Fan Safety

[John Casey]

Today we saw two fans get hit by a puck, therefore should there be more protective covering across the stands especially in the zones close to where players clear the puck?

[shmyrohdear]

I've always wondered why we don't have glass the same height as the panes behind the goals, given it makes delay of game easier. Surely a rule should just be in place to make all of the glass one set heigh.

[iginla]

Possibly another couple of metres of netting towards centre ice yes.

The second puck hit tonight looked a nasty one.

[Yotes]

Decent question. I personally wouldn't want netting all the way around to protect you lot who sit in the strike zone, because tbh your faces are less important to me than my view of the game from up high but, is there a reason we don't, or couldn't, have full height glass all the way around? Are the boards not strong enough to hold it? I know they have this at NHL venues.

Edit - beat me to the punch shmyrohdear

[PantherTom]

Or people could just keep their eye on the game

[ted logan]

Jan 10, 2016 22:54:03 GMT PantherTom said:

Or people could just keep their eye on the game

Bit harsh. Puck flies in at speed from about 15 feet away. Not much time to react.

[Bagheera]

It is strange that the glass height drops pretty much where the players tend to aim to clear the zone. Lookslike it was only shooting at the goal that was thought of when putting in the high glass. Certainly should go at least to the blue line. Not sure its needed along the neutral zone on the penalty bench side.

Not a case of not watching. The first guy got hit infront of me and he saw it coming. Just had the reaction speed of your average Joe, not those of a proffesional netminder.
He was bleeding from the head too.

[jdizpt8]

If you choose to sit in a seat which makes you susceptible to being hit then it's paramount you keep you eye on the game. Granted the speed the puck travels doesn't help and a deflection can take it off course and send it your way. I said to a friend tonight if I had that seat is invest in a goalie helmet. I'm not sure why the glass changes height I've always assumed it's regulation for them to be that height behind the goal and lower down the sides.

[Bagheera]

I think it may be purely for viewing purposes. Im not sure but i think the higher glass has the mental stantions. Where as the lower glass may still be seamless.

[nate24]

Let's not knees jerk. It's a known risk and will happen from time to time with all the netting in the world.

2 is just an unlucky coincidence.

[nate24]

Jan 10, 2016 22:47:46 GMT Yotes said:

Decent question. I personally wouldn't want netting all the way around to protect you lot who sit in the strike zone, because tbh your faces are less important to me than my view of the game from up high but, is there a reason we don't, or couldn't, have full height glass all the way around? Are the boards not strong enough to hold it? I know they have this at NHL venues.

Edit - beat me to the punch shmyrohdear

What do you mean by full height?

[Yotes]

Same height as round the ends.

[PantherB]

St. Johns staff were unusually awful last night. The first puck that went out, into block 13, the St. John's staff who were at the bottom of block 16/17, weren't even watching so just stood still doing nothing. I know for a fact the arena tell their staff to watch the puck during play rather than the crowd (obviously taking quick looks at the crowd every so often) so they need a rocket up their arse.

The second puck, lower block 6, looked awful, saw a bit of blood and the arena steward rushed straight down to help, waving at the St. Johns staff who she was stood next to initially, to get them to help becuase it was a serious injury.. did they rush straight down? No. They stood their like lemmons. It was only when the fans nearest the St. Johns staff started waving and shouting at them did they actually move and go down to asssit.

The arena needs better medical staff, whether it's more St. Johns people or other medically trained volunteer's in the arena. The plexi is stupidly low around the sides too, and the ends of the taller plexi is placed in a way where probably 7/10 times the puck will fire straight into the crowd.

[nate24]

Jan 11, 2016 10:44:38 GMT Yotes said:

Same height as round the ends.

Ah I'm with you. Good call.

[Robbie Nud]

Jan 11, 2016 11:40:18 GMT PantherB said:

St. Johns staff were unusually awful last night. The first puck that went out, into block 13, the St. John's staff who were at the bottom of block 16/17, weren't even watching so just stood still doing nothing. I know for a fact the arena tell their staff to watch the puck during play rather than the crowd (obviously taking quick looks at the crowd every so often) so they need a rocket up their hairy bum.

The second puck, lower block 6, looked awful, saw a bit of blood and the arena steward rushed straight down to help, waving at the St. Johns staff who she was stood next to initially, to get them to help becuase it was a serious injury.. did they rush straight down? No. They stood their like lemmons. It was only when the fans nearest the St. Johns staff started waving and shouting at them did they actually move and go down to asssit.

The arena needs better medical staff, whether it's more St. Johns people or other medically trained volunteer's in the arena. The plexi is stupidly low around the sides too, and the ends of the taller plexi is placed in a way where probably 7/10 times the puck will fire straight into the crowd.

I think the steward reacted quicker in the 2nd incident having seen what happened in the 1st. In fact on the first it was Bohmber who was waving the steward down as he had seen what happened and quickly gauged that the fan needed treatment.
Hope they are both ok as they looked quite nasty injuries.

[Optic]

Agree about the taller glass all round

They are both fine

This guy was in block 6


The other messaged him saying they must of missed each other for stitches

Twitter

[Yotes]

"Lucky", in terms of not being even more unlucky, if there's no damage to his eye. Nasty one.

Something for the Panthers and the NIC to think about.

[The Mighty Moog]

Netting all the way around would do the trick. Higher plexi would help but you'd still get pucks going over. I'm normally in the end bronze seating but I have splashed out on gold or silver seating at times. The netting doesn't really obscure much if anything. You get used to it.

It'd put an end to teddybear tosses and the Flowervision giveaway thing though.

[Yotes]

Jan 11, 2016 14:22:35 GMT The Mighty Moog said:

It'd put an end to ... the Flowervision giveaway thing though.

And the downside?

[The Mighty Moog]

Jan 11, 2016 14:24:27 GMT Yotes said:

Jan 11, 2016 14:22:35 GMT The Mighty Moog said:

It'd put an end to ... the Flowervision giveaway thing though.

And the downside?

Eh. I'm with you on that, but some people like it.

[RBR97]

why didn't anyone get delay of game penalties?

[Yotes]

Jan 11, 2016 15:05:03 GMT RBR97 said:

why didn't anyone get delay of game penalties?

Depends how they go over the glass, and from where. One of theirs did take a DOG pen, don't know if that caused one of these injuries.

[RBR97]

Jan 11, 2016 15:37:38 GMT Yotes said:

Jan 11, 2016 15:05:03 GMT RBR97 said:

why didn't anyone get delay of game penalties?

Depends how they go over the glass, and from where. One of theirs did take a DOG pen, don't know if that caused one of these injuries.

To me it looked like they both came from Fife players clearing their own zone, went directly out and into the crowd.

The hitting someone in the crowd seemed to distract from a penalty being called?

[Yotes]

Ah I see what you mean, you could be right. I seem to remember the block 13 one Hicks signaled a deflection on its way, very difficult to tell from the stands I'd think at the speed it all goes, I assume you can hear it at ice level?

[PantherB]

A net all the way around would be awful. Ice Sheffield do that and it's not nice on the eyes. The plexi needs to be heightened, it'll cost money of course but it needs to be done to ensure safety.