Behind the Scenes Spotlight: Al Sobotka
By: Michael Niziolek
for In Play! Magazine
Not many building managers have developed into cult heroes, but with his Zamboni driving and Octopus twirling Al Sobotka, Building Operations Manager for Olympia Entertainment, has become a hugely popular figure for Red Wings' fans.
For 38 seasons Sobotka has been part of Olympia Entertainment and after graduating high school in 1971 worked his way over the years from the midnight cleaning shift to building manager overseeing…well everything.
"I'm in charge of the ice - putting that in, maintenance of it. All the people that are hired to clean the building, painting, things like that," Sobotka explains. "Hundreds of little things every day."
For Sobotka, and his crew, the day starts at around nine in the morning getting the ice ready for the morning skate by both the Red Wings and visiting team than repeating the process after practice. Sometimes they will even have a show or event in-between that they'll have to clean up after.
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