explained. “People just kind of find their way into it.”

Banks’ work day starts the evening prior to each game by sending out an email to the engineers who oversee the playing surface. Everything is broken down into an exact science, one that revolves around the correct temperatures, dew points and times throughout the day to cut the ice down to an ideal depth.

For 7 p.m. puck drops, like the one that evening, Banks normally arrives at the arena around 2 p.m. His first task is to walk the ice, checking the boards for loose screws, cracked glass, ill-positioned cameras or anything else that could “cause a problem.” Then comes the first of many extensive reviews of the ice depth chart, which displays all the metrics that highlight how the surface is currently presenting.

Each arena maintains the ice to its own standard. Banks’ ideal ice sheet is 1.3 inches thick, chilled at 22.8 degrees. Anything warmer creates a slower playing surface, something the players on this year’s Penguins hope to avoid.

“It’s funny how they can realize the difference,” Banks said with a smile. “Even when it’s just a few tenths of a degree.”

The remainder of Banks’ pregame responsibilities all pertained to maintaining the ice just how he wants it. Adjustments were made by the stadium’s engineer staff at 4:30 p.m. and then again at 5:45 p.m., to ensure everything is perfect for pregame warmups, which were scheduled for 6:20 p.m.

The biggest remaining variable pertains to attendance. As thousands of fans flock toward their seats once the gates open, the temperature throughout the arena will rise. The size of each anticipated crowd allows Banks to determine just how cold the ice must be to ensure it evens out to the desired temperature come game time.

Fun reinforcements

As Banks and his crew run their numbers and make their adjustments before each game, a wave of fun-loving reinforcements arrive to assist. This group is of course known as the Penguins’ Ice Crew.

Clarke, a North Hills resident, is their leader, boasting the formal title of ice crew manager. Not long ago he was a member of the squad, but now he runs the show.

The Penguins Ice Crew consists of 18 members, with 12 scheduled to work each home game. Most crew members are students or full-time employees elsewhere. Their primary objective on game day is to freshen up the ice during intermissions while also assisting in stadium intermission entertainment.

In order to make the team, one must go through three rounds of auditions. Round 1 consists of basic skating drills, Round 2 is a formal interview, and Round 3 is another on-ice session.

Auditions don’t take place every year, but rather when needed. The crew’s last audition featured over 40 applicants, some being far more qualified than others.

“There was one guy who was clearly only there so he could skate on the same ice as the Penguins,” Clarke recalled. “He didn’t make it to the next round, but at least he’s got a good story.”

Similar to Banks, Clarke also arrives at the arena about four hours prior to puck drop each game day. He also dons a fresh suit, unless one of the 12 crew members scheduled for a game that evening can’t make it. In that case, he will turn back the clock and join his crew — something that happens a few times each season.

Clarke’s responsibilities in the hours leading up to the game revolve around that day’s intermission entertainment. That and, of course, coordinating a responsibility layout for each member of his 12-person crew, whose scheduled report time is 5:45 p.m.

Game time

The small area where Banks lurks during pregame quickly becomes crowded in the hour prior to puck drop. By the time the national anthem is played, Clarke and his crew have joined him, along with a handful of security guards and snow shovelers.

The Penguins trounced the Hurricanes that evening by a final score of 5-1. But as the crowd was busy admiring Anthony Mantha’s two goals or Stuart Skinner’s 27 saves, Banks and Clarke were fixated on ensuring everything went according to plan.

Just a few minutes into the game, Banks turned to McCue and noted that one of the Hurricanes’ starting defensemen “skated heavy.”

“That means he will put thicker gashes in the ice,” Banks later explained. “It’s just one of a million things we have to look out for.”

Clarke’s crew sprung into action during the first intermission. The 12-person unit zipped around the ice emulative to bees flying around their hive, each with a mission. Clarke made sure to document the action on the Ice Crew’s new Instagram account while smiling like a proud father.

All 12 crew members hustled off the ice before the intermission concluded, each with a full shovel. Roughly 300 inches of snow is shoved away each game, all of it thrown into a large plastic bin to be wheeled away once play resumes.

Midway through the first period, a flurry of shots near the goal eventually allowed the Penguins’ net to become dislodged. As officials quickly positioned the net back in place, Banks instructed his team to ensure that no loose snow went into the net’s lodging holes while it was out of place.

Not long after, Banks was informed of a potential Zamboni issue — one that if true, would lead to the cancellation of all on-ice activity during intermissions. Thankfully, all ended up being well.

Between periods, Clarke’s crew stored away its shovels and played host to fans selected to partake in that evening’s intermission entertainment. After exiting the ice, the Zambonis took the stage, clearing up the surface for another 20 minutes of play.

While Banks and Clarke remained intently focused throughout the entire 60 minutes of action, it was easy to notice relief on both of their faces as the final horn approached. As the game concluded and the three stars were announced, their night came to an end not long after.

Banks made his final checks and Clarke congratulated his team on another successful game day. No major hiccups occurred, which to them is a victory just as big as the one the Penguins experienced that evening.

Everything had gone smooth — literally.

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