Editing Hockey puck (section)

===Variations===
There are several variations on the standard black, {{convert|6|oz|g|adj=on}} hockey puck. One of the most common is a blue, {{convert|4|oz|g|adj=on}} puck that is used for training younger players who are not yet able to use a standard puck. Heavier {{convert|10|oz|g|adj=on}} training pucks, typically reddish pink or reddish orange in colour, are also available for players looking to develop the strength of their shots or improve their stick handling skills. Players looking to increase wrist strength often practice with steel pucks that weigh {{convert|2|lb|g}}; these pucks are not used for shooting, as they could seriously harm other players. White pucks are used for technical handling and [[goaltender]] practice. These are regulation size and weight, but made from white rubber. The colour blend in with the ice and rink and requires higher focus on the puck, making handling of the black puck at later stage easier.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Advice – Different Types of Hockey Pucks |url= https://www.northernfreezehockey.com/advice-hockeypucks |access-date=2023-11-01 |website=NF Hockey |language=en}}</ref> A hollow, light-weight fluorescent orange puck is available for road or floor hockey. Other variants, some with plastic ball-bearings or glides, are available for use for road or roller hockey.{{Citation needed|date=October 2017}}

Two major developments have been devised to create better puck visibility on [[television]] broadcasts, but both were short-lived:

====Firepuck====
The use of a "Firepuck" in the early 1990s was the first attempt to improve the visibility of hockey pucks as seen on television. This invention incorporated coloured retro reflective materials of either [[embedded lens]] elements or prismatic reflectors laminated into recesses on the flat surfaces and the vertical edge of a standard hockey puck. Yellow was the preferred reflected colour. A spotlight was required to be positioned on the TV camera and focused at the centre of the viewing area.

A short demonstration tape of the [[Minnesota North Stars]] skating with the Firepuck was shown during the period break at the [[1993 NHL All-Star Game]] in Montreal. The [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|International Hockey League]] (IHL) pursued testing the Firepuck with its inventor, Donald Klassen. The next television viewing was the IHL All-Star Game in [[Fort Wayne, Indiana]], January 1994, where the Firepuck was used for the entire game. The IHL tested the Firepuck in two more games, and finally the [[East Coast Hockey League]] used it January 17, 1997, for their all-star game.

The use of the Firepuck was discontinued because of these reasons:
* The slight structural change increased the tendency for the puck to bounce on the ice. This made it more difficult for the goaltender and resulted in increased scoring.
* The skaters objected to the use of camera spotlights which reflected off the ice.
* The television viewing contrast of the Firepuck was not noticeably enhanced when the camera view was of the entire rink, this being the most common camera shot.

The Firepuck name was branded during the 1990s but has since been discontinued.

====Smart puck====
{{See also|FoxTrax}}

The [[FoxTrax]] "smart puck" was developed by the [[Fox television network]] when it held [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) broadcasting rights for the United States. The puck had integrated electronics to track its position on screen; a blue streak traced the path of the puck across the ice. The streak would turn red if the puck was shot especially hard. This was an experiment in broadcasting intended to help viewers unfamiliar with hockey to better follow the game by making the puck more visible. It was ill-received by many traditional hockey fans, but appreciated by many of the more casual viewers.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} The system debuted with much publicity in the NHL All-Star game at the Boston [[FleetCenter (Boston)|Fleet Center]] on January 20, 1996, but the system was shelved when Fox Sports lost the NHL broadcast rights three years later.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}