Finnish hockey
Posted by simoncurrie on 2008 May 11日 Sunday
Finland’s SM-Liiga (top league) ice rinks are neither international size (60m x 30m) or NHL size (200′ x 85′, about 61m x 26m):
Blues: 28 x 58 m
HIFK: 28 x 60 m
HPK: 30 x 58 m
Ilves: 28 x 60 m
Jokerit: 30 x 60 m
JYP: 28 x 60 m
Kärpät: 29.5 x 60 m
Lukko: 29 x 59 m
Pelicans: 28 x 58 m
SaiPa: 28.5 x 60 m
Tappara: 28 x 60 m
TPS: 30 x 58 m
Ässät: 28 x 58 m
Maybe these sizes are more ideal if you feel that NHL rinks are too small but international rinks are too big. It’s interesting how much they vary, teams can be built to suit their home rinks, neat (NHL rinks are all the same now, boring). The Finnish federation’s rules specify that rinks must be 56-61 m in length and 26-30 m in width. Perhaps a happy middleground is in Finland! 
And maybe this also explains how Finland seems to have always played a grittier, more physical style before other European nations.
