Bringing Connected Operations to the rink: Samsara partners with the Laval Rocket

Few places test an operation like Canada. Fleets cover long distances between communities, crews work through deep-freeze winters, and equipment has to perform in every season. Across the country, organizations in transportation and logistics, construction, field services, food and beverage, and passenger transit rely on Samsara for the real-time data that keeps people safe and assets running.

Off the job, many of those same teams are dedicated hockey fans. Now, in Quebec, the technology they use at work is heading to the rink.

Organizations across the province already rely on Samsara for the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of their operations. Today, Samsara is proud to extend that work to the ice as the technology partner of the Laval Rocket, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens.

The partnership is the first professional hockey sponsorship for Samsara. It spans all regular-season home games at Place Bell, starting with the home opener on Friday, October 2. Both electric Zamboni® ice resurfacers at the arena now carry Samsara branding, and each is equipped with a Vehicle Gateway (VG) and 360 Camera. The same hardware that supports fleets across Canada is now on the ice at Place Bell.

The work between periods

Ice conditions shape everything from the speed of the game to player safety. During each intermission, the Place Bell crew has only minutes to lay down a clean, consistent sheet. Getting it right takes equipment that's ready the moment it's needed and operators who can move confidently around the rink.

Fleet and equipment managers across Canada know the challenge well: keep specialized assets available, catch maintenance issues early, and give operators the visibility to work safely. With both Zamboni® machines connected to the Samsara Connected Operations® Platform, the Place Bell team has access to performance data, maintenance insights, and camera footage in one dashboard

The technology on board

Each Zamboni® carries two pieces of Samsara hardware: a Vehicle Gateway mounted on the side and a 360 Camera with a clear view in every direction.

Vehicle Gateway: built for Canadian conditions

Organizations across Canada rely on the Vehicle Gateway every day for telematics, live GPS tracking, and remote diagnostics. At Place Bell, it can capture similar performance data from each machine on the ice.

Tested for vibration, shock, moisture, and extreme temperatures, the VG operates from -40°C to 85°C, offering the durability Canadian fleets count on. It connects over 4G LTE, and built-in flash memory keeps logging when the signal drops, so the record stays complete. That data can help the crew plan maintenance around real usage, catch issues before they affect a game, and keep both machines ready for every intermission.

360 Camera: every angle, in real time

Built for operator-controlled equipment, the single-mount, all-weather 360 Camera captures everything around the machine, including the operator. Managers can spot risks in real time, or pan and zoom to review any angle of a recorded event. It offers a view no other camera in the building can: the rink from the Zamboni®'s point of view.

A front-row seat for fans

This partnership is also about the people in the stands. At every home game, one child will have the chance to ride a Samsara-branded Zamboni® as it resurfaces the ice between periods. Through The Samsara Zamboni® Experience, a contest with the Laval Rocket, winners at select games will also receive four seats in the first row behind the player bench. 

On the road and on the ice

Every home game at Place Bell depends on people fans rarely see, and the same is true on highways, job sites, and service routes from coast to coast. Whether it's a long-haul fleet, a field service crew, or a Zamboni® operator between periods, Samsara is proud to support the people who keep Canada moving. We can't wait to see you at Place Bell this season.

Eligibility requirements and entry details will be available on the Laval Rocket website. To learn how Samsara helps Canadian organizations strengthen their operations, visit Samsara Canada.