North American Sized Rink

A North American (or National Hockey League) sized rink is a rink with the following specifications of 200 feet/61 meters by 85 feet/26 meters with a corner radius of 28 feet/8.5 meters The distance from the end boards to the nearest goal line is 11 feet/3.4 meters. The NHL attacking zones are expanded, with blue lines 64 feet/20 meters from the goal line and 50 feet/15 meters apart. Canadian rinks may vary from NHL ones, especially in the goal crease shape (semi-circular), and in the rink dimensions which can accept widths from 85 to 100 feet.

Despite the name NHL rinks have not always been a standard size. The last rink to have a smaller size was Boston Garden and Maple Leaf Gardens had irregular curvature of the corner boards.

The origins of the specifications date to the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal which was built in 1862. The rink was the site of the first recorded game in 1875. The ice surface was 200 feet/62 meters by 80 feet/24 meters. The curved corners are believe to have been first used at the Montreal Arena which was built in 1898.

Some facilities in North America that have multiple sheet of ice have at least one sheet of larger ice which are known as an International Sized Rink 200 feet/61 meters by 100 feet/30.5 meters. International size sheets also have a larger neutral zone (about 18 feet/5.5 meters) and more space behind the goal line (2 feet/.7 meters).