The most powerful shot of the puck. Who has the strongest shot in hockey? Why did the kulyash weaken

Hockey fans have always been interested in the question: what is the maximum speed of a puck in hockey? And who has the most powerful throw?

For reference
There are two main types of shots in hockey - the wrist shot and the swing shot, that is, the flick. The click is more powerful. And not only because the hockey player makes a maximum swing, but also because the stick, hitting the ice in front of the puck, bends before touching the puck and actually turns into a sling.

Therefore, when they talk about the maximum speed of the puck in hockey, they mean the speed after the click.

Story
The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has an attraction where a fan stands on the goal and tries to save virtual shots from two of the most successful players in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Let's be honest, the fan has little chance - the pucks fly at a speed of 120 km/h (about the average speed of a puck in hockey these days).

But historical glory belongs to another Canadian athlete - Bobby Hull. They say that with his click he sent the puck at a speed of 193 km/h.

“My hand was paralyzed for five minutes - Bobby Hull put his mark on it,” said one of his contemporaries, a hockey player who did not have time to dodge Bobby’s click.

There is no way to check whether these figures are correct. Firstly, the clubs are not the same now – they are lighter. Secondly, Bobby is already approaching 80.

Competition “Come on, guys!”
Many players are famous for their powerful “snap” shots in the North American NHL (National Hockey League) and the Russian-European KHL (Continental Hockey League). But only a special device and competitions in the All-Star Games, held once a year, can reveal the owner of the strongest throw. The birthplace of show fights was North America, the NHL (1948).

The NHL began measuring the speed of the puck in 1990 during games of the national teams of two conferences of the National Hockey League - “West” and “East”. The first winner was American defenseman from the Canadian club Toronto Maple Leafs Al Ayafrati, who shot the puck at a speed of 154 kilometers per hour. Three years later, he set a new benchmark - 169.3 km/h. And only 16 years later, this result was improved by the current sole leader - captain of the Boston Bruins, defenseman Zdeno Chara, who won five competitions in a row. The last achievement of the defender of the Slovak national team with a height of 206 centimeters was a throw in 2012 with an indicator of 175.1 km/h, for which it was recognized as a new world record.

At the 2011 All-Star Game in St. Petersburg, Denis Kulyash from Omsk Avangard threw the puck at a speed of 177.5 km/h, entering the Guinness Book of Records. But a year passed, and this achievement was surpassed by Alexander Ryazantsev, who was playing for Traktor at that moment. After his throw, the device recorded the speed of the puck at 183.7 km/h.

The TSN Internet portal tried to find out who is the fastest NHL player, and also studied the past history of such disputes.

EVOLUTION OF SPEED

U Paula Coffey his jaw dropped when he saw how Connor McDavid rushes by TJ Brody and scores the very goal that has already become legendary.

On the day when McDavid reached a speed of 40.9 km/h on the site, Coffey called Wayne Gretzky and asked one simple question: “What was that? It seems that this McDavid from some other planet."

Gretzky without hesitation he noted: “Paul, you did this yourself in every match.”

Speed ​​has always been a fundamental factor in the game. But the boundaries of the concept of speed have expanded noticeably since Coffey regularly went on the ice.

"Is your car faster than your dad's car? Hell, of course it is," he jokes. Coffey. - The current NHL is the Indy 500. The current generation is racing across the ice at 100 miles per hour."

Nowadays every car is faster than in the old days. And every hockey player too.

“Seeing the way these guys fly across the ice... I can’t understand how they can keep up the whole shift at that pace,” notes the former striker and now television expert.” Columbus" Jody Shelley.

The average shift in a game lasts 44 seconds, which is noticeably less than 57 seconds - the first indicator since the league began calculating individual statistics for hockey players in 1998.

The pace of the game has increased so much that the players - professionally trained athletes at the peak of their powers - can only withstand so much time.

“You can certainly see that the speeds have increased,” says the legendary coach Scotty Bowman. “Maybe not twice, but close to it.”

Guy Lefler made fans sigh with delight at the old Montreal Forum when he once again rushed past his opponent with his hair blowing in the wind. Shelley says that “now this wind is blowing you away on the bench.”

The style of play in the NHL gave impetus to a natural evolution - survival of the fittest, or rather, the fastest, which led to the retirement of such players as Shelley and others like him, who can no longer keep up with a faster opponent.

“Everything happens so quickly that it seems chaotic. But it’s organized chaos,” explains Shelley, who fought 163 times in the NHL during his career. - Evolution has taken a step forward and reached a new level. Hockey has always been fast, but now it's lightning fast."

Both the attitude towards prospects and the vector of work of scouts of league clubs have changed. Gone are the days when, first of all, the size and power of a hockey player were valued. Now everyone is interested in skating and gaming intelligence. And those whose brains keep up with their fast feet become the most delicious morsels in the draft.

But, of course, there are exceptions to the rules.

“If someone tells me that I have lost speed, then, of course, if you look at the background of others,” says Jaromir Jagr. - But it wasn’t me who became slower - it was others who became faster. I myself have become faster than I was before. Believe me. I was reviewing the recording of past matches. The league has just become noticeably faster."

TSN Analyst Ray Ferraro supports this idea: "Victory" Pittsburgh"The 2016 Stanley Cup changed the whole idea of ​​how a team should be built. You may not be big, but you can't be slow. If you can't skate, you won't get a chance to play."

CYCLONES, LIGHTNING AND FLARE

The truth is that speed has always been key.

This meeting was called “The Fastest Game” and was considered an example of the fastest hockey at the dawn of the 20th century.

Even then, everyone understood what was the fundamental factor for success.

"Cyclone" Taylor, born in 1884, was the first hockey star to be remembered not for his personal achievements, but for his nickname. This also deserves a special place in hockey history.

Taylor understood this. Even at 90 he was signing autographs: Fred " Cyclone " Taylor.

He became the first player to receive a nickname for his speed. And then he had many followers. "Cyclone" Taylor. "Stradford Lightning" Morenz. "Rocket" Richard. "Golden Fighter" Hull. "Blonde Devil" Lefler. "Russian rocket" Bure. "Finnish Flash" Selanne.

It's the league Taylor The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was the first to try to determine the fastest player.

In 1923, The Vancouver Daily World conducted a poll on who was the fastest hockey player. “This will not be an easy choice,” the publication wrote. “There are five candidates, each of whom can rightfully lay claim to this honor.”

Eleven years later, in 1934, The Canadian Press correspondents visited seven cities and repeated a similar survey. Everyone came to the same opinion - the legendary striker became the winner." Montreal" Howie Morenz, "The Stradford Lightning" (or "The Mitchell Meteor").

In 1942, the NHL introduced speed racing for the first time. This happened on January 30, 1942 at the home arena" Toronto"Representatives of all seven league teams at that time took part in the competition. The striker became the owner of an honorary title and a gift watch." Maple Leaves" Seal Epps. His winning time was 14 point 4/5 seconds, which equaled a speed of 23 m/h (36.8 km/h).

“It was a bright and memorable spectacle. Hockey stars showed their best capabilities,” wrote a journalist from the Toronto Daily Star.

In 1968, Popular Mechanics magazine published an article claiming that the striker " Chicago" Bobby Hull without the puck he reached a speed of 29.7 m/h (47.8 km/h), and with the puck - 28.3 m/h (45.5 km/h). We do not know how these measurements were made, but if they are correct, then we can say that in terms of speed Hull did not concede in anything McDavid, who accelerated with the puck to 25.4 m/h in the opening match of this season against " Calgary".

Even if we put aside doubts that Hull A couple of generations ahead of its time and able to break speed records that still stand 60 years later, there's no arguing that the Golden Fighter lived up to its nickname.

"Bobby Hull could pick up the puck behind his own goal and fly with it to someone else’s. He simply didn’t notice his opponents,” confirms Bowman.

Probably, the importance of speed is evidenced by the event of 1972, in which the club took an active part Halla - "Chicago". Owner of the Blackhawks Bill Wirtz began negotiations with the legendary Dutch speed skater Ardom Schenk. The Hawks could sign a man who just recently won three gold medals at the Sapporo Olympics.

Schenk never switched to hockey. But the NHL found its answer to the Dutchman - Bobby Orra.

“Bobby was the fastest man on the ice. He had no competition,” continues Bowman. - He was simply unstoppable. Nobody could compare with him. Nobody could ride like that. Incredible starting spurt. He just took the puck and ran past people who were taken aback."

Forward" Boston" and Hall of Fame member Johnny Butsik shares this opinion.

But Orr himself insists there was at least one person better than him: "I couldn't ride like Paul Coffey. I don’t want to sound simply modest with these words. I'll tell you one story. My father used to tell me: “Have you seen how this guy skates? Coffey? In this regard, he is better than you." My father really said that. I just clarified: “Am I even close to him?” Honestly. I think that says it all."

Nearly half a century after the first speed race in Toronto, the NHL introduced the first speed race at the All-Star Game - a race without a puck. In 1992, the winner was forward " Detroit" Sergey Fedorov. Four years later, the striker" Toronto" Mike Gartner set a record (13.386 seconds) that remained unbroken for 16 years.

Only in 2012, the winger " Rangers" Carl Hagelin circled the rink in 13.128, which turned out to be better than the time Garnter.

After another five, everything changed again. And this time it has revived many once-forgotten controversies.

ALL-STAR GAME RECORDS

Speaking officially, then Connor McDavid the fastest player in the world in name only, at least according to the All-Star Game record books.

The title belongs to the striker" Detroit" Dylan Larkin, which in 2016 beat the result Hagelin, completing a lap in 13.172 seconds. Although I myself Larkin insists that “this record should not have happened.” Larkin beat the result Hagelin due to the fact that he was allowed to start with a running start, which did not happen in previous years.

“It was a strange situation,” recalls Larkin. - They told me that I can accelerate, so why refuse? This is a big advantage."

In a year McDavid tried to overtake Larkin in Los Angeles, but he was forced to start from a standstill. Connor won the competition with a time of 13.31 seconds, which was the fastest time Larkin. True, it's still faster than numbers Gartner.

"It's not that big of a deal. At the end of the day, the All-Star Game is more of a show," he says. McDavid. - But in the previous year they allowed a running start. I do not know why? Of course, this played a role. And now this record will last for a very long time if the rules do not change. Otherwise, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to surpass this achievement in the near future."

Larkin, who missed out on the last All-Star Game, didn't see the performance McDavid.

These puzzling rule changes aren't the only reason why Coffey, who himself has never won such a competition at the All-Star Game, considers such races to be unrepresentative.

"Players run without the puck. One lap around the arena. There are a lot of fast players in the NHL, but everything changes when you move with the puck. McDavid able to do everything at top speed."

According to Paul, the title of fastest player goes from Orra To Coffey and from already Coffey To McDavid. With all due respect to the "Russian Rocket". AND Coffey not trying to show off. He is simply talking about what his eyes saw.

"The fastest players... They don't seem to move, but they're still ahead of their opponents. I don't know how best to describe it? He doesn't seem to move, his legs don't move 100 miles an hour. He moves very elegantly."

Now McDavid terrorizes the league's best defensemen with his speed and puck control.

Individual Skills Improvement Trainer, Darryl Belfrey, who works with Toronto FC players and many NHL stars, notes that the average third- or fourth-line player takes one step every 12 to 14 pushes. Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov And McDavid step over 3 pushes.

“He can get up to top speed in just a couple of pushes,” explains Bowman. - Probably in this McDavid most similar to Orra. They could reach maximum speed and control the puck at this speed... This is what distinguishes them from other hockey players."

McDavid notices this feature. But he admits that this gift was given to him from birth: “I’ve always been able to do it. I’ve always been able to skate well.”

And he cannot explain how he achieved such perfection.

“You can’t teach this. You have to be born with it,” concludes Coffey.

Larkin admits that he would gladly have a head-to-head speed duel with McDavid at the All Star Game. There is a possibility that they will have such an opportunity this coming January in Tampa.

“I don’t know which of us will win,” notes Dylan.

But Coffey thinks he knows the answer to this question: " McDavid- the fastest hockey player... Maybe in 10 years we will be talking about someone else. But now there is no doubt about it."

In any sport, it is customary to record and compare individual indicators of players: impact power, accurate pass, best power move. And of course, there are legendary players whose shots “broke” the goalposts, and goalkeepers were afraid to play against them. Nobody argues, there are also fictitious records, especially about athletes of a bygone era, but not all legends are misleading.

Puck speed in hockey - history and modernity

Many hockey fans are interested in when the speed of the puck was better - among masters from the past or modern players? And, in general, what speed can a projectile reach?

Among experienced fans, there are legends about the incredible throwing power of hockey players who played before.“Firsov’s throw” or “Bobby Hull’s click” immediately comes to mind. There are even experts who claim that they personally saw how Firsov with one strong throw pierced the goal net and at the same time the side of the hockey rink.

The puck then hit a fan, who had to be helped. According to legend, after such a powerful throw, the hockey player had problems - the coaches asked Anatoly Vasilyevich to control the force of the blow.

After some time, Firsov himself said that nothing of the kind happened and the sides remained intact. These legends began with the goalkeeper of the Czechoslovakian national team, who complained that after Anatoly’s throw his whole body was knocked off. But the defenders still parted and tried to dodge the flying “projectile”.

Reference! Once, after a throw from Firsov, a rubber disc still hit the goalkeeper in the forehead - he even had to receive medical assistance, but fortunately, everything ended well.

Conversations about the great power of Bobby Hull's click were conducted not only by fans, but by the coaches and hockey players themselves.

Calculation of the possible speed of a hockey puck began relatively recently, from the moment when a competition for the most powerful shot appeared in the NHL at the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, it is impossible to look into the past and measure with modern equipment what the highest flight speed of a projectile was after the throws of Firsov and Hall, but eyewitnesses claim that this figure exceeded 200 km/h. There were tears in the net after their shots, and this is a confirmed fact, but St. Petersburg army defense player Patrick Hursley, with a throw of 164 km/h, also tears the net.

World records for puck speed

The first winner of the championship for the most powerful throw was Boston Browins player Al Aefate with a score of 96 mph (about 155 km/h). A few years later, he increased his own record by 9.5 miles (more than 169 km/h). This result lasted 16 years, until 2009, until Zdeno Chara, by an amazing coincidence, a player on the same team, increased it by 0.2 miles. In 2012, he set the final record to date at 107 mph (over 172 km/h).

In terms of this indicator of play, the KHL is superior to its overseas competitor. During the All-Star Game, held in St. Petersburg in 2011, Avangard Omsk club player Denis Kulyash was able to set a world record, which was included in the Guinness Book of Records - the speed of the puck after being hit exceeded 177 km/h.

But a year later, this achievement was surpassed by Alexander Ryazantsev, who at that time was defending the colors of the Chelyabinsk Traktor. The speed of the sports projectile after a powerful impact was 183.7 km/h, but the overseas league does not recognize this record, insisting on false information or faulty equipment.

Reference! Ryazantsev’s record cannot be called final, because the KHL is still ignoring the result of SKA player Jiri Maruschak, who “shot” at a speed of 244 km/h at the Super League all-stars match. This amazing achievement was officially recorded.

Accurate measurements of how fast the puck flies are only possible during exhibition tournaments; it is likely that there could be higher figures in the game.

What determines the effectiveness of a throw?

In hockey there are 2 main types of shots: wrist and fly. The latter is also called a click and is considered more powerful. When performing it, the player makes a big swing, and the stick hits the ice near the puck and bends before striking. The sound of such a blow resembles the sound of a shot, a specific click. This type of shot is most often used by defensemen when, while the puck is being played in the opponent's zone, there is time to prepare a shot.

The most important thing for a good click is the ability to hold the club correctly. When fighting, any change in grip leads to inaccurate strikes.

There are several rules for performing a quality strike:

1. The stick hits the ice as much as possible and, when bent, creates tension that is transferred to the puck during the impact.
2. Before throwing, it is recommended to look at the goal to determine the direction of the shot.
3. Right-handers need to keep their left hand on top of the club to use their dominant hand for better control.
4. If you intend to score the puck, you need to shoot at a certain point in the goal.
5. To pass a pass, you need to look at the ice and at the stick of the person to whom the pass is given.

In addition, the blow should be struck on the ice a few centimeters before the puck; an instant before contact with the puck, the stick bends and, at the moment of straightening, strikes with maximum force.

Few fans have ever wondered what the speed of the puck is during a shot, who makes the most powerful and fastest shots? In the history of hockey, there are several people known who are considered record holders for the speed of puck flight.

There are two main types of shots in hockey: swing shots and wrist shots. Swing shots (snaps) are considered stronger, the puck flies faster when clicked. This occurs due to the maximum amplitude of the swing, and also due to the fact that the club bends during the impact and works like a sling. Puck speed in hockey - record and history in a few paragraphs below.

Puck speed - history

The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has an attraction that allows anyone to try their hand at shooting. The average speed of a puck for visitors to the Hall is 120 km/h, and they are unable to catch up with such eminent record holders as Messier and Gretzky. But the most powerful shot belongs to another hockey player - the legendary Bobby Hull. The speed of the puck after his swing shot was 193 km/h, after his wrist shot – 169 km/h. Now you can’t check whether these numbers are true or not. But they are considered official and Hull’s shots go down in the history of the fastest shots in hockey.

In the NHL, puck speed began to be measured in 1990, and a little later this parameter began to be recorded in the KHL. For a long time, Al Afreyt from Boston was considered the record holder. In 1990, he set a record of 154.5 km/h, three years later - 169.3 km/h. Only in 2009, the record was broken by Slovak forward Zdeno Chara - the speed of the puck after his shots was 169.6 km/h. Over time, this bar rose to 172.2 km/h.

The speed of a puck in hockey is a KHL record

Russian hockey has its own record holders - leaders in throwing power and speed. In 2011, at the all-star match in St. Petersburg, Omsk Avangard player Denis Kulyash sent the puck into the opponent’s goal at a speed of 177.5 km/h. The record was recorded and entered into the Guinness Book of Records. A year later, this record was broken by the Chelyabinsk “Traktor” player Alexander Ryazantsev. The speed of the puck after his throw was 183.7 km/h. The NHL record of 174.6 km/h somehow pales against this background. By the way, Alexander Ovechkin has second place in the National League with an indicator of 163.2 km/h. allow you to increase the speed and accuracy of throws. It is important to start working on this element again.

Formally, the world record belongs to Alexander Ryazantsev, but in Canada and the USA they believe that the record holder is Bobby Hull with an indicator of 190.4 km/h. The best solution in this case is to agree with both statements - sport should unite, and not cause unnecessary controversy, and you and I should root for our favorite team and rejoice at new records.

Hockey fans know well that the speed of the puck reaches very high values. But not everyone knows which ones exactly. Who among the famous hockey players sent the puck into the goal at record speed? And which of them has such a powerful throw to break the records already set at that time?

average speed

Hockey is a very vibrant sport. At the same time, it is extremely complex. The athlete must have well-developed all muscle groups, be agile, fast and very coordinated! Just as strong, fast legs are important for a player, so are strong, dexterous hands.

There are two main types of shots in hockey: wrist shot and fly shot. The latter is also called a click. It's more powerful. When making such a shot, the hockey player makes a maximum swing, and when he hits the ice in front of the puck, he bends the stick, turning it practically into a sling.

When we talk about puck speed in hockey, we mean the speed of its flight after the click. There is a hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, and there is an attraction in it. The player stands on the goal and reflects the virtual shots of two players who showed the highest score in NHL history. This is Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

The flight of the puck is 110-120 km/h. Not everyone manages to reflect it. This is the speed of the puck in hockey after the snap that is considered average today.

Legendary Click

However, the fame of the player with the most powerful shot was gained by the “Ice Legend” - They say that with his click he achieved that the speed of the puck in hockey was 193 km/h. When Bobby performed a wrist throw, it flew 169 km/h. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to verify this data. Let's take his word for it.

Today, the equipment of hockey players has undergone significant changes towards improvement. This especially affected the clubs. They are no longer the same - much easier!

Show jumping stars

Since 1990, the NHL began to measure the speed of the puck in hockey with special devices. Then Boston hockey player Al Aefrate showed a result at the hockey star competition in which the puck flew at a speed of 154.5 km/h. And three years later, he sent the puck flying at a speed of 169.3 km/h. Players looked up to this benchmark for another 16 long years. And only in 2009 these figures were surpassed by the Slovak hockey player Zdeno Chara.

His puck speed in hockey showed a result of 169.6 km/h. He was also a Boston player. Over time, Hara surpassed the established records and reached 172.2 km/h in 2012.

In the KHL there are also strong hockey players who can throw the puck at record speeds. For example, in 2011 in St. Petersburg, the speed of a puck in hockey was recorded (the record was set by Denis Kulyash), reaching 177.5 km/h. This moment was included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Another year later, Alexander Ryazantsev from Traktor broke this record and sent his puck flying at 183.7 km/h! In general, the numbers are impressive!

But if we go back to 2003, then at the all-star match a truly fantastic throw by Jiri Maruszak was recorded. 244 km/h - that was the speed of his puck! Hard to believe! But everything was registered officially.

Throw efficiency

In general, in order to obtain maximum speed of the puck in hockey, the player, in addition to the elastic forces of the stick, uses the traction force of the muscles of the shoulder girdle. This is especially true for the hands and reactive forces that arise as a result of processes that occur after motor inhibition of the chain: shoulder, forearm, hand, handle, hook. The effectiveness of the throw also depends on the nature of the interaction between the puck and the hook.

In 2018, hockey player from the Washington Capitals, Russian Alexander Ovechkin, won the strength shooting competition that took place at the SuperSkills tournament (NHL All-Star Game).

The athlete threw the puck at a speed of 163 km/h. In 16 years, he became the first striker to win this nomination. This competition included six categories: strength, shooting accuracy, speed, passing skill, puck control, shootout.

Such competitions attract viewers. The stands in Tampa were completely filled. Subban (Nashville defenseman) took second place, and Dallas player Klingberg took third place.

Hockey is not a sport for the weak! Even a small boy hitting the puck can leave a serious mark in the place where it hits. For an inexperienced hockey player, the puck picks up speed up to 80 m/sec. Therefore, hockey players must have equipment that performs a protective function. In this sport, punching power is very important. This determines whether a goal will be scored.