Automatic doors will soon be the norm at Ottawa’s outdoor rink, and the team hopes it will help them become even more popular.
Hunter Automatic Doors, as the name suggests, is a new brand of doorless outdoor doors that were originally developed by Oshawa in 2013 and are now in production at OlliRocks and Otter Point.
The doors open automatically and will lock behind the player when the puck is in the net, but can also be set to close automatically.
Ottawa has been testing the doors since the 2015-16 season and hopes to be able to open them by late summer.
“Hunter Automatic doors are the first step in unlocking the hockey world to the full potential of the sport,” Olli Rolfsson, vice-president of marketing and sales for Hunter Automatic Door Co. said in a statement.
“We believe they will be a tremendous attraction to fans and will help usher in a new era of outdoor hockey in Oshawa.”
The door-free outdoor hockey experience is a big step forward for Olli, as its only outdoor rink.
Olli has hosted a team of around 40 outdoor players, and in 2016-17, the rink saw around 80,000 visitors.
With a new player coming into the league, Olli is working to make the rink even more inviting to the next generation of players.
“It’s going to be a good addition to our rink,” Rolfson said.
“It’s an interesting change to our schedule.”