Boards Meaning in Ice Hockey

The boards are the wooden or plastic walls surrounding the ice. These structures keep the puck and the players inside the rink. Thick glass sits on top of the boards for fan safety. Players use the boards to bounce passes to their own teammates. The bottom of the boards features a yellow kick plate strip. This area is where the most physical play in hockey occurs. The puck hit the boards and bounced right to the center. Learning how to read bounces off the boards is a skill. Defensemen often ring the puck around the boards to clear zones. The boards must be flexible to absorb the impact of hits. Pucks can travel at high speeds when hitting the hard surface. Every hockey rink has these walls to define the playing area.