Erik Harrington always wanted to drive a Zamboni. How about buying one? Not necessarily, but it’s an early highlight of Belmont’s new ice rink manager’s tenure.
Working with the town’s building committee and administration, the 26-year-old led the charge in purchasing a brand-new unit for roughly $160,000 from the renowned California-based manufacturer. When the ice at the new rink is in, the Zamboni will be front-and-center, clearing the ice during games.
In just over three months into his full-time role in Belmont, Harrington has jumped right in — and feels optimistic — ahead of the $30-million-plus facility’s anticipated Nov. 1 opening day.
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“I used to always play mini hockey, and I would pause and Zamboni the living room,” Harrington said. “It was kind of like a ‘pinch me’ thing of actually getting a Zamboni. Just a funny little personal thing, like who would’ve guessed?”
Harrington, a Tewksbury native and resident, started his role on April 22. He previously served as the hockey operations and marketing assistant for the New England Sports Center in Marlborough. He plans to move closer to Belmont, perhaps closer to family in Somerville or Medford, in the near future.
A varsity ice hockey player at Tewksbury Memorial High School and a member of Stonehill College’s first-ever club hockey team, Harrington graduated from college in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. His career began with a stint as an engineering recruiter, but Harrington always kept an eye out for sports-related roles, working part-time for Kraft Sports + Entertainment as an events ambassador.
He joined New England Sports Center full-time in the fall of 2023. Not necessarily looking to leave his old role but casually browsing for jobs more convenient to home, Harrington came across a posting for Belmont’s ice rink manager online and gave it a shot. Though he didn’t have any direct connections to the town, Harrington felt his wide-ranging experience gave him a good chance.
“New rink. Easy sell there,” Harrington said. “I heard good things about the town and knew it was a nice area.”
A one-man show for now, reporting to the town administrator’s office, Harrington will hire a staff including a full-time assistant manager and more than a dozen part-time roles like rink attendants/Zamboni drivers and concessions and skate shop workers. Once the rink opens, Harrington and his assistant will have offices in the rink building. For now, he’s in the recreation office and construction trailer next to the rink.
Harrington’s main responsibilities will be scheduling ice time and managing rink staff. Maintaining strong relationships with Belmont High School, Belmont Youth Hockey, and the town’s Recreation Department is non-negotiable.
“Just making sure everybody’s getting a good share of ice and can utilize the facility for not just hockey,” Harrington said. “Some people might want to get out there and do public skating or whatever recreation program we put out there. It’ll be a lot of making sure everyone’s getting along within the facility and getting a fair shake with the ice. And making sure the facility stays as new and shiny for as long as I can keep it that way.”
Opinion on the ice rink’s name is a big topic around town. Harrington doesn’t have a “firm opinion.” It’s worth noting that Harrington is unrelated to the late James P. “Skip” Viglirolo’s daughter, Gail Harrington.
The old building bore Skip Viglirolo’s name. On July 23, Town Meeting members voted to support retaining the name on the new building.
Nov. 1 looks like a safe bet for opening, but some smaller, low-key events in October aren’t out of the question. The rink slab is down. The site looks much more like a rink than a construction site. The boards will be delivered in the next few weeks. They need to acclimate to the conditions before being installed.
But the project is on track.
For both Harrington and the town, the ice rink marks new beginnings.
“I’ve always been in rinks, but I’ve never been in a brand new one,” Harrington said. “Just walking around and seeing everything, it’s really cool to have it all coming together.”
