Finland has been among the leading European countries in how ice rink ice is produced, managed, and maintained. Turning five years old this year, Nokia Arena is the best example of Finnish ice quality. Tampere has already hosted two World Championships and two NHL Global Series sets. The captains of the Finnish Liiga teams voted Nokia Arena's ice as the best in Finland.

Tampere’s Nokia Arena was completed in December 2021. The arena is the shared home of the Liiga teams Ilves and Tappara. Nokia Arena is located right in the heart of downtown Tampere. The arena has a spectator capacity of 15,000, and in addition to the rink, the building houses a high-end hotel and numerous restaurants.

Before the time of Nokia Arena, Oulun Kärpät's home rink in Raksila, Oulu, dominated the vote for Finland's best ice for a long time. The ice in Oulu remains high quality, and players enjoy playing there. The expertise of the ice maintenance staff there is also world-class, but thanks to new building technology and a modern environment, Nokia Arena has taken the top spot.

In 2022, the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships were held in Tampere and Helsinki. At that time, Nokia Arena was still a brand-new building (much like the Santagiulia arena in Milan), and the newly completed rink faced some challenges with building technology, air dehumidification, cooling, and water quality. The International Ice Hockey Federation sent Tampere a list of things that needed to be fixed for the following year's 2023 tournament. For two consecutive years, the international hockey carnival arrived in Tampere. The second host city in 2023 was Riga, Latvia.

After the 2022 tournament, Tampere rolled up its sleeves and began developing the arena toward the next year’s competitions. The power of Nokia Arena’s air dehumidification and cooling was increased, and a water purification system was acquired for the hall. The ice maintenance staff committed to a common goal and developed their own expertise. At the same time, the IIHF had established its own standards for ice quality, and Finland wanted to reach the top "A-class." When the puck dropped at center ice in Nokia Arena in 2023, the arena had been approved for A-class. Since that moment, Nokia Arena has met the International Ice Hockey Federation's toughest requirements every year without any difficulties.

For the audience sitting in the stands, the spring World Championships felt different than before. At Nokia Arena, investments were made in the rink's micro-climate, meaning colder air was blown inside the rink and over the ice than before. This cold air was also felt by the audience, as Finland was experiencing summer-like conditions at the same time. Many may have arrived at the arena in t-shirts but might have regretted their decision. In the winter, Finns did not notice this cold, as it might be –20 °C outside.

Whenever a World Championship final or a local Tappara-Ilves match is played, Nokia Arena is sold out. With a sold-out arena, any hall inevitably warms up, even though the rink and the stands form their own environments and have air of different temperatures blown into them. A person typically produces a heat load of about 100–300 watts during a match, making it clear that large masses of people affect the temperature of the entire arena. In modern halls, however, this can be better managed through superior building technology.

In addition to Nokia Arena, many Finnish ice rinks have begun investing in water purification and treatment. In Finland, tap water is drinkable everywhere. This, in turn, means that various substances such as calcium, magnesium, and iron have been added to it. However, this same water is used to freeze the ice in rinks. When water freezes, it simultaneously pushes all impurities to the surface. Thus, impurities in the tap water rise to the top, onto the surface of the ice. During games and practices, these impurities form "snow" on the ice. In reality, it is not snow but skating waste. After that, the puck begins to bounce and the players' skates begin to dull.

The fewer impurities that rise to the ice surface, the better the ice is. The ice becomes frictionless and remains clear and clean. This allows the puck to glide better and makes playing easier. The "snow shovelers" are just part of the scenery. From the perspective of ice making, clean ice freezes better and consumes less energy. This is important for the total costs of the ice rink! Nokia Arena uses a modern water purification system where the water to be frozen is always purified. Many Finnish rinks also have a system that recycles and cleans old skating waste, allowing the water to pass through filters to be used again. It is part of the modern circular economy.

In modern arenas, more than just ice hockey is played. Tampere has the expertise for this as well, as Nokia Arena has incredible conversion speed. It serves as a stage for music and other arts. The arena staff quickly dismantles and assembles the rinks, and they have taken cues from the best arenas in North America. The NHL Global Series games have also brought changes to Tampere, including adjustments to the European rink size. The NHL did not need to intervene in Nokia Arena's ice otherwise, except for the request to add salt to the water.

Humans also play a role in producing high-quality ice. According to a Finnish saying, the greatest savings and benefits are made by the lowest-paid worker. Nokia Arena's staff consists of an arena master and ice technicians who do their part to perform high-quality work for the ice. In Finland, training for ice technicians is organized continuously, and graduates receive an "Ice Master" certificate. For example, three full-time ice technicians from Finland worked at the Milan Olympics.

Finland intends to continue being involved in both playing ice hockey and producing ice alongside the USA and Canada, competing for the title of the best in the world.

The article interviewed Manu Varho, the Facilities Manager of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Photos and text by Valtteri Karjula.