Ed Graham of Mount Prospect is trailed by his shadow as he skates toward the net at West Park in Des Plaines Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Des Plaines. Graham and his friend Jerry Wagner of Des Plaines, who was off the ice at the moment collecting errant pucks, managed to get a couple hours of hockey in before the arrival of an extended thaw. Both men reminisced about the “good old days” when skaters could count on a solid three months of outdoor ice time with few interruptions due to temperature spikes. Now, it seems like players are lucky to get three weeks of skateable ice.
Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com