There is a whisper of rumour that the puck was named for that mischievous imp from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”, and though the at times the puck seems to bounce around like faeries in the woods, there is a more likely origin for the name. Ice hockey is a game that was invented in its present form by players who had previously played either bandy or hurling in the UK. The term ‘to puck’ is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word puc, which means to poke or deliver a blow. With the game originating in the Maritimes of Nova Scotia (New Scotland), this is a far more likely origin.

When originally played, the same ball was used to score goals in both field hockey and ice hockey. These balls were made of cork and covered in leather, similar to modern baseballs. Unfortunately, these balls were uncontrollable on the ice and an alternative needed to be found. Early hockey was played outside on frozen ponds, and too much time was spent chasing errant balls that bounced out of play.

An early alternative to the hurley ball were rounds cut from tree branches. Blocks of wood were also tried. Things as common as stones, boot heels, lumps of coal, flattened tin cans and even frozen droppings of cows and horses (giving us the slang horse puckies) were tried as a suitable replacement.

Sometime in the 1870’s rubber pucks made from a crossection of a rubber ball were seen in a few hockey games. These rubber pucks also had the challenges of bouncing too much, and many teams preferred to use wood.

Although vulcanized rubber (rubber super heated and combined with sulfur) was invented in 1839 by Charles Goodyear, it would take over forty years for someone to think of using the substance for a puck.

The first vulcanized rubber puck that was documented was used in Kingston, Ontario as teams from the Royal Military College and Queen’s University took up the game in 1886. Their first puck was actually square. Pucks were also made from cast off tires with two rounds glued together. These pucks were highly unreliable, the seams sometimes splitting as the pucks pinged off the goalposts.

By the early 1900’s round, single construction pucks became the norm. During the 1930’s pucks with beveled edges were introduced. These pucks were thought to be worse than the wooden pucks and were only around for about a year. There were also many teams that used rolled edge pucks, but again they were found to be unsatisfactory and flat topped and bottomed pucks were the most popular pucks.

With the puck being such an important element of the game, it was surprising to find that the NHL did not regulate the puck until the 1990-1991 season. The puck was regulated by Art Ross of the Boston Bruins. Today’s regulation pucks are black, three inches wide, one inch thick and weighs between five and a half and six ounces. The edges are diamond textured which gives a stick that has been taped a better surface to grip whilst shooting. Blue pucks used in junior hockey can be as light as four ounces. Practice pucks used for developing shooting skills or stick handling are usually reddish pink or orange and can weigh as much as ten ounces. There are also steel pucks weighing two pounds which can be used to strengthen the wrists for shooting. Because of the harm that can be caused by these pucks, a player is usually alone when using these pucks.

Although lighter, the regulation puck can be a dangerous missile. On March 18, 2002, a young girl by the name of Brittanie Cecil was struck by a puck whilst watching a game between the Calgary Flames and the Columbus Blue Jackets on home ice. Sadly the thirteen year old died two days later from the injury. At this point, the arenas began to install Plexiglas panes and netting to protect spectators.

Since the puck is only three inches wide and travels at an average speed of sixty to ninety mph, it can be tricky trying to keep track of the puck. When the Fox Network obtained the rights to air NHL games, they decided to try to make it easier for spectators watching from home to track the puck. The developed the “Fox Trax Smart Puck”. The look and weight of the puck remained the same, however inside the pucks there were a four-level computer board; a ceramic oscillator; an accelerometer; CMOS logic and switching; and a lithium battery. There were twelve holes along the edge, four on the top and four on the bottom, that were used as emitters for infra red sensors, giving a pulse every other second. There were sixteen sensors placed around the rink that could track the puck by the pulsations emitted.

The information collected by the sensors was then transmitted through fiber optics to computers parked outside in the “Puck Truck”.

Spectators at home now saw the game differently. The puck became a comet with a glowing halo. The halo was blue for normal speeds, but if the puck was moving faster than fifty mph, the halo then turned red for speeds over seventy-five mph, the halo was green. The concept for the new puck was clever, but most hockey enthusiasts found the tracking to be distracting. The only time I found it amusing to watch was when the puck went out of play, and the glowing tail floated above the ice like a spirit rising to the heavens.

The “Fox Trax Smart Puck” was only able to be used for about ten minutes before the battery ran out. The puck then had to be replaced. Regulation pucks are able to be used throughout the game as long as it is not deflected out of play or damaged. Therefore the “Fox Trax Smart Puck” was extremely costly. The estimated cost of each puck was $400.00 usd.

Because the “Fox Trax Smart Puck” was not solid rubber, it did not move like the regulation pucks, nor could it remain frozen as long. This puck became very bouncy in short order and most players disliked the puck immensely. At the close of the 1998-1999 season Fox decided not to renew their contract with the NHL and the “Fox Trax Smart Puck” was neither used nor manufactured.

NOTE: The “Fox Trax Smart Puck” started out as a regulation puck. It was then cut and hollowed out by hand, had the interior components installed, then glued back together with a flexible epoxy.

Manufacturing of pucks is automated. A pultrusion machine pushes the vulcanized rubber out in three inch diameter logs. Whilst still soft, the logs are then cut into one inch slices; these slices are then placed into the puck molds. The mold generally has 200 cavities and with standard practices, about five thousand pucks can be generated per week. Once the molds are loaded, they are compressed which allows the rubber to harden. Once they sit for twenty-four hours they are hand tested. Pucks not making the cut are then recycled. About ten pucks from each batch of pucks are tested for weight and bounce. They are frozen for ten days before being tested. After being tested, the pucks are then silk screened with the team logo and shipped.

A thoroughly frozen puck will bounce less than one not frozen properly, which effects game play. Pucks that will be used during the game are kept in a cooler full of ice. The cooler is kept at the officials’ bench during the game. Because rubber changes properties as it ages, it is important for teams to rotate their pucks when supplies are restocked, making sure to use the oldest ones first.

Most hockey fans have at least one puck in their collection of memorabilia. If it is a game used, or regulation puck, it will be manufactured to the above standards. Souvenir and practice pucks are manufactured slightly differently, with the entire process being automated. Compression is higher, allowing for less processing time and a higher production rate. Testing is also kept to a minimum.

As it stands, there are no plans to change regulation pucks. The size, elemental components and manufacturing will probably not change any time soon. The only changes that are made would be to change the logo on pucks whenever a new logo is chosen by one of the NHL teams.

So ends this history of the puck. An object that whilst so crucial to the game, is usually not pondered much outside its collectability or the finesse of a player trying to manipulate it into the net. Perhaps the next time you are dusting your puck collection, you will spare a thought for the progression that created your cherished keepsake!