How to Drive a Zamboni for NHL Games

Everybody loves the Zamboni. This magic machine the size of a small car rolls out on the ice between periods of NHL games and fixes the rough and melted surface that the players have been skating on. After a few laps, the ice is smooth and hard like new. Many people dream of this job, but it takes a lot of work to get there.

Instructions

    • 1

      Learn how a Zamboni works. Before you drive, you need to know what happens. After a period in the NHL there are deep gashes and skatemarks all over the ice, making it treacherous. A Zamboni sprays hot water over the rough surface and then scrapes off a thin layer of ice which leads to smooth, glassy ice.

    • 2

      Find a job working in operations at a local ice rink. This is where most Zamboni operators get their start. Much like playing hockey for a minor league team, working at a small local rink will give you the needed experience to move to the NHL and driving a Zamboni.

    • 3

      Join a union for ice rink workers and Zamboni drivers. Such unions are regional in structure. For example, you can find the Minnesota Ice Arena Manager's Association or the NorthEast Ice Skating Managers Association. Joining a union like one of these can help you find Zamboni jobs and represent you in negotiations with employers.

    • 4

      Discover all the aspects of ice management. You may not instantly get promoted to Zamboni driver, so it is important to know everything there is to know about caring for ice. That means performing hand-done patchwork and managing the generator that keeps things cold.

    • 5

      Move on to bigger and bigger rinks. Once you have become competent at operations of one rink, find jobs working for bigger rinks until you have reached the level of expertise necessary to be a Zamboni driver in the NHL.

    • 6

      Work hard and have patience; you are looking for a specialized position that may not become available in the near future.