Rethink the Rink

The Pittsburgh Penguins have collaborated with two leading international organizations in science and technology, Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering and Covestro (among other partners), on an ambitious initiative that has been enhancing the safety of hockey at all levels since 2018.

“Rethink The Rink” is a one-of-a-kind project that challenges students to develop materials and solutions to enhance safety in hockey without compromising performance. This interdisciplinary approach reflects Carnegie Mellon’s educational philosophy.

David Morehouse, former President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Penguins, noted, “I cannot imagine better partners than Covestro and Carnegie Mellon Engineering, both recognized as leaders in innovation in materials and engineering. When combined with insights from the Penguins and the NHL regarding hockey and rink management, we believe we have an exceptional team dedicated to exploring ways to make this inherently physical sport safer for all players.”

Rethink the Rink is now in its ninth year and has tackled a variety of real and challenging issues as teams strive to create safer designs for both rink and player protective equipment. The impact of this collaboration is significant. For instance, the dasher board designs developed during the initial round of work are now installed in the Penguins’ practice rink and are commercially available through Athletica, the preferred rink equipment supplier for the NHL, AHL, and USA Hockey.

Past competitions

Year 8: Hand safety

In year eight, the competition tasked four student teams with designing innovative hockey glove prototypes that address real-world safety concerns at all levels of the sport.

Year 7: Neck protection

In its seventh year, Rethink The Rink focused on improving the equipment players wear to protect their necks from skate blades.

Year 6: Safer shot blocking

In year six, students developed shot blocker equipment to protect players' lower legs and ankles from shots by opposing teams.

Year 5: Safer glass

In year five, students were challenged to increase the flexibility and strength of the materials used in the dasher board systems that surround hockey rinks.

Year 4: Player helmets

In the fourth year of the Rethink the Rink collaboration, students focused on enhancing the safety of player helmets.

Year 3: Shoulder and elbow pads

In the third year, CMU Engineering, Covestro, and the Pittsburgh Penguins shifted their focus to shoulder and elbow pads, which significantly impact player performance and protection.

Year 2: Goalie helmets

In the second year of the Rethink the Rink partnership, teams concentrated on redesigning the goalie helmets.

Year 1: Dasher boards

The first year of Rethink the Rink focused on redesigning the dasher boards and glass surrounding the hockey rink.