After two windows were broken in building C, rubber pucks are now banned on the outdoor rink in the courtyard.
The ban came into effect on Jan. 26. Foam pucks, now available at the AC Hub, must be used by students when playing hockey.
Students from the construction and trades program built the rink and installed protective netting behind each net in the hopes it would stop errant pucks from hitting the windows.
“We had more faith in the nets than we should have,” said the director of Student Support Services Shelley Styles. “It was a risk for sure.”
Hockey fans are disappointed. “I think it’s stupid,” said Matt Morgan, a student in the pre-trades program. “They should have made the netting higher.”
One of the pucks broke the office window of Dave Donaldson – the dean of the School of Business.
“A broken window is small and very minor in comparison to the great initiative to have people out on the rink,” he said.
Donaldson doesn’t want to see students stop using the rink as a result of the ban.
“It’s awesome to see people skating and playing shinny,” Donaldson said.
The posted rules at the rink state that slap shots are not allowed.
Despite this, the windows were broken by slap shots that went over the protective netting.
Styles understands the frustration of students, but safety must take precedence.
“We have to do our due diligence,” she said. “The safety issue is really important.”
But it’s not just an issue of safety.
In a country that lives and breathes hockey, Styles realizes not everyone will be happy.
“People are passionate about shinny, it’s part of the game,” she said.
But she holds no ill will towards those responsible.
“I realize it probably wasn’t intentional.”