When I was younger, I used to love going to the hockey field and watching the games. There was something exciting about the rush of the game, the speed, and the action. One of my favourite memories is of being at my uncle’s house and hearing the happy noise of the hockey puck as it whizzed past my head. It was like an invitation for me to join the game and be part of that excitement! Unfortunately, my love for hockey didn’t last long. I didn’t have the coordination to stickhandle well and I always got distracted by the other children playing in the yard. Now, years later, I have a renewed interest in building a hockey goal for myself. My quest to find the answer to this question led me to explore several options and in the process, I learned a lot about hockey goals and their components. In this guide, I will discuss what you should know before starting your quest to build a hockey goal, along with offering some helpful advice on how to go about it.
Table of Contents
What Type Of Hockey Player Are You?
There are several types of hockey players. The main ones are:
- Power players
- Speedsters
- Warmed-up players
- Clutchers
- Flat-out players
- Scorer
- Physical players
- Psychological players
- Shooters
- Defensemen
- Goaltenders
- Hockey players
Find which type of hockey player you are and what you need in a goal through this comprehensive guide to hockey goals. This way, you can select the right kit that will bring out your best game. You don’t want to build the wrong kind of goal and end up hurting yourself or others due to poor performance.
Solid Or Gliding Ice?
When it comes to building a hockey goal, the first thing you should consider is whether you want a solid or gliding ice surface. Solid ice is great for speed and skill players, while gliding ice is optimal for strength and power players. Typically, solid ice is much more slippery than gliding ice, which can lead to more breakaways and scoring opportunities for your team. That being said, gliding ice has its perks as well. You won’t hurt yourself as much while playing on it and it compacts easily, making it easy to transport and setup at your rink. In an ideal world, you would want both options, solid and gliding ice, since you can’t have one without the other!
Size And Shape Of The Rink
Another factor to consider when building a hockey goal is the size and shape of your rink. To best perform on a rink, you should build a goal that is between six and seven feet high and wide. If your rink is a bit bigger than that, you can build a taller goal and add another couple of feet to the width. For rinks that are smaller than six or seven feet wide, you can build a narrower goal to best fit the available space. Remember: the goal’s width and height should be a couple of feet shorter than your rink’s width and height. This will create the illusion that the whole ice surface is accessible, even though there may be portions that are blocked by buildings or snowbanks. Keep the size and shape of your rink in mind when you start your quest to build a hockey goal. The perfect size and shape of a rink will depend on your personal preferences and the style of play you prefer to engage in.
Pick The Right Location
Depending on where you live, you may not have many choices when it comes to finding the perfect location for your new rink. If you are starting from scratch, it’s your duty to choose the right spot for your goal. Ideally, you want to find a location that is big enough to accommodate all of your teammates and spectators, as well as near a lot of street lights for better visibility. If you want to be able to pull in as many people as possible, choose a location near a high school or university. These locations usually have large parking lots, which are great for carpools and vans full of hockey fans. If you have the luxury of choosing the location, go for a pond or lake because they are usually the quietest and most private of all the options. If you can find a secluded area that is close to a road, you can build your rink on that location and restrict access only to those you trust.
The Right Equipment
When you start your quest to build a hockey goal, you will need some basic equipment. These include:
- A puck (pucks vary in diameter from 2 to 4 inches and can be made of wood, plastic, or a combination of the two)
- A stick (the ideal length is between 5 and 6 feet; if you are a small person, you can use shorter sticks or a baseball bat)
- Basketball net (to catch the puck when it’s shot at)
- Rocker (to secure the goal and the puck)
- Bumper (to protect your wall and the puck from getting dented when it hits it)
- An official scorer’s table (to record the goals and assists)
Having the right equipment is essential for playing on a rink. If you think that you can substitute one of the items on this list, you will likely have sub-par performance. Make sure to invest in these items before you begin your quest to build your hockey goal. If you don’t have the money, it’s okay to save up for them but know that you may have to settle for some rough playing on a pond with no lights.
Start Small
It’s always nice to embark on a journey with a friend or family member. Besides, it helps to have someone on hand to share the experiences with. While you are searching for a place to build your ice rink, it would be best to start small. The reason for this is that when you start out, your skill level and experience with ice and hockey are bound to be lower than those of an expert. So, instead of building a large rink that will be challenging to maintain and play on, start out small and take it easy. You can always expand your activities later on, once you’ve mastered ice hockey.
If you or any of your family members have experience playing sports on ice, take this into consideration when choosing where to build your rink. Also, if you know of anyone who plays ice hockey, ask them for suggestions about where to build your rink. They will most likely have some ideas or suggestions about where to find the perfect spot. Remember: you’re looking for a secluded area that is close to a road so that you can pull in as many people as possible.
Watch Out For Snakes!
There is one more thing you need to watch out for while you are searching for a place to build your rink. This is snakes! Some of them can be found in the area where you’ll be playing, while others lurk in the area around the pond or lake that you’ll be using. You don’t want to find one when you’re trying to build your rink, so be on the lookout for these snakes and other reptiles!
Even though snake bites are relatively rare in comparison to other injuries that you may receive while playing sports, it’s still not a good idea to take your chances with any snake bite. Building a hockey rink is no easy task and it’s definitely not one that should be undertaken lightly. Make sure to prepare for the possibility of snake bites by wearing boots, long sleeves, and checking for snakes before you build your rink.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that influence the performance of your hockey rink. It’s essential to have the right equipment and the space to use it. Additionally, you need to consider the size and shape of your rink, along with the available light. You don’t want to play on a dark rink since it makes it harder for your eyes to adjust to the changes in light and it also makes it harder for you to maneuver the puck. These factors can vary, depending on the time of day and the weather conditions. In general, building a hockey rink in the summertime is difficult because it’s already hot and you’ll need to provide your own air-conditioning or fans to keep cool.