Penticton, BC Man Working on Stanchion Resolution

[RGM81]

This is really cool to read!

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news...-21-.htm#61425

Mike Sproule, owner of Capital Glass in Penticton, has developed a device which will eliminate the dangerous stanchions near the players bench and penalty box areas.
Sproule says the idea came to him after witnessing the aftermath of Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty back on March 8 in Montreal.
Pacioretty has not played since after suffering a concussion and fractured vertebra.
"I thought how silly that corner post design was the way it is. There has to be a better way to do this," says Sproule.
"We've taken it from a solid post that is at a 90 degree angle, curved the Lexan or the polycarbonate, hinged it and put it on shock absorbers. Basically when the guy hits it it'll absorb the impact itself, deflect him back onto the playing surface and will not stop him. It will also move out of the way by four or six inches."
Sproule says he sent the design information to Jerome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and Maple Leafs General Manager, Brian Burke.
He says he heard from the NHL the next day.
"They loved the idea and we had a conference call the following day with them. They wanted to know what direction I wanted to take it. They liked the idea but they would have to get their engineers to look at it and wanted to know whether I'd be able to work with them on it."
Sproule says the NHL is running it by their safety engineers this week and expects to hear some from the league in the next couple of weeks.

[centrehice]

Nice to see this issue moving swiftly. Usually ideas like this get bogged down immediately as so many folks get protective of themselves.

Male ego has managed to ruin many a great idea because the interested party didn't come up with the idea themselves.

Now as long as the NHL Engineers can shove their own egos aside, and some overly touchy-feely Human Resources person doesn't want a feasibility study done first, then this can be implemented by the start of next season.

This truly is an issue that the NHL should drop everything and get handled forthwith. They will be amazed at the positive reception they will get if this idea works out.

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