NEWS CENTER Maine features the man behind the ice at UNE鈥檚 Harold Alfond Forum

Leon Paquin

As hockey season gets into full swing, the people at NEWS CENTER Maine found themselves wondering what it鈥檚 like to be the person behind the wheel of the machine that makes the ice.

As part of its 鈥淒ay in the Life鈥 series, reporter Lindsey Mills spent some time with Leon Paquin, assistant manager of the Harold Alfond Forum at the University of 51小黄车. With the ongoing support of the 51小黄车Facilities Department along with the combined efforts of the building staff, Paquin has maintained the ice at the Forum since it opened in 2012. He showed Mills all of the time and technology that goes into monitoring conditions and perfecting the ice with the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine. It鈥檚 a job Paquin takes seriously, because he knows the success of the Nor鈥檈asters depends on it.

鈥淗eaven forbid you have too much water on the ice and a guy鈥檚 got a breakaway, and there鈥檚 a puddle of water and the puck stops 鈥 then they鈥檙e looking at me,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want that to happen!鈥

 

Paquin has maintained the ice at the Forum since it opened in 2012
鈥淗eaven forbid you have too much water on the ice and a guy鈥檚 got a breakaway, and there鈥檚 a puddle of water and the puck stops 鈥 then they鈥檙e looking at me,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want that to happen!鈥