Report: Players to rate ice conditions in new postgame surveys

Sometimes complaining works.

A new group formed by the NHL and NHLPA called the Playing Environment subcommittee will rate ice conditions around the league by having players submit postgame surveys, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reports.

At the end of games, players will evaluate what the ice quality was like through 20, 40, and 60 minutes, and it was the new subcommittee that authored the ice conditions report card, according to Kypreos.

Several players have taken digs at the ice conditions at certain arenas this season. Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson quipped last month that the outdoor sheet for the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium was "better than that last game in Carolina."

His teammate, goaltender Corey Crawford, was critical of that outdoor ice surface. Then, a couple of weeks later, he said having ideal ice quality like that of Colorado, Washington, and Edmonton was a better way to increase scoring than the streamlined goalie pants that became mandatory over the weekend.

Three days after Crawford's comments, the always outspoken Vancouver Canucks netminder Ryan Miller complained about Crawford's home rink, Chicago's United Center, claiming it was the worst ice he's seen in his career.

Then there's the situation at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where several New York Islanders players criticized the ice in an arena where the floor piping system reportedly doesn't meet NHL standards.

The league clearly knows the situation there is less than ideal and there's not much the Islanders can do about it barring a move to another venue, but these new surveys should help determine other arenas where the ice needs to be improved.