Walleye players call new Huntington Center boards, glass huge upgrade

The Glass City's pro hockey rink has new glass.

Gleaming new white boards topped with crystal clear Plexiglas have been installed at the Huntington Center. The Toledo Walleye got their first look and action on the upgrades that encircle the hockey rink at the downtown arena this week.

Walleye forward Conlan Keenan, the longest-tenured player on the team, said the new boards and glass give the facility a modern look.

“It's unbelievable what they did with all the new glass, boards, benches, and everything,” Keenan said. “I really like the new wide glass. It's going to be great for the fans as well.”

The ledge along the top of the boards and below the tempered glass, which are traditionally red, are now colored blue. The dashers at the bottom of the boards remain yellow. The scheme pairs perfectly with the team's navy blue and gold colors.

Both the home and visiting benches also have been replaced along with the penalty boxes and public address announcer box.

Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, the boards and glass also offer increased safety.

Greg Setola, the director of operations at the Huntington Center, said the new system is the same that all NHL teams use with enhanced safety features.

“The glass and boards are designed to assist in limiting injuries as they naturally flex to absorb some of the impact [of hits],” Setola said. “The glass on both sides of the player benches is now rounded and spring loaded, which will assist in cutting down on upper body injuries.”

Forward Sam Craggs, one of the team's more physical players, said the boards are more flexible.

“A lot of the injuries come from just getting pinched up against the boards. So that extra give is going to save a lot of people's shoulders, and it'll be a lot safer out there,” Craggs said. “Taking hits on this glass, players won't always fall.”

Pucks also are playing differently off of the new boards and dashers.

Coach Pat Mikesch said the back walls behind the nets seem to be a little bit more lively.

“That's something you want your defensemen and goaltenders to be very aware of — just on how quickly [pucks] can come back out front,” Mikesch said.

But Mikesch said the boards in every building each play in a different way.

“You're always going to look for quirks,” he said.

Walleye forward Brandon Hawkins called the new boards a fantastic upgrade. Hawkins, known for his creativity with the puck, said he's still trying to figure out how the new boards will play.

“Our boards were always good here, so I don't think it's so much of a difference there. They might be a little more lively,” Hawkins said. “But when it comes down to it, rinks are rinks. They're all 200 [feet] by 85.”

Hawkins agreed that the latest technology can help prevent injuries.

“I think it'll help big time,” Hawkins said. “Nobody talks about it. But injury-wise, there's a little bit more give to the glass and the boards, and that will help us a lot. You can save some guys concussions and shoulder injuries when the glass is a little bit softer.”

Setola said the project started on Aug. 26 and took three weeks to install. He said the boards were original to the building when it opened in 2009, but this was the second time the glass was replaced. The glass was last upgraded in 2015.

Setola said the initial upgrades for fans will be the new glass and the views it provides.

“The clear acrylic posts will cut down on obstructed views,” he said.

The glass consists of an acrylic product called Crystalplex. The glass also is protected by a product called “Hockey Shield,” which extends the life and look of the glass. There are protective layers that can be removed when puck marks can no longer be cleaned through normal methods.

“The glass is crystal clear. It looks great,” Craggs said.

Mikesch said the team will learn more about how the new boards play during this Saturday's preseason home game against Kalamazoo.

“They're a little bouncy,” Keenan said. “But I think it's just a matter of breaking them in.”

Veteran forward Tyler Spezia, who has re-joined the Walleye franchise after being away for four seasons, said he already noticed there is more give to the glass.

“The glass is softer, so getting hit on this glass will absorb it a little bit better,” Spezia said. “It's NHL glass, NHL boards, and it looks great. The rink is as beautiful as ever.”

The blue ledges provide leverage for players when they're up against the boards. Officials also use them to allow plays to get safely past them.

Setola said the top of the boards are outfitted with a soft flexible cap instead of the acrylic that was the industry standard for years.

“The NHL has collected data showing the soft cap contributed to fewer concussions versus the hard cap,” he said.

Craggs said one of the best upgrades is the removal of metal stanchions between the panes of glass. The metal stanchions between the two Plexiglas plates held the previous glass in place. Pucks could sometimes take strange bounces off the old stanchions that hold the panes of glass together. The new glass panels are seamless.

“The pucks don't shoot off the glass like they used to,” Craggs said. “The pucks are going to be pretty fast coming off the boards this year. We're still getting used to it. But they're bouncing true off the angles and coming out like you'd expect.”