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    "original_url": "https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7622002\/2026\/09\/23\/nhl-driverless-zamboni-ice-resurfacer\/?source=athletic_pulsenewsletter&campaign=19910243&userId=16438468",
    "parsed_content": "The hulking blue ice resurfacer making laps around the Colorado Avalanche\u2019s practice rink last week appeared to be missing one thing: a driver.But as it shaved and resurfaced the rink, the empty seat behind the wheel was entirely intentional.The machine, called the Mammoth Autopilot 3D, is made by Italian manufacturer WM Technics. Unlike familiar ice resurfacers \u2014 often generically called Zambonis, though Zamboni is the best-known brand of the machine \u2014 the Mammoth can complete an entire run without anyone on board.The one at Family Sports Center outside Denver, where the Avalanche are holding their training camp prior to next week\u2019s start of the 2026-27 NHL season, is the first of its kind to appear in the league, whether at a team\u2019s practice facility or arena. It is also believed to be a first for any North American rink. (Family Sports Center is owned and run by South Suburban Parks and Recreation, not the Avalanche.)The unusual sight quickly struck a nerve on social media. A video of the Mammoth resurfacing the Avalanche\u2019s practice ice, posted by reporter Jesse Montano, drew more than two million views on X, along with numerous complaints. One lamented technology replacing \u201cone of the best jobs out there with a robot.\u201d Another commenter called it a \u201ctravesty.\u201dFor Weston Woodward, ice and facilities supervisor for South Suburban Parks and Recreation, understanding how the Mammoth works begins with what it\u2019s not.\u201cSome of the misinformation about it is that people assume it uses AI and that\u2019s not the case at all,\u201d Woodward said. \u201cAs an operator, we\u2019re still programming it for what it needs to do.\u201dBefore the Mammoth rolls out, Woodward or another one of his technicians inspects the ice and determines what that particular run requires. Through a website, the operator can choose a resurfacing pattern and set specific parameters \u2014 including blade depth, water application and speed. Those settings can be adjusted while the machine is operating.\n Colorado AvalancheNHLSports Business\n \n \n Once the operator starts autopilot mode, the machine takes over driving. While the Mammoth makes its laps, a laser-based leveling system detects variations across the ice and directs its blade to raise or lower and adjust how much water it puts down. The goal is to gradually eliminate high and low spots and produce a flatter, more consistent sheet.Family Sports Center, which received its Mammoth in early May and began using the autopilot function with one of its ice sheets in July, is already leaning heavily on the technology. Woodward said roughly 72 percent of resurfacing runs on the autopilot-equipped sheet have used the program, totaling approximately 500 autonomous cycles. That sheet, he said, has become the preference for the Avalanche, even though the other sheet is attached to their dressing room.\u201cAutomation can control the thickness of ice better than a human ever could,\u201d said Raymond LaFond, vice president of LSK Enterprises, a North American distributor for the Mammoth. (Another North American ice resurfacer distributor, Shock Enterprises, handled the specific sale to Family Sports.)\n Unlike here, the ice resurfacer at the Colorado Avalanche\u2019s practice facility is driverless (and normal-sized).Isaiah J. Downing \/ Imagn ImagesThe technology comes at a premium. According to LaFond, a fully equipped Mammoth with Autopilot 3D costs between $360,000 and $380,000, with the autonomous system accounting for about half of that. That precision, however, is only part of the pitch to rink operators.WM began developing the Mammoth\u2019s autopilot program in 2017, as self-driving technology began to gain traction in the automotive industry. Mirko Sparber, WM\u2019s sales and marketing director, said the company also sought to alleviate an increasingly prevalent issue inside ice rinks.Experienced technicians can take years to train, studying what Sparber described as a \u201cliving body of ice.\u201d At the same time, it has become increasingly difficult to find \u2014 let alone retain \u2014 people interested in the specialized trade.\u201cYoung people aren\u2019t interested in it anymore,\u201d Sparber said. \u201cThis is a helpful tool to bring young people into the arena.\u201dWM says the goal is not to eliminate workers, but to assist a specialized workforce. He compared the machine to an electric bicycle. While a person remains in control, the machine makes it easier.LaFond was explicit about the driverless machine\u2019s potential savings on human labor: A rink, he said, could realistically employ fewer workers using a Mammoth because an employee who once had to spend a resurfacing run behind the wheel can now set up locker rooms, distribute gear or perform other rink-related tasks.For the driverless Mammoth \u2014 not to be confused with the NHL team in Utah \u2014 this is just the beginning. Since the original video at Family Sports Center went viral, LaFond\u2019s phone has \u201cblown up\u201d with inquiries.But at Family Sports, a two-sheet community rink where programming can stretch from 5:30 a.m. until midnight, the machine\u2019s addition hasn\u2019t necessarily led to fewer workers. Woodward oversees roughly a dozen ice operators and said the facility has actually added staff since acquiring the Mammoth, though not directly because of it.What has changed is how he trains them. Woodward said the autopilot helps smooth out differences in experience among operators, allowing less-experienced employees to contribute sooner.\u201cIt allows me to have somebody who is relatively new and not quite as developed with their skillset yet still be a productive member of the team,\u201d Woodward said, adding that he sees the technology less as a replacement for his ice technicians than as another way to improve their work.\u201cIt makes all my techs better,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s another training tool that they can use to really see what\u2019s going on and what their impact is.\u201d\nPeter Baugh|Staff Writer, New YorkFollow Kaitlyn Pohly|Reporting Intern, NHLFollow Sep 23, 2026SPONSORED BYConnections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports termsSPONSORED BYPlay today's puzzleWhat did you think of this story?MEHSOLIDAWESOME",
    "published_at": "2026-09-23T09:30:41+00:00",
    "author_name": "Peter Baugh, Kaitlyn Pohly",
    "site_name": "New York Times",
    "section": "Sports Business",
    "publisher": "The New York Times Company",
    "ai_headline": "The hulking blue ice resurfacer making laps around the Colorado Avalanche\u2019s practice rink last week appeared to be missing one thing: a driver.",
    "ai_simplified_title": "Colorado Avalanche Practice Rink Uses Driverless Zamboni",
    "ai_excerpt": "A driverless ice resurfacer, the Mammoth Autopilot 3D, is being used at the Colorado Avalanche's practice rink, sparking social media debate. While some lament job displacement, operators highlight its precision and potential to assist staff rather than replace them. This technology is the first of its kind in the NHL and North America.",
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        "Ice Resurfacer",
        "Zamboni",
        "Automation",
        "Sports Technology",
        "Colorado Avalanche",
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        "Workforce Impact"
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