from Emily Kaplan of ESPN,

When General Motors repurposed one of its dormant plants in Warren, Michigan to produce masks for frontline workers, it needed some help for a crucial step: disinfecting.

So the company turned to the hockey community for an assist.

GM called the Ilitch family, which owns the Detroit Red Wings. Christopher Ilitch then called Paul Boyer, the Red Wings head equipment manager.

"They were trying to get their hands on a sanitizing machine," Boyer said. "What we use them in the sports industry for is killing the bacteria, and making that wonderful sports odor go away. You put anything in it that touches the skin: skates, shoulder pads, helmets. They're designed to sanitize an entire bag of hockey equipment in one shot."

The Red Wings couldn't provide one, because when Little Caesars Arena opened in 2017, it got a modern upgrade; the sanitizing machine is built into the HVAC system in the locker room. But Boyer called five equipment managers around the NHL.

"The machines were just sitting idle in the locker rooms, so it was a no-brainer," Boyer said. "Our guys are very generous. I could have gotten more. Some were willing to donate it, but they couldn't get into their rinks."

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