Raising the Height of the Glass

[duxfan1101]

This has been on my mind for some time now. Can somebody give me reasons as to why raising the height of the glass is never discussed? When I think about it, there seem to be a few benefits: it cuts down on whistles, it makes delay of game penalties less prevalent, and it can also block more pucks from potentially hitting fans who aren't paying attention.

Is there a safety concern that I'm missing? To me, this seems like a change that can yield some positive outcomes, even if it isn't exactly a pressing issue.

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[shtorm2005]

Well, maybe defense lose sight of the puck when it's above the head while offense still can track it.

 

[Hynh]

I thought this once but eventually I realized that making the glass the same height around the whole rink would favor the defence by making "off the glass and out" easier. Delay of game penalties might go down but players would start aiming higher and miss the glass as they do right now.

 

[Legionnaire]

Bubble hockey FTW.

 

[KinCornKarn]

It does not seem like a bad idea. I'm not a physics guy but would making the glass higher cause it to be less stable?

 

[duxfan1101]

I get that if you raise it too much, then players will likely use that to their favor in clearing the puck. But I feel like even raising it 1-2 feet could make a difference without making it too ridiculous.

 

[Butch 19]

This has been on my mind for some time now. Can somebody give me reasons as to why raising the height of the glass is never discussed? When I think about it, there seem to be a few benefits: it cuts down on whistles, it makes delay of game penalties less prevalent, and it can also block more pucks from potentially hitting fans who aren't paying attention.

Is there a safety concern that I'm missing? To me, this seems like a change that can yield some positive outcomes, even if it isn't exactly a pressing issue.

Delay of game penalties happen now only once every 4 or 5 games, and even you said it's not "exactly a pressing issue."

So why not just leave it at that...

 

[Goldenshark]

I have a better idea, let’s remove the netting behind the goalies and go back to the way it was
Pre-2000.

 

[Just Linda]

I imagine visibility is a big reason. It's harder to see the game through glass if it's too far away.

 

[Machinehead]

I imagine visibility is a big reason. It's harder to see the game through glass if it's too far away.

Is the netting any better?

 

[SotasicA]

It's more expensive. Hockey is played at a lot of levels where you simply can't afford to replace massive glasses that often.

 

[razor8]

They could raise the glass a feet or two, but why? As you said, it's not a pressing issue and it would just be another cost to teams with no real benefits in return.

 

[Just Linda]

Is the netting any better?

Significantly

 

[Machinehead]

Significantly

Not in my experience.

 

[Edelweiss]

I have a better idea, let’s remove the netting behind the goalies and go back to the way it was
Pre-2000.

Wasn't there a young kid dying from a deflected shot in Columbus?! For safety reasons a net make sense.

 

[Just Linda]

Not in my experience.

We seem to have different experiences.

 

[HisIceness]

Wasn't there a young kid dying from a deflected shot in Columbus?! For safety reasons a net make sense.

Yes.

@MightyGrecia Yes

 

[Hyack57]

It does not seem like a bad idea. I'm not a physics guy but would making the glass higher cause it to be less stable?

My thoughts too.. You can only go so high with something before it has to flex too much. A big thunderous hit would more frequently shatter it or it would just be so heavy it would pop out and fall into the crowd.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

I say take it a step further.

Put a dome of glass around the whole surface, like a table top hockey game.

Puck never goes out of play.

 

[rumrokh]

The glass has to stop at a certain point. Could be higher and still be practical? Sure, probably. But if there's significantly more glass, players will use it more and plays off the glass in all zones could become weirder. Hockey already has a lot of unpredictability/luck involved, I don't see the benefit in adding more factors like that.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

You're asking why hasn't something changed when the better question would be why change it?

As for cutting down on whistles, most choppy non-flowing games are caused by offsides and icings not pucks out of play.

 

[Tweed]

Conversely...

All in favour say "Aye!"

 

[tsujimoto74]

I have a better idea, let’s remove the netting behind the goalies and go back to the way it was
Pre-2000.

Why? So more fans sitting in those seats can get pelted with pucks flying out of the rink? It literally has 0 effect on the game. The netting's only impact is on fan safety.

 

[Ceremony]

Do you know if the boards would still be as strong if they were two feet taller?

 

[wetcoast]

It does not seem like a bad idea. I'm not a physics guy but would making the glass higher cause it to be less stable?

I worked and have delivered the tempered glass that is used in arenas, strength of the glass wouldn't be an issue.

I just don't think hockey purists would want to see an increase towards a racquetball court to what we have today.