Bambi on ice: Deer sneaks into hockey arena outside Edmonton

An arena worker at a Strathcona County recreation centre got a very Canadian surprise visitor while performing ice maintenance last week.

A spokesperson for the county said the worker was making sure the ice at the Ardrossan Recreation Complex, east of Edmonton, was in good shape.

“Our zamboni room was a little warm and he opened up the bay door to cool down,” said Sherri-Dawn Annett.

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“While he was working on the ice, he noticed a noise behind him and a brand new visitor had joined him: a young buck.”

Annett said the little guy wasn’t prepared for how slippery the ice was and sat down for a while.

“After a brief visit, he was able to find his footing and make it off the ice, speeding away into the bush,” she said.

The staffer made sure not to spook the deer and even helped guide him out of the rec centre.