> > I wonder if I'm missing something here. ... I would have guessed
> > that the larger ice surface would make it more difficult for the
> > "slower" skating defensemen to keep up with the speedier forwards,
> > hence making the game on the larger rink more "offensive".  Did I
> > get my definition of rink sizes backwards?
>
> It is counter-intuitive ... but many coaches believe larger rinks slows the
> game down ... In a smaller rink, the action is forced to happen more quickly
> ... In larger rinks, the game is often played on the perimeter.
>
> That's the theory anyway.
 
I recall a conversation with an assistant coach of a team playing a
"faster" team who, when asked if he thought playing a physical game
would be helpful, responded "you have to catch them to hit them."
 
It seems to me that the larger area works to the disadvantage of a more
physical team and to the advantage of a "finesse" team that can move
the puck around the perimeter and pounce on an opportunity.  Perhaps
both people are right...
 
Things happen faster on the smaller rink, but the faster team has a
better advantage on the larger sheet.
 
         charlie shub   University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
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