Center Line History

[plasmon]

When did the Center Line become red with interval markings? Just curious...

My father tells a story that back before television (pre-1950s) the center line was just a solid red line with no interval markings. The story goes that players didn't have a big problem between the blue 'blue' lines and the red center line. However, people watching on black-and-white televisions in early 1950s had trouble distinguishing between the lines - they all looked the same on TV. So the NHL instituted a new rule and put 'interval markings' on the center line which would have alternate red and white sections (and make them very visible on TV) and the blue lines remained a solid blue color.

Any truth to this story?

 

[Canadiens1958]

1956

When did the Center Line become red with interval markings? Just curious...

My father tells a story that back before television (pre-1950s) the center line was just a solid red line with no interval markings. The story goes that players didn't have a big problem between the blue 'blue' lines and the red center line. However, people watching on black-and-white televisions in early 1950s had trouble distinguishing between the lines - they all looked the same on TV. So the NHL instituted a new rule and put 'interval markings' on the center line which would have alternate red and white sections (and make them very visible on TV) and the blue lines remained a solid blue color.

Any truth to this story?

Red line seems solid in the 1956 SC Finals. Angle is poor in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bPttZ67AK0

but interval markings by 1959:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xXocxUdaMU

 

[plasmon]

I looked around a little more.

Looks like the 1956 SCF had no interval marking on the Center Line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgQnDthOXAQ

Then in the SCF in 1957 interval marking shows up:
http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=107866

 

[pappyline]

When did the Center Line become red with interval markings? Just curious...

My father tells a story that back before television (pre-1950s) the center line was just a solid red line with no interval markings. The story goes that players didn't have a big problem between the blue 'blue' lines and the red center line. However, people watching on black-and-white televisions in early 1950s had trouble distinguishing between the lines - they all looked the same on TV. So the NHL instituted a new rule and put 'interval markings' on the center line which would have alternate red and white sections (and make them very visible on TV) and the blue lines remained a solid blue color.

Any truth to this story?

that's about the way I remember it.

 

[tarheelhockey]

A small curiosity to those who like this sort of thing: the interval markings in Raleigh are black, creating the same row-of-flags effect seen on the bottom stripes of the Hurricanes' jerseys.

 

[Victorious Secret]

Thats interesting. I didn't know that.