Mike Colp is putting his Zamboni to good use.
The carpentry instructor from Middleton, N.B., made a NHL-sized rink in his backyard after purchasing a Zamboni online.
"It was hard to get the Zamboni down to the pond, so I decided to build a rink,” said Colp. “It wasn't supposed to be this size, but once we started, we said we might as well make it NHL sized."
Colp enlisted the help of some neighbours, adding boards, lights, a heated board room - and a few maple leafs for a personal touch.
Colp admits he isn’t the biggest hockey fan in the family, but he started the project for his daughter and her friends.
“The kids are just really lucky to have guys like these to build this,” said local resident Laura Thurston. “When Mike does something, he always goes 110 per cent.”
After laying the groundwork more than two years ago, Colp's rink has turned into a weekend hotspot, drawing kids from as far as Moncton and inspiring a whole new generation to lace up the skates.
“I’m thinking about joining hockey next year so I try to practice as good as I can,” said one rink participant.
“I thought it was going to be one of those little rinks where you go on a pond, but it was a lot bigger,” said another young participant.
As word spreads about Colp's rink, his family is expecting large crowds to come out and share their love for the good old hockey game.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Cami Kepke.
