Is he right?
Like the status of Olympic Hockey venue continues to be a concern, the hottest topic in hockey right now is small rinks.
It was revealed this week that Milan’s PalaItalia Santa Giulia – which is way behind schedule, but scheduled to open in January when it hosts an Italian league match – could have an ice surface three to four feet shorter than a standard ice. NHL-style, an ice sheet measuring 200 feet by 85 feet, which was the size it was originally supposed to be.
READ: THE OLYMPIC HOCKEY ARENA IS NOT ONLY LATE ON SCHEDULE, THE RINK IS THE WRONG SIZE
This obviously has many people concerned about the impact this will have on the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments, especially since this is the first time NHL players will be involved since the 2014 Games in Sochi.
However, New York Rangers and Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan offered a somewhat surprising insight when asked about the ice in Italy.
“I hope that’s not the case,” Sullivan said. The New York PostMollie Walker when asked about the short ice rink. “I think the NHL standings are too small as it is.”
Wow. Come back.
New York Rangers and Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan says NHL rinks are too small and he might be right. (Getty Images)
The NHL rink is smaller than that used in many international tournaments. It is slightly longer, but about 10 feet narrower. This has impacted the style of hockey usually seen in North America, as the smaller ice means players do not have as much space to skate and makes the physical aspect a larger part of the game.
Conversely, where the larger rink is used, you see less physicality because there is more space to skate.
It seems to be a matter of preference: do you want more speed and finesse or more physicality? – but Sullivan made a very good point.
When you think about the evolution of the game and the evolution of people, we’re playing on the same ice surface that players played in the ’50s, you know? »
Huh… well, let’s see.
According to Hockey Graphicsthe average height of an NHL player in 1955 was 5’11” and their average weight was 177 pounds.
These days? Horton Dumbbell reports that the average height is around 6’1.5”, while the average weight can reach 199.5 pounds.
So he’s sort of right.
Of course, the size of the rink won’t change anytime soon. Do you really think 32 arenas are going to spend money and remove a number of seats to accommodate a larger rink?
Of course not.
