MikeM writes:
 
>It sounds as if the problem may occur when they have other events at
>the Mullins Center either the day of or day before a hockey game.  As
>well, from what I have heard (certainly not official), I think they
>may have melted the ice to repaint the lines late in the week and then
>not given it enough time to harden before covering it again for an
>event that took place the day before the game.  The combination of
>those two things is probably what caused the ice to be so bad.
 
Although what I've heard is not official, the problem started with the
situation Mike posted (or something very similar).  The players had come out
for warmups and had trouble skating because the paint was coming through.  It
was the white paint from what I've heard.  They tried to correct the problem by
shaving the ice to get the paint up.  When the players came out again for
warmups the ice was so thin that they blew a big hole in it down to the
concrete.  There were also spots where the ice was like washboard.  After the
second attempt at warmups the game was rescheduled to January 15 at 7:00 PM.
 
It was not a fun night for the Wildcats.  The weather was bad and it took them
four hours to get home (normally a 2 1/2 hour drive.
 
Bruce Spencer