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"In 1994, I experienced the thrill of drinking champagne from the Stanley Cup... I get goose bumps thinking about it."  video clip (1.8M)
-- Jack Durkin, |
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More Zamboni Drivers: The Boys at Madison Square Garden Between periods at a Rangers hockey game at Madison Square Garden, you can see two Zambonis dancing. The machines, covered with Bud Ice and Bud Ice Light logos, take about six minutes to resurface the ice. The drivers are part of the triumvirate known as the MSG Ice Crew. 10,000 gallons of water equals one inch of ice. The whole process of making ice from scratch and painting the white surface and logos takes about 23 hours and 40 miles of walking back and forth on the rink. Frank Reynolds is the foreman of the MSG Ice Crew. Most of the time he stays out of the spotlight, deferring to Jimmy Andreacci and Jack Durkin to drive. If they do something that meets with his disapproval, punishment is easy: "I take away their toys." Driving is a performance, but it's also a lot of pressure. There has never been a delay of game at the Garden (yet) due to Zamboni malfunction, but the machine has broken down briefly on the ice. "Imagine 18,000-25,000 fans shouting 'ASSHOLE'--and they're yelling at you," says Jimmy. 
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