Funny Finnish Puck

Oulu, Finland-trekearth

TSN Bar Down

TSN

Cited

'We always hear people talking about ways to improve hockey. Some would like bigger nets, others would like smaller goalie pads, etc. The list is usually typical. Very rarely does a new idea come along, until now. This company would like to change the actual hockey puck.'

This is how they describe their version of the puck. "The Aalto Puck is made in the same material as a regular hockey puck and behaves in the same way on ice with one fundamental difference. It has a built in randomness, it doesn't bounce as a regular puck, it can, depending on how it's hit, speed off in different ways and more importantly, by adding an element of chance it's the most equal puck produced. Advantages are randomly given to either of the two competing teams. By adding the element of chance this small puck changes the big picture."'

One of my Facebook comments

This is more of this 'The game is not popular enough compared to some sports so let us change it...'

Aaltopuck.com

Cited

S'ince the middle ages ice hockey has been played with round pucks. So this is why we are proud to present the first non-round hockey puck in the history of mankind, the Aalto puck. Inspired by the free forms of the Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto and a small reminder that not everything has to be as we’re used to. The Aalto Puck will is mainly a research project and if you want to help us, please fill in the form below and we'll send a puck free of charge (as long as we have any left).

What we would like in return is documentation, pictures or video of how the puck behaves in action.'

'A REGULAR PUCK BOUNCES IN A PREDICTABLE WAY. PUCK A FOLLOWS THE A PATH. B AND C BEHAVES THE SAME WAY. ENTER AND EXIT ANGLES ARE THE SAME.'

'THE ANGLE OF THE PUCK BEFORE THE COLLISION IS REVERSED WHEN BOUNCING OF A EVEN SURFACE.'

'THE AALTO PUCK CAN IMPACT IN MANY WAYS CHANGING THE EXIT ANGLE.'

End citations

I reason the Aalto puck would exchange some hockey skill for randomness because it would change angles unpredictably.

This would effect passing, shooting and goaltending quite significantly.

Puck handling might not be as effected because the puck remains on the ice surface, the angles changing as it is airborne.

The Aalto puck does not fit within present day professional hockey, nor with its tradition.

However although funny and humourous in a present day professional hockey context, I am not stating that the idea does not have any merit.

Perhaps, Aalto should sponsor its own professional tournament and test the puck.

I doubt the National Hockey League or any professional League would ever consider using the puck long-term on even in one game.

But the Aalto puck could be used in a semi-new sport...

It might be interesting. I wish them well and ordered a free puck.

Hockey or Ice Hockey in Europe is already a world-known sport with a significant professional League in North America and others in Europe.

The National Hockey League, just signed a 5.2 Billion dollar Canadian television deal with Rogers Communications. Although the revenue is shared by all thirty teams, without the seven Canadian teams, especially Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, there would be no deal generating anywhere near that much revenue.

But because Canada is perhaps the only semi-major country where hockey is the most popular sport, hockey is somehow looked at by many in the media and by some fans as being deficient because it is lacking in popularity behind UEFA Football, The National Football League, Major League Baseball and the NCAA.

Therefore according to some media and fans, along with in some cases, quality of play reasons, various changes need to be considered to increase popularity as the TSN article mentioned, and I reasoned on Facebook that this may very well be a motivation behind the Aalto puck.

Philosophically, how important is it to be the most or more popular?

As I have noted many times on both blogs, the National Hockey League could generate more revenue and more new fans by concentrating on new traditional hockey markets. Not just my view, but also documented in the New York Times and Forbes from an American perspective and the economic Conference Board of Canada, from a Canadian perspective.

However, the League does have significant overall success based largely on Canada, the Northern United States and California.

The more popular sports such as European Football, the National Football League and Major League Baseball, in my opinion have certain advantages over hockey in that they are largely outdoor sports which can be played in more countries that fit naturally better into a culture.

I also reason that in general spectators will prefer an outdoor event outside in the sun than in an indoor arena.

These issues contribute to hockey being less popular. But less popular does not mean that the sport is not successful or cannot be increased in popularity if properly marketed.

Exodus 20: 17 English Standard Version

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

When I see the attempts my the League to market itself in new non-traditional markets at the expense of more profitable new traditional ones and I read and hear about the need for the game to change to be more popular, the Biblical idea not to covet comes to mind.

Rather on the corporate level and personal level, I reason advancement should be made within one's own limitations and not in comparison to others corporately or privately.

From a Biblical perspective this is the case, in Christ from a New Testament perspective.

This covetousness I reason is quite likely occurring in the realms of professional hockey at the highest level.

Not including the Aalto and their new technology in the statement.  I am not judging the Finnish manufactures motives for making the Aalto puck as being the same as the League.

I see Aalto as suggesting change for betterment as if hockey needs to be improved.

For forty years plus the National Hockey League has marketed itself as if its traditional roots will not suffice and that hockey as a business needs to be improved.

As I have opined, with this view the League is not being governed near optimally, primarily in regard to franchise placement.

Sesame Street-NHL: The Aalto puck make me think bitten on cookie or cake.

Learnin to drive?-Thanks to Deeaan of Deeaan and Bulgarian Princess fame. That is in front of their palace...
No, none of us were involved!

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