A Zamboni driver in Fort Collins, Colorado has died after an accident on the ice on Tuesday, January 27.
The incident occurred shortly after noon local time at Edora Pool Ice Center when the driver, whose name has not been released, backed the Zamboni into a partially open overhead gate. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
No other employees or visitors to the rink were injured.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected and we are working to support their loved ones and co-workers,” the city manager said. Kelly DiMartino said in a statement the next day
DiMartino continued, “The city is conducting a thorough review to better understand the circumstances surrounding the event and review security policies and practices. We remain committed to the safety of city staff and all members of our community.”
The track remained closed until Thursday, January 29.
“This pause in our ice rink operations is out of an abundance of caution, to allow staff support and to provide time and space to understand the circumstances surrounding the event,” DiMartino concluded.
The facility is home to non-NCAA-affiliated Colorado State University ice hockey team, as well as the Fort Collins Area Swim Team and the Fort Collins Figure Skating Club.
Several figure skaters have spoken out after American Airlines Flight 5342 crashes into the Potomac River. On Wednesday, January 29, news broke that the plane, which left Kansas, had crashed into an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. The plane went down in the Potomac River, and emergency crews responded to the (…)
A Zamboni, or ice repairer, is a vehicle commonly used to smooth the ice on hockey and skating rinks. It has become synonymous with hockey, so much so that the son of its inventor, Richard Zambonihe even received a special birthday greeting from the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in August 2025.
“You’ve been a remarkable partner and friend, not just to the NHL, but to the game of hockey,” Bettman, 73, was quoted as saying. NHL.com. “We are grateful for all your contributions and congratulations too for having one of the best names in the world.”
Zamboni, who took over the Frank J. Zamboni Company in 1976, died in November at age 93. He was a member of the Institute of Ice Skating Hall of Fame, NEISMA Frank J. Zamboni Hall of Fame and won several lifetime awards for his work growing ice sports around the world.
The world of figure skating is suffering a major loss after American Airlines Flight 5342 crashed with several members of the community on board. During a press conference on Thursday, January 30, CEO of The Skating Club of Boston, Doug Zeghibe, said “as far as we know, 14 skaters coming home” from the United States National Figure Skating (…)
When Richard, the brand director of the Zamboni Company, died, Paula Cooneyhe remembered him as a student of his industry.
“There was a lot of growth that Richard not only witnessed, but was responsible for,” Coony told the Brantford Exhibitor. “He championed the legacy that his father built. He was so full of wisdom and knowledge about the processes, and he was always fascinated to learn more about the science of ice, the quality of ice and how we could build a better machine.”
Over the years, the Zamboni has become such an iconic part of ice sports that Dave Schneider, a member of the hockey-themed band The Zambonis, said The New York Times in 2009, “It’s kind of weird. Even people who don’t know anything about the sport know about the Zamboni.”
He humorously added that even when the Zamboni Company found out about his band, he told them, “Please don’t make us change our name to ice recovery machines.”