Evolution of Hockey: The Rink

As long as there has been hockey there has been a rink for it to be played on. When ice hockey was first created it was played on frozen ponds and lakes during the winter months. With the evolution of the sport, the rink also adapted to the sports needs. Modern ice hockey is played on indoor rinks with a perfectly level, refrigerated ice surface. The First of these refrigerated ice rinks was called the Glacierium and was built in England in the late 19th century. These rinks use an insulated floor, such as sand or concrete, through which pipes carrying chilled antifreeze run. Water is then added to this surface which slowly freezes and creates an ice rink.

Along with the surface itself evolving, so did the rules involving the hockey rink. Modern rinks have developed two different sizes. One size is used by the NHL in the United States and Canada and the other size is used throughout the rest of the world. Along with the evolution of the ice surface itself, the rink has also advanced with respect to the boards. The boards keep the puck, and players, in play during the game. Although boards were not used often on ponds or lakes, they were implemented along with the modern ice surfaces. These boards originally consisted of plywood, 2 by 4's or logs a few inches high surrounding the rink but modern boards are much higher reaching about the waist of most players. These boards, although still made primarily of wood, are coated in plastic to avoid damage from sticks, skates and the puck. Most boards, especially in the United States and Canada, have glass that extends the boards in order to keep the puck in play and protect the spectators. The glass is either made of tempered glass or Plexiglas to avoid shattering.