Hockey Warning Track

 Without a doubt, safety in all four major North American Sports has been both a priority and a necessity in the past ten years. From better helmets in the NFL, to the long standing warning track in baseball, making sure all athletes are safe is key. The sport of hockey has established its mark as one of, if not the most dangerous sport behind football. While there have been numerous improvements to health and safety in the world of hockey, there are still a few glaring issues. Things like dangerous hits into the boards, concussions, and fighting (an argument for a different day) still exist. However, a former player and victim of spinal cord injury, Thomas Smith, has proposed something he calls “The Look-Up Line” that could prevent hundreds of hockey injuries.

  In a junior hockey game before college, Thomas suffered a crippling spinal cord injury when he went head-first into the boards. He was not gravely injured, but he underwent months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. Finally back on the ice, Smith sadly had the same injury happen again. During a practice in July of 2009, Thomas Smith again suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of losing his skate edge while skating behind the net. For the next twenty-seven months, Smith was restricted to a wheelchair. Now, Smith walks with two canes. Smith told spine specialist Barth Green "you had a better chance of winning the lottery five times in a row than having two separate accidents, totally unrelated." Smith felt that there should be a way to avoid these injuries. After some thinking, the “Look-Up Line” was born.

  The Look-Up Line is similar to the warning track in baseball. The warning track’s purpose is to alert players when they are near a solid surface, so they can avoid injury. The Look-Up Line would serve the same purpose. Around the boards of the rink, a 40-inch wide bright orange line would be painted onto the ice. This would let players know when they are close to the boards. It would cause them to “look-up” and be aware that they could be checked and to keep their heads up. Also, it tells players to be careful about checking others into the boards. While this may be a small advantage for college and pro players, it can immensely help the development of younger players who primary keep their heads down. Nonetheless, it would be a great asset to all levels of the game.

  It appears that everyone is on-board with the hockey warning track. Even New York Ranger forward Chris Kreider said "I don't see any negative to this at all. This could be helpful for younger players learning where they are in space." Another plus side is the Line’s low cost. Each installation would only cost roughly $500. Also, it would only take about 6-7 gallons of paint. While the NHL has not discussed adding this to any arena, the collegiate level has shown signs of interest. In the winter of 2013-2014, Fenway Park’s “Frozen Fenway” (a yearly event where high school and college hockey teams play on a rink built inside the ballpark). had the line installed. On another positive note, by October 1^st, 2014, 225 lines were to be installed in 27 states across the country. While it seems that it might take a while for the NHL to initiate the Look-Up Line in every stadium, no one can deny that this innovative idea has a lot of positive momentum.