Why is there a ledge on the boards?

[Dondini]

As someone who has played contact senior for the last 14 years I’ve seen numerous injuries by peoples faces getting smashed on that ledge. It’s ugly. I understand changing boards in all the small town rinks would be difficult but if it starts in the nhl it eventually trickles down. I just think it’s unecessary, and obviously there is a way to construct the boards differently. It’s something I’d like to see changed. A lot of broken ribs have occurred because of the ledge to. (And for the record I’m about as pro tough hockey as a fan you are gonna find under 50.) thoughts? I just don’t see how it doesn’t add nothing but danger. And for what reason?

 

[El Travo]

Refs do use it to get out of the way of the play.

 

[Dondini]

Refs do use it to get out of the way of the play.

Haha never thought of that good observation. What if we just gave them those window suction cup thingys you see on auto glass commercials?

 

[TrufleShufle]

There really is no way to secure the glass in any reliable way without that ledge, I mean they could slant it, along the same lines as they did with the glass corners around the benches, but downward to ease the hard corner a bit. But also the amount of times a ref uses that ledge to jump out of the way of a puck out numbers any other incidents by far.

 

[El Travo]

Haha never thought of that good observation

I've never really thought of it otherwise. I've had more incidents with the bench area than the glassed.

 

[Dondini]

Ive had a long day -35 in a lift 30 feet in the air for 10 hours. I may be tired and over thought this thread and just wanted to complain about something because my boss won’t let me fire my idiot helper. My apologies hf

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Nah I'm with you OP- the number of stingers I've taken to the forearms from those things.. if ya could make it all plexiglass that'd be cool. The ref thing is pretty minor, but I assume it'd be a lot of re-engineering for a relatively minor problem.

I'd like to see the kickplate go higher though, on a somewhat related note. Maybe that'd do it- have the the yellow kickplate up to 1.5 feet or so, then the glass. Gives the refs a place to get out of the way, allows more work off the boards, and puts the ledge at a less dangerous level.

 

[Auston Marlander]

To hold the glass secure without a ledge you would need to do 1 of a few things:

1. Use a puck style screw system to sandwich the glass in place since there is no inner extrusion to hold it. This causes issues with no being smooth.

2. Use a thicker glass and have inset/flush mounted fasteners. This adds cost and lowers strength.

I've lost 3 teeth from the ledge, but with the current board/glass set up it's the best we have. A full glass panel would fix this, but I bet there would be far more breakage.

 

[DrewGl]

How thick are the ledges in the NHL?

 

[BlackDogg]

They could probably have a tapered edge from the edge to the glass, but then the refs would not be able to use it so there is no good answer except maybe a bit of padding?

 

[Dondini]

To hold the glass secure without a ledge you would need to do 1 of a few things:

1. Use a puck style screw system to sandwich the glass in place since there is no inner extrusion to hold it. This causes issues with no being smooth.

2. Use a thicker glass and have inset/flush mounted fasteners. This adds cost and lowers strength.

I've lost 3 teeth from the ledge, but with the current board/glass set up it's the best we have. A full glass panel would fix this, but I bet there would be far more breakage.

Wouldn’t fix the problem but why not at least round the corner of the ledge. Less dangerous than a sharp 90

 

[Bill Berg]

Where else would you put your beer for a faceoff?

 

[Auston Marlander]

Where else would you put your beer for a faceoff?

You can still have one on the fans side.

 

[Dondini]

You can still have one on the fans side.

In fact it would be bigger you could throw a pint on there or perhaps maybe even a schooner. It would lead to more beer sales, more revenue, players would make more, skill would increase, and finally someone would break Bobby Orrs full season record instead of just the infamous 4 gamer. It’s clearly apparent, this ledge is causing a lot of problems. It’s gotta go

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I've lost 3 teeth from the ledge, but with the current board/glass set up it's the best we have. A full glass panel would fix this, but I bet there would be far more breakage.

I've seen a few rinks in NorCal that have full glass sections. It's a nice novelty and good for the fans but holy shit is it easy to lose the puck that way and man does the puck do some funky things off the wall there.

There was also one that has tall glass and a short ledge, but that thing was knee-high for me so f*** that rink forever.

Not sure there's an easy answer really. I will say I did dislocate my shoulder on the current ledge but I feel infinitely safer with that one than that god damn knee killer or the all glass one.

 

[snipes]

Ive had a long day -35 in a lift 30 feet in the air for 10 hours. I may be tired and over thought this thread and just wanted to complain about something because my boss won’t let me fire my idiot helper. My apologies hf

Respect

 

[Sol]

How thick are the ledges in the NHL?

Jeniffer Lopez levels of thiccness.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

As someone who has played contact senior for the last 14 years I’ve seen numerous injuries by peoples faces getting smashed on that ledge. It’s ugly. I understand changing boards in all the small town rinks would be difficult but if it starts in the nhl it eventually trickles down. I just think it’s unecessary, and obviously there is a way to construct the boards differently. It’s something I’d like to see changed. A lot of broken ribs have occurred because of the ledge to. (And for the record I’m about as pro tough hockey as a fan you are gonna find under 50.) thoughts? I just don’t see how it doesn’t add nothing but danger. And for what reason?

14-year veteran.

Respect

 

[Dondini]

I've seen a few rinks in NorCal that have full glass sections. It's a nice novelty and good for the fans but holy **** is it easy to lose the puck that way and man does the puck do some funky things off the wall there.

There was also one that has tall glass and a short ledge, but that thing was knee-high for me so **** that rink forever.

Not sure there's an easy answer really. I will say I did dislocate my shoulder on the current ledge but I feel infinitely safer with that one than that god damn knee killer or the all glass one.

Check this rink out played a provincial south final there two years ago 10x10 posts about 2-3 inches away from the boards and all the way around the rink no glass fans stand all along there chirping, what an atmosphere, unfortnately one of our players received a career ending concussion getting smashed into one of those posts. Can’t remember who the guy who hit him name was. Clean hit played a game for the coyotes 7-8 years ago. This is in craik Saskatchewan


Edit: his name was Matt Watkins

Still don’t know how this rink is safety approved for contact hockey in this day n age haha. I believe in Craik the local folk call these memorial pillars lol

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

Gives Oiler fans something to jump off of.

 

[puckpilot]

I wonder for every injury caused by the ledge, how many are prevented because of it? I mean there are times where players are falling and grab that ledge to save themselves or to save the unfortunate guy about to be crushed by them.

I know when I go into the boards and someone gives me a hard shove, I use that ledge to steady myself. If it's not there, my hand would just slide off the smooth surface and my face would probably kiss glass.

I'm not saying getting rid of the ledge is good or bad. I'm just saying sometimes there are pros and cons and unforeseen consequences to changing things.

 

[Shakey Rustie]

Refs need something for leverage to lift themselves up when they get in the way of pucks along the boards.

 

[redcard]

Refs need something for leverage to lift themselves up when they get in the way of pucks along the boards.

What if we give the refs jet packs?

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

View attachment 186233

Check this rink out played a provincial south final there two years ago 10x10 posts about 2-3 inches away from the boards and all the way around the rink no glass fans stand all along there chirping, what an atmosphere, unfortnately one of our players received a career ending concussion getting smashed into one of those posts. Can’t remember who the guy who hit him name was. Clean hit played a game for the coyotes 7-8 years ago. This is in craik Saskatchewan


Edit: his name was Matt Watkins

Still don’t know how this rink is safety approved for contact hockey in this day n age haha. I believe in Craik the local folk call these memorial pillars lol

That's metal.

And I'd say make the kickplate extend 1-1.5 feet up, just so it's below the knee. Gives the refs a chance to put a foot up to avoid pucks, you don't normally run your calves into the boards, the puck would largely stay visible, glass might have a bit more give with it's extra height, and you'd have extra offense from the puck bouncing harder off the boards. It'll never happen, but that'd be my ideal solution.

 

[CpatainCanuck]

It seems that the nhl has started using a padded rail called SoftCap.

http://athletica.com/file_uploads/SoftCap Sell Sheet.pdf


Hockey is one of the world’s most physically demanding sports, filled with hard hits, and even harder landings. That’s why we developed the SoftCap® Caprail System and introduced it to the market in 2006. SoftCap® is engineered to help reduce the likelihood and potential severity of player injury to players, by providing a more forgiving surface at the caprail location of the boards, the most likely point of player contact, where injuries to the head, chin, mouth and elbow can occur. The impact of this innovation is two-fold: to improve player safety, AND to reduce the risk and limit the liability of owners and operators of rinks everywhere. SoftCap® is extruded with built-in voids to enhance the deflection of the caprail upon player impact. Made of an advanced, flexible thermoplastic elastomer, formal testing shows SoftCap® is 96% more compressive than the current HDPE caprail, meaning impacts are more readily absorbed and energy more rapidly attenuated by the softer surface of SoftCap®. Available standard in red or blue, and in a variety of optional or custom colors. SoftCap® can be specified as part of your new CrystaPlex® or Pro Series™ dasherboard system, and can be retrofitted to many existing board systems as well. It’s a good first step toward reducing injuries and reducing your risk – and it’s reasonably priced when you consider the benefits. Player safety is the way of the future for hockey at all levels. To date, 19 of 30 NHL arenas have installed our SoftCap® caprail system, along with several more of our safety devices on their CrystaPlex® 6A dashers. And, because of increased ‘hockey injury’’ awareness, the number of community, college and university rinks in North America interested in making their dasherboards safer, is increasing. With SoftCap®, we help make your facility a better, safer place to play!