Dan Craig wakes up and checks his phone. National Hockey League vice presidents of facilities operations — they’re just like us.
Except Craig isn’t up at 7 a.m., checking his texts or Twitter. He’s up at 2:30 a.m., looking at a custom-built app designed to monitor the temperature of the ice housed in rinks at the league’s outdoor games. In this case, he’s monitoring the build for Saturday’s Stadium Series game at Heinz Field between the Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers.
If Craig sees 22 degrees Fahrenheit or thereabouts, he goes back to sleep. If not, it’s time to make a move.