Pucks flying at 90 mph or more can give even the world’s best ice hockey players a world of hurt
The hockey puck used by the National Hockey League is a hard disk of vulcanized rubber, 1 inch thick, 3 inches in diameter, and weighs between 5.5 and 6 ounces. Pucks often reach speeds of 90 mph or more during a game. The current NHL record belongs to Zdeno Chára of the Boston Bruins, whose slapshot was clocked at 108.8 miles per hour during a skills competition.
It is not uncommon for players and spectators to be injured by flying pucks. In Columbus, Ohio on March 18, 2002, a thirteen-year-old girl died two days after being struck on the head by a hockey puck deflected into the crowd during an NHL game between the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Early during Saturday’s game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders, Sydney Crosby, the Penguins captain, was struck in the face by a slapshot from teammate Brooks Orpik that sent a number of his teeth flying across the ice and broke his jaw.
Sid the Kid, as he is affectionately known, is arguably the best hockey player in the NHL, if not the world. He had surgery Saturday night to repair the broken jaw. The injury could cause Crosby to miss the rest of this NHL season.
1 comment:
I'll bet that's gonna leave a mark.
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