Hockey has a costly ice problem—and AI is about to take over arenas to fix it

Energy costs are increasing , and while it may cost a lot more than before to heat or cool a home, such expenses are basically peanuts compared with operating a hockey arena. That’s why the National Hockey League is bringing in a building automation heavyweight to help. This week, the NHL announced a new partnership with Honeywell aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of hockey facilities across North America and lowering operating costs. The multiyear partnership makes Honeywell—a massive company that provides products and services to many different industries—the “Official Building Automation and Energy Management Partner of the NHL.” The primary issue the partnership seeks to address is a lack of energy efficiency in NHL arenas, practice facilities, and community rinks across the U.S. and Canada. To solve this, Honeywell will analyze energy use and provide AI -enabled automation technologies to lower power consumption and improve climate control. Ice is a difficult thing to mana