The Chicago Blackhawks and Bulls have shared a home for decades, and it takes an entire team and 2,000 moving pieces to make it work.
That’s because it takes, all total, approximately 2,092 pieces and a team of 50 people to convert the ice surface that the Blackhawks use into a basketball court for the Bulls, according to Scott Boyke, the senior manager of conversions at the arena.
“It’s poetry in motion,” he said.
Boyke has been working on the process for 30 years, with the Bulls and Blackhawks each making numerous deep playoff runs in that time and requiring a slew of work to make their joint tenant arrangement work.
The ice the Blackhawks use is the base surface, and according to Boyke an insulated decking covers that surface when the conversion process begins. A subfloor is then laid down, and the Bulls’ court is put on top, checking in at a thickness of 3.25 inches.
The boards from the Blackhawks’ rink are also removed, and 1,200 seats are also added to the United Center for Bulls games, a process that takes roughly two and a half hours to complete.
Between the 130 pieces of boards and glass, the 530 pieces of decking that cover the ice, to the 232 pieces of the basketball court, and the 1,200 seats, it all checks in at nearly 2,100 pieces that have to be maneuvered for the conversion to be completed.
The finishing touches include ensuring that all the lines on the court are the proper distance from the baskets, and Boyke himself is in the position of ensuring that the hoops are properly set up, precisely 10 feet off the floor.
He says that it’s “very gratifying” to be part of the process, and that his team takes heart in the achievements of the two tenants of the United Center.
“In a small way, it’s very gratifying, knowing that your efforts allow these amazing athletes to perform every night,” he said.