ABSTRACT
The National Hockey League can trace the roots of its sport to frozen freshwater ponds and cold climates. Unique to the NHL, the ice-making and resurfacing process is one of the most water-intensive operations in professional sports, and importance of water at all levels of the game reinforces why the League continues to explore ways to reduce usage and consumption, advance innovations that will help to reduce impact across the broader hockey community and ultimately educate around these concerns to all hockey stakeholders. In this chapter, the author outlines how, over the past 10 years, the NHL has become one of the most comprehensive, forward-thinking, and globally-recognized environmental sustainability programs in North American professional sports. The League's key water-related initiatives relate to both indoor and outdoor operations. Additionally, as detailed in the chapter, the NHL has endeavored to raise consciousness about water scarcity issues and to encourage water conservation among its enormous fan base, employees, players, and teams across North America.
