10 Oz Hockey Pucks

With the added stress on a hockey puck today, it is not a big surprise that hockey pucks do not last as long as they used to. Hockey pucks today are far more likely to chip or even break when used compared to 20 years ago. So why don’t manufacturers simply make their hockey pucks harder and more durable? There are two main reasons.

A harder hockey puck is more difficult to shoot and pass. A hockey puck is designed to have some give. It’s a simple matter of physics involving the transfer of energy between the hockey puck and the stick. A puck compresses when struck, much like a golf ball. If it didn’t, the game would be very different.

The hardness of a hockey puck is measured with a Durometer. It’s a basic impact test that measures the resistance of a plunger when it impacts a puck. There is an acceptable hardness range for a hockey puck, and manufacturers have to stay within a set range.

The other factor is the rink glass. Glass breakage can be a major expense if it occurs too frequently. It can also disrupt a game while the glass is being replaced. While it is debatable how often glass breakage is actually the result of the puck, the hockey puck is often pointed at as the cause. Typically, the real cause is a small flaw in the glass that is struck at just the right spot or an issue with how the glass was installed.

With players shooting much harder on average compared to just a decade or two ago, the number of high-speed impacts is much more frequent. Over the past 20 years, there seems to be a trend toward manufacturing hockey pucks that are slightly softer than they were in the past. The result is that hockey pucks seem to wear more quickly.

It is also worth noting that hockey pucks can get slightly harder over time. Oils are used in the manufacturing of a hockey puck. Gradually, these oils will migrate to the surface and, in most cases, evaporate. If they migrate too quickly, an oily layer can form on a puck over time as these oils work their way to the surface.

It’s a natural process and nothing to be concerned about. But if you have an old hockey puck kicking around in the hockey bag, it may seem harder and more durable as a result. It may be. But it may not have been when initially made. So comparing old and new hockey pucks isn’t necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison.

A few other things are worth noting. Hockey pucks are designed to be used frozen. Go to any professional or junior game and you’ll find that pucks are either taken out of a freezer or kept in an ice bucket prior to use. This is done to make the hockey puck a bit harder and less bouncy.

In fact, NHL pucks are used for no more than 2–3 minutes on average before they are replaced. The warmer the hockey puck, the softer it will be and the more likely it is to chip.

As a result of all this, we cannot warranty a hockey puck for chipping or any other sort of damage once it hits the ice. How it’s used and under what conditions are beyond our control.

Our approach is to offer you the widest choice possible of hockey puck models and let you decide which is best for your application. Anyone telling you that they have the best hockey puck available is misleading you and typically only has one puck available.

Each hockey puck has its pros and cons. Selecting the appropriate hockey puck model depends on how it’s being used.