 When it comes to deciding which product is best for a hockey rink, one must consider whether it would be better to go with the acrylic or polycarbonate option or choose the tempered glass. Of course, each product has its pros and cons, and what will be best for one rink might not necessarily be the right option for another. The decision may come down to whether the finances exist to support one of the preferred options, how often the rink is used or the frequency of damage to the panels. Is the rink used more for skating and leisurely activities, or is it used more for training or practicing by hockey players? Before deciding which option you would choose, take a moment to review some of the benefits and drawbacks of each option.
Acrylic and Polycarbonate Panels Both Acrylic and Polycarbonate are light weight and easy to handle, meaning fewer operators are required when changing out pieces. This is especially beneficial if a piece needs to be replaced during a tournament. Some of the other positives with choosing acrylic or polycarbonate:
The unfortunate drawback for the acrylic or polycarbonate is that it usually costs more than the traditional tempered glass but has a shorter life cycle due to its tendency to scratch easier and scuff when cleaning. The result of the scratches and scuffing mean the product becomes cloudy over time. This material also requires support at the sill level, so the sheets do not come out of the posting due to its flex. Tempered Glass Panels One may wonder why anyone would go for the acrylic/polycarbonate option when tempered glass would at first appear to be the more superior material. After all, tempered glass is
Tempered glass also has a more aesthetic appeal and remains clear for viewing and photography. The issue with tempered glass is that is it heavy and more cumbersome to replace. Special orders for custom glass often require more time to produce and ship. If a glass piece breaks or shatters in the rink, there is more cleanup that can take more time due to all the shards and the weight of the glass. As a result, a broken piece of tempered glass can mean a longer delay in returning to the game if it should happen in the middle of a play. Lastly, there is a higher risk of injury if a player should collide and break the glass, and there is more opportunity for an operator or staff to suffer an injury when handling the broken glass or working to replace a complete and heavy panel. Both the acrylic/polycarbonate and tempered glass panels have their benefits, despite some of the cons of each. If you were building a rink, which would you choose and why? -- Global Sport Resources strives to assist communities in acquiring the most current and relevant products and information as possible. Any feedback from the community is greatly appreciated, as it assists us in providing a better experience and ensuring communities get what they need.
1 Comment
Cheer on Spruce Grove's AJHL Champions in their new rink at Grant Fuhr arena. We made sure to have it ready for their game on Sep. 17, 2021. A new rink for another great season! If you are planning on having a personalized or backyard rink installed this year, now is the time to contact us. A project this size can be ready for you in as little as 8 weeks! Call toll free 877-477-8007 to get your project started, or visit our contact page for more information.
When planning a hockey rink, or looking to refurbish or update one, it is always advisable to do the research and carefully weigh the pros and cons before signing off on the final design. The gates are no exception when it comes to what would work best while keeping cost and safety in mind. The liftgate is a common preference, but is it the best choice? Perhaps a swing gate is the better way to go, or maybe the rink being designed will require a liftgate due to space restrictions. While it may seem a minor component for some, it is one that requires as much consideration as any other part of a rink.
Liftgates are:
Multiple designs for liftgates are also available with either counterbalance or torsion spring loaded systems, and modern designs have brought many safety devices for liftgate operations into play, such as:
Of course, as with anything, there are a few cons that come with the liftgate option:
Liftgates come with a host of safety considerations as well, because it is a large system designed to lift anywhere from 800 to 1500 pounds depending on the unit and size. In fact, Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) in Canada considers these gates to be lifting and hoisting devices that cross over into the realm of cranes. As a result, more safety measures must be in place to ensure the safe operation and maintenance of this equipment. Some requirements for the use and maintenance of liftgates include, but are not limited to, the following:
When considering the additional safety concerns, expense and maintenance required for installing and operating a liftgate, it may not always be the best choice for every rink out there; however, not all rinks are the same and some may find the liftgate the best option to go with. Do you think the benefit is worth the cost of the liftgate, or do you think swing gates should be the standard? Tell us why you think the liftgate or swing gate is the better one. Global Sport Resources strives to assist communities in acquiring the most current and relevant products and information as possible. Any feedback from the community is greatly appreciated, as it assists us in providing a better experience and ensuring communities get what they need.  Before beginning any project, such as a hockey rink, the natural first step is to do a little research to ensure it is designed and built to the proper specifications. When it comes to hockey rinks, however, it may surprise you to know that there are no hard-set standards. When looking at hockey rinks that are built to NHL Standards, or Alberta Hockey Standards, what is available are some recommendations used to guide the design of ice hockey rinks. We had some questions about some minimum and maximum sizing requirements that would remain acceptable to Hockey Alberta sanctioned tournaments and were told that "the IIHF and Hockey Canada rule books don't provide a lot of guidance" about what makes a rink acceptable to play on. What follows below are the questions submitted with the answers provided straight from Hockey Alberta.
What is the minimum width of an indoor hockey rink allowed before a rink will be excluded from any Hockey Alberta sanctioned tournaments? There is no defined minimum width. The Hockey Canada playing rules recommend a rink to be between 85’ and 100’ wide; however, we do have rinks that are slightly less than the 85’ and in those situations we ask that the markings be shifted proportionately to ensure adequate space. What is the minimum length of an indoor hockey rink allowed before a rink will be excluded from any Hockey Alberta sanctioned tournaments? There is no defined minimum length. The Hockey Canada playing rules recommend a rink to be 200’ long; however, we do have rinks that are slightly less than that and in those situations we ask that the markings be shifted proportionately to ensure adequate space. What if a rink is shorter, say 180’? Generally, we try to move the lines to keep the offensive zones to full size and take the balance from the neutral zone, is this the correct approach? For rinks 185’ to 200’ or more in length, it is recommended that the end zones be the standard size (64’ in length); however, for shorter rinks, lines should be adjusted proportionately (three equal sized areas). Keeping the offensive zones the full size on a rink that is too short is not good, because it can significantly reduce the size of the neutral zone which negatively impacts play and the way the rules can be called. Is there ever an acceptable point to remove from both the neutral and offensive zones? As stated above, making adjustments to keep the ice proportionate to the standard dimensions is the best scenario. Is there a maximum tolerance for game lines to be out of standard regulations before tournament status will be denied? No, but keeping the surface as proportionate to the standard dimensions as possible is the best scenario. What is the minimum acceptable glass height on the sides (long straights) of a rink for it to qualify Hockey Alberta sanctioned for tournaments? There is no defined height, but it is recommended, for safety purposes, to have glass that is a minimum of 5’ high above the boards along the sides of the rink. What is the minimum acceptable glass height on the ends and radii of a rink for it to qualify for Hockey Alberta sanctioned tournaments? There is no defined height, but it is recommended, for safety purposes, to have glass that is a minimum of 8’ high above the boards along the ends of the rink (from the blue line in towards the end of the rink). Is there at any level of play a minimum level of “flex” for board impact? If so, what are the specifications? There is no defined level of ‘flex’; however, the newer, more flexible systems are the safest. It is surprising that after the game of hockey has come so far that there are more recommendations and best practices than set standards for what makes a rink qualify for professional play. What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe there should be more set regulations and standards for Hockey rinks? What do you think some of those regulations and standards should be? Global Sport Resources strives to assist communities in acquiring the most current and relevant products and information as possible. Any feedback from the community is greatly appreciated, as it assists us in providing a better experience and ensuring communities get what they need. Does your facility host multiple events? How often do you remove your ice and/or boards? If your facility hosts multiple events and you are needing to remove the dasher boards and/or ice to accommodate these events, have you investigated how much time is lost with each change over? With every change over it is inevitable that there will be lost time involved. However, that time can be reduced by involving the use of an ice dam. Keep in mind that not every facility requires an ice dam, although it is becoming more and more common that facilities are installing them. Ice dams are used in facilities that require frequent removal of dasher boards for non-ice events while leaving the ice in place for the next skating event. An ice dam prevents the ice from freezing to the dasher boards allowing for easy removal as the dasher boards sit flush on top of the ice dam. Ice dams come in various heights from 1" High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) to 2.5" Steel. The most commonly used ice dam is 2" and uses a steel/HDPE combination. By using this combination it allows for a quicker change over than if you were to use HDPE alone. The steel ice dams have added benefits over the HDPE ice dams as steel is tougher to damage, allows added flexibility to the boards, can be insulated to prevent heat transfer causing softer ice along the edges, and may be cladded to blend with the boards making it look seamless. Some considerations for whether your venue may require an ice dam are:
|
Our ColumnSharing industry knowledge about Archives
November 2022
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
