A Canadian-made heated skate blade touted as a means of boosting velocity was approved Tuesday for testing in the National Hockey League.
Calgarian Tory Weber invented the Therma Blade, a blade that heats the ice and reduces friction.
(CBC) The Therma Blade will be used by as many as 10 NHL players in games and practices, said the blade's inventor, Tory Weber of Calgary. The NHL will use this testing phase to examine possible safety issues and the blades' effect on the ice to determine whether they should be used more widely within the league.
"It's very simple technology. A warm blade basically creates a thin film of water and melts the ice," Weber said. Skaters that use the heated blades, which will retail for about $399, find it's much like skating on ice that has been freshly groomed by a Zamboni, he added.
"[This will] really take the sport of hockey to another level," he said in a video statement shown during a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday.
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky has endorsed the blades.
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(CBC)
"It's very simple technology. A warm blade basically creates a thin film of water and melts the ice," Weber said. Skaters that use the heated blades, which will retail for about $399, find it's much like skating on ice that has been freshly groomed by a Zamboni, he added.
"[This will] really take the sport of hockey to another level," he said in a video statement shown during a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday.
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky has endorsed the blades.
Full Story
What do you think of this idea? Does hockey need to get any faster?
More...