Players Call a New Type of Glass Around Rinks Unsafe (Published 1997) (2024)

Some of the National Hockey League's best players say the new seamless glass atop the rink boards in new arenas is a safety hazard.

Eliminating the metal dividers between the rectangular panes allows fans to see the game more clearly, and pucks shot around the corners to not take as many strange bounces. The new style is used in a minority of the league's 26 arenas, including those in Montreal; Ottawa; Vancouver, British Columbia; Pittsburgh, and Tampa, Fla.

But several players who gathered for tonight's N.H.L. All-Star Game said the new glass has less give after collisions than the old style, and they fear it will cause injuries.

''It is very dangerous,'' Brendan Shanahan of the Detroit Red Wings said. ''It's like running into a brick wall.''

Owen Nolan of San Jose said: ''It's a lot harder. It's like hitting concrete.''

Derian Hatcher of Dallas rapped his fist against a wooden table to illustrate his point and said: ''It's hard. It doesn't move. It seems like guys will get injuries. Being hit into this is not fun.''

When asked to respond to these complaints, Arthur Pincus, the N.H.L.'s vice president of public relations, said: ''We have heard those feelings and we are looking at a variety of things dealing with injuries. There is only anecdotal evidence about a variety of factors and we are looking into any number of factors.''

Some of the feelings were expressed by Chris Chelios of Chicago, John LeClair of Philadelphia and Mark Recchi of Montreal. Chelios said he preferred to play in buildings with the old-fashioned glass that sways backward after collisions.

''I'd just as soon have the ones that give,'' Chelios said. ''They are a lot safer.''

LeClair said the new glass ''is much harder.''

''Chances are you will get an injury there more than with the other glass,'' LeClair said.

Recchi, whose team plays in the new Molson Center, added, ''In Montreal, you don't want to get hit there because it hurts so much.''

Injuries and playing conditions are among issues that have been discussed throughout the season, mainly because of an increased concern over concussions. The dialogue has also included debate about the protective value of helmets and the quality of the ice surfaces.

The issue of seamless glass in the N.H.L. resembles that of artificial turf in football. Although some football players have said artificial turf causes more injuries, the assertion is often refuted by team management and ownership.

Some hockey players suggested that the problem with the seamless glass is partly caused by the way the panes fit into the boards. It is anchored more deeply, creating a more solid vertical surface.

Steve Yzerman of Detroit said: ''Nobody really talks about it, but in the new buildings, the boards are hard as a wall. The boards don't move now.''

Brett Lindros, who retired from the Islanders last season because of concussions, said most of his head injuries were caused by elbows. But he did compare the old and new style of boards and glass.

''In the old buildings, the boards would give,'' Lindros said. ''I want the boards flopping around. The boards are to keep the puck in play, not hurt guys.''