BOSTON — Most sports fans heading to Fenway Park hope for sunny skies and warm weather.
Not Ben Breton, especially when it comes to preparing to play outdoor hockey at the iconic, 105-year-old ballpark.
“We like it to be overcast and about 40 degrees,” said Breton. “Fifty’s not a major problem, but we try to do everything we can to combat all types of weather. We can’t predict what’s going to happen.”
Breton is the outdoor-rink specialist in charge of the sheet that was built especially for this year’s Frozen Fenway event, a series of outdoor hockey games that will include one between the University of New Hampshire men’s team and Hockey East rival Northeastern at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14.
Building an outdoor rink is nothing new for Breton, who has worked on outdoor rinks for big-time hockey events all over the country, including the last two Frozen Fenway events in 2012 and 2014. The biggest challenge for Breton and his crew is preparing for all types of weather.
“Every time we’re at a new event, it tests our boundaries,” Breton said. “Extreme cold or warm, that’s a tough one. But we spend days looking at the forecast, so we know what’s going to happen to the rink surface.”
When it comes to weather, outdoor college hockey games at Fenway Park have run the gamut. The first were held in 2010 and piggybacked on the NHL Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. A week later, the UNH women’s hockey team beat Northeastern amid snow and bitter cold. In 2012, when the UNH men played against Maine, temperatures soared into the high 50s.
In 2014, Merrimack, Providence, Boston College and Notre Dame played a doubleheader a week after a snowstorm, and frigid temperatures that followed on game night made the ice so brittle it was cracking. A week later, the University of Maine and Boston University splashed through puddles as rain came down in buckets, causing lengthy delays between periods as the crew worked to keep the ice playable.
“With an outdoor rink like this, we’re always working with Mother Nature,” Breton said. “We have to rely on our artificial refrigeration to keep the rink frozen.”
Should the sun come out in full force on game day, the players won’t have to worry about the lines and logos on the ice. At an indoor rink, those elements are painted onto the ice, but outdoor rinks require lines and logos to be made of vinyl.
“[We] don’t paint the rink traditionally, with all the logos and lines you’d see on an indoor rink,” Breton said. “We have drop-in vinyl logos, so if it does get warm, those colors won’t bleed onto the ice.”
A light snow falling during the game can add to the fans’ delight and looks good on television — too much snow could test players and fans’ patience, not to mention make getting to the game a logistical nightmare.
As far as the game is concerned, however, Breton isn’t too worried about snow.
“No amount of snow is bad for us — if it snows, we’ll have to shovel the surface,” Breton said. “We’d like to see it lightly snow because it gives it a little more atmosphere.”
Preparing Fenway Park itself for hockey — aside from the rink — is a tremendous undertaking.
Fred Olsen, a 1997 UNH grad who works for the Red Sox as the senior director of special events, said planning for Frozen Fenway starts about a year in advance.
“The entire process itself to set up is about three weeks long,” Olsen said. “Some days we have as many as 30-40 people working here.”
Not only is the ballpark being prepared for two weekends of big-time college hockey and other ice-related events, but it also is undergoing routine maintenance that takes place every winter between baseball seasons. On a recent afternoon, as Breton’s crew worked on assembling the rink, much work was being done on the ballpark’s structure, such as expansion of the dugouts. The entire wall behind the backstop had been removed, exposing the first row of seats to the field. Also, the walls of the bullpens in the outfield had been removed.
“We have about a week to go to get the ballpark in public-facing shape,” Olsen said. “We’re always doing something here. It’s our job to work hand-in-hand with the people heading up those projects.”
As for accommodating hockey fans, a few adjustments have to be made, starting with the concession stands. In addition to regular ballpark fare such as hot dogs and popcorn, more winter-friendly items also will be served.
“Hot chocolate, chowder, things like that,” Olsen said. “We take into account longer lines because of big jackets.”
Fans also will be able to hear the action on the ice, even if seated in the far reaches of Fenway Park such as the Green Monster seats or the top row of the bleachers. That’s because microphones around the ice surface will capture live-action sound that will be broadcast over the public-address speakers.
“We work with NESN to provide that sound,” said Olsen. “We want fans to experience it as if they were in a hockey arena — that sound, every shot, every check into the boards.”
UNH’s matchup against Northeastern will be the second game of a Hockey East doubleheader on Jan. 14. UMaine and UConn will play in the first game at 4 p.m.
Bentley vs. Army will kick off Frozen Fenway 7 p.m. Thursday, and another Hockey East doubleheader will take place on Saturday — Boston University and UMass Amherst will face off at 4 p.m., and Boston College and Providence will go at it at 7:30 p.m.
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