Who has the strongest shot in hockey? Puck speed in hockey: records and champions. Bobby Hull snap

The Internet portal TSN tried to find out who is the fastest player in the NHL, and also studied the past history of such disputes.

EVOLUTION OF SPEED

At Paula Coffey jaw dropped when he saw Connor McDavid rushes by TJ Brodie and scores the same goal that has already become legendary.

On the day when McDavid developed a speed of 40.9 km / h on the site, coffee called Wayne Gretzky and asked one simple question: "What was it? It seems that this McDavid from some other planet."

Gretzky without hesitation, he noted: "Paul, you did this yourself in every match."

Speed ​​has always been a fundamental factor in the game. But the boundaries of the concept of speed have expanded markedly since coffee went out on the ice regularly.

"Is your car faster than your dad's car? Hell yes, of course," jokes coffee. - The current NHL is the Indy 500. The current generation is rushing across the ice at 100 miles per hour."

Today, every car is faster than in the old days. And every hockey player too.

“Seeing these guys fly across the ice… I can’t understand how they can keep up the whole shift at such a pace,” notes the former striker, now an expert on television. Columbus" Jody Shelley.

The average shift in a game lasts 44 seconds, which is noticeably less than 57 seconds - the first rate since the league began counting individual statistics for hockey players in 1998.

The pace of the game has grown so much that the players - professionally trained athletes at the peak of their abilities - can only withstand such a time period.

"Certainly, you can see that the speed has increased, - says the legendary coach Scotty Bowman. “Maybe not twice, but close to it.”

Guy Lefleur made fans sigh enthusiastically at the old Montreal Forum, when he, with his hair developing in the wind, once again rushed past an opponent. Shelly says that "now this wind blows you on the bench."

The style of play in the NHL gave impetus to a natural evolution - the strongest survive, or rather, the fastest, which led to the departure of such players as Shelly and others like him, who can no longer keep up with a more frisky opponent.

"Everything happens so fast that it seems chaotic. But this is organized chaos," explains Shelly, who had 163 fights in the NHL during his career. - Evolution has taken a step forward, reached a new level. Hockey has always been fast, but now it's lightning fast."

The attitude to prospectuses and the vector of work of scouts of league clubs have also changed. Gone are the days when, first of all, the size and power of a hockey player were valued. Now everyone is interested in skating and game intelligence. And those whose brains keep up with their fast feet are the most juicy morsels in the draft.

But, of course, there are exceptions to the rule.

“If someone tells me that I lost in speed, then, of course, if you look at the background of others,” says Jaromir Jagr. - But it's not me who has become slower - it's others who have become faster. I myself became faster than I was before. Believe me. I reviewed the recording of past matches. The league just got a lot faster."

TSN Analyst Ray Ferraro supports this idea: "Victory" Pittsburgh"In the 2016 Stanley Cup, it changed the general idea of ​​how a team should be built. You can't stand out in size, but you can't be slow. If you can't skate, you won't get a chance to play."

CYCLONES, LIGHTNING AND FLASHES

The truth is that speed has always been key.

This meeting was called "The Fastest Game" and was considered a model of the fastest hockey at the dawn of the 20th century.

Even then, everyone understood what was a fundamental success factor.

"Cyclone" Taylor, born in 1884, was the first hockey star to be remembered not for personal achievement, but for his nickname. This also deserves a separate place in hockey history.

Taylor understood it. Even at 90 he was signing autographs: Fred " Cyclone " Taylor.

He became the first player to be nicknamed for his speed. And then he had many followers. "Cyclone" Taylor. "Stratford Lightning" Morenz. "Rocket" Richard. "Golden Fighter" Hull. "Blond Devil" Lefleur. "Russian rocket" bure. "Finnish Flash" Selanne.

It is the league Taylor- The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was the first to try to determine the fastest player.

In 1923, The Vancouver Daily World conducted a poll on who was the fastest hockey player. "It will not be an easy choice, - it was written on the pages of the publication. - There are five candidates, each of which can rightfully claim this honor."

Eleven years later, in 1934, The Canadian Press visited seven cities and repeated a similar survey. Everyone came to a consensus - the legendary striker became the winner" Montreal" Howie Morenz, "Stratford lightning" (or "Mitchell meteor").

In 1942, the NHL played the first speed race. It happened on January 30, 1942 at the home arena " Toronto". Representatives of all seven teams of the league at that time took part in the competition. The striker became the owner of the honorary title and gift watches " Maple Leaves" Seal Epps. His winning result is 14 points and 4/5 seconds, which was equal to the speed of 23 m / h (36.8 km / h).

"It was a bright and memorable spectacle. Hockey stars showed their best abilities," wrote a Toronto Daily Star journalist.

In 1968, Popular Mechanics published an article claiming that the striker " Chicago" Bobby Hull without a puck, he reached a speed of 29.7 m / h (47.8 km / h), and with a puck - 28.3 m / h (45.5 km / h). We do not know how these measurements were carried out, but if they are correct, then it can be argued that in terms of speed Hull didn't give up on anything McDavid, who accelerated with the puck to 25.4 m / h in the opening match of this season against " Calgary".

Even if we put aside the doubt that Hull ahead of its time by a couple of generations and could break speed records that are shown 60 years later, it is impossible to argue that the "Golden Fighter" fully lived up to its nickname.

"Bobby Hull could pick up the puck behind his own net and fly with it to strangers. He just didn't notice his opponents," confirms Bowman.

Probably, the 1972 event, in which the club took an active part, speaks about how important speed is. Halla - "Chicago". Owner of the Blackhawks" Bill wirtz started negotiations with the legendary Dutch speed skater Ardom Schenck. The Hawks could sign a man who most recently won three gold medals at the Sapporo Olympics.

Schenck never made it to hockey. But the NHL found its answer to the Dutchman - Bobby Orra.

"Bobby was the fastest man on the ice. He had no competition," continues Bowman. - He was simply unstoppable. Nobody could compare to him. Nobody knew how to ride like that. Incredible starting spurt. He just took the puck and ran past people who were taken aback."

Forward" Boston and a member of the Hall of Fame Johnny Bucik shares this opinion.

But Orr himself insists there was at least one person better than him: "I couldn't skate like Paul Coffey. I do not want these words to seem just modest. I'll tell you one story. My father liked to tell me: "Have you seen how this coffee? In that regard, he is better than you. "My father really said so. I only clarified:" Am I even close to him? "Honestly. I think that says it all."

Nearly half a century after the first speed race in Toronto, the NHL introduced the first speed competition at the All-Star Game, the puckless race. In 1992, the winner was the forward " Detroit" Sergei Fedorov. Four years later, striker Toronto" Mike Gartner set a record (13.386 seconds) that remained unbeaten for 16 years.

Only in 2012 winger " Rangers" Carl Hagelin circled the rink in 13.128, which was better than the time Garnter.

Five years later everything changed again. And this time, it revived many once-forgotten controversies.

ALL-STAR MATCH RECORDS

Speaking officially, Connor McDavid the fastest player in the world in name only, at least according to the All-Star Game record book.

The title belongs to the striker" Detroit" Dylan Larkin, which in 2016 beat the result Hagelin, running the lap in 13.172 seconds. Although he Larkin insists that "this record should not have happened." Larkin beat the result Hagelin due to the fact that he was allowed to start with a running start, which did not happen in previous years.

"It was a strange situation," recalls Larkin. - They told me that I can accelerate, so why refuse? That's a big advantage."

In a year McDavid tried to overtake Larkin in Los Angeles, but he was forced to start from a place. Connor won the contest in 13.31 seconds, which was worse than the time Larkin. True, it's still faster than numbers Gartner.

"It's not that big of a deal. After all, the All-Star Game is more of a show," says McDavid. - But in the previous year they were allowed to start with a running start. I do not know why? It certainly played a role. And now this record will stand for a very long time if the rules are not changed. Otherwise, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to surpass this achievement in the near future."

Larkin, who didn't make it to the last All-Star Game, didn't see the performance McDavid.

These baffling rule changes are not the only reason why coffee, who himself has never won such an All-Star competition, considers such races inconspicuous.

“Players run without the puck. One lap around the arena. There are a lot of fast players in the NHL, but everything changes when you move with the puck. McDavid able to do everything at the highest speed."

According to Paul, the title of the fastest player goes from Orra to coffee and from already coffee to McDavid. With all due respect to the Russian Rocket. And coffee don't try to brag. He's just talking about what his eyes have seen.

"The fastest players... They don't seem to move, but they're still ahead of the competition. I don't know how best to describe it? He doesn't seem to move, his feet don't move at 100 mph. He moves very gracefully."

Now McDavid terrifies the best defensemen in the league with his speed and puck control.

Individual Skills Improvement Coach, Darryl Belfrey, who works with Toronto players and many NHL stars, notes that the average 3rd or 4th lineman makes one overstep every 12-14 pushes. Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov and McDavid cross over 3 pushes.

"He can get to top speed with just a couple of pushes," explains Bowman. - Probably in this McDavid most similar to Orra. They could go as fast as they could and control the puck at that speed... That's what sets them apart from other hockey players."

McDavid notices this feature. But he admits that this gift was given to him from birth: "I always succeeded. I always knew how to skate well."

And he cannot explain how he achieved such perfection.

"You can't teach it. You have to be born with it," concludes coffee.

Larkin admits that he would gladly have a full-time high-speed duel with McDavid at the All-Star Game. There is a possibility that they will have such an opportunity in the upcoming January in Tampa.

"I don't know which of us will win," he notes. Dylan.

But coffee thinks he knows the answer to this question: McDavid- the fastest hockey player ... Maybe in 10 years we will talk about someone else. But now there is no doubt about it."

Repeated winner of the world championships in speed skating Evgeny Lalenkov, defending the colors of the Russian Press hockey team, broke the speed record set in the NHL and KHL. Who did Lalenkov overtake and what achievement was recorded by an amateur hockey player, but at the same time a professional athlete? We talk about it, and also remember other reactive players.

Evgeny Lalenkov (Russian Press)

So, Lalenkov set a record before the training session of the Russian Press on the ice of the Sokolniki Sports Palace. He circled the hockey rink in 10 seconds. Of course, all this looks funny, and the time is hardly perfect and accurate, but given Lalenkov's speed abilities, the unofficial record looks quite realistic. In any case, Eugene can be applauded. Maybe he should be invited to the upcoming hockey festival scheduled for January 2017 in Ufa? The show turned out well!

(Metallurg Magnitogorsk)

If we take professional hockey players, the first thing that comes to mind is the record of the current Magnitogorsk forward Wojtek Volsky, who is now undergoing treatment after a serious injury. Recall that in 2015, Volsky, being a member of the KHL All-Star Game from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, overcame the circle in 13.178 seconds. It was the best figure in the history of such events held in the league.

("Detroit Red Wings")

Let's not forget the National Hockey League. At the end of January 2016, as part of the NHL All-Star Game, the East won the first SuperSkills competition in speed races. Two bonus points for his team were won by the representative of Detroit, who showed the best time (12.894). The young forward went down in history as the man who broke the NHL All-Star record held by Mike Gartner (13.386). Let's not forget about the size of the site. The same Lalenkov on a large "box" was more difficult.

(Vancouver, Florida, Rangers)

If we are talking about the fastest hockey players, then we cannot fail to mention Pavel Bure. No wonder the legendary Russian hockey player was nicknamed the Russian Rocket. Bure in his best years could overtake absolutely any opponent, going into a long turn on the board or leaving on a jerk. Even if the opponents understood Pavel's intentions, he could sharply add and leave everyone behind him. Playing for Vancouver and Florida, Bure was perhaps the fastest sniper of those years. We also remember Bure's excellent performance for the Russian national team. And five goals against the Finnish team have gone down in hockey history forever. But Lalenkov's record - 10 seconds per lap - cannot be beaten even by Russian Rocket.

In hockey, as, indeed, in any other field of activity, there are stories and legends that are passed from mouth to mouth. At the same time, here the truth often coexists with fiction, with details that acquire more and more new shades over time.

Firsovsky throw

One of the most discussed and, one might say, “tasty” topics in the fan community are memories of those hockey players of the past who had a “killer” throw. The so-called "Fiers throw" or "Bobby Hull snap" is always mentioned. There are “live witnesses” of various kinds of “witnesses” who saw with their “own” eyes how the same Firsov immediately broke through the net of the goal, the side of the Sports Palace with his click and hit a fan who landed in the hospital. Then, allegedly, the hockey player had problems and the coaches asked Anatoly to moderate the power of his throw.

But back in the 90s of the last century, Anatoly Vasilyevich, in a conversation with the author of these lines, revealed the "secret" of some stories.

- Never, of course, I did not break through the side of the Sports Palace. It's just that the long-term goalkeeper of the Czechoslovak national team, Vladimir Dzurilla, once said that he beat off his whole body with his throw, and the defenders dodged and parted from the throws several times. And once, indeed, the goalkeeper, in my opinion, "Chemist", was hit in the forehead - then the masks were not the same as they are now. He lay on the ice for about seven minutes and the doctors conjured over him, but in the end nothing terrible happened. I think, since that time, all sorts of myths have gone.

By the way, Firsov often used the power of his throw as a feint. He swung, what is called "from the ears", the defenders fell or parted, and he continued to move forward.

Attacking the USSR national team. Right: Anatoly Firsov (No. 11) (Photo: Viktor Budan / TASS)

Bobby Hull snap

And the legends about the throwing power of the legendary Canadian striker of the 60s and 70s, Bobby Hull, were spread not only by ordinary fans, but also by the hockey players themselves, coaches, and specialists.

This is how one of the coaches who went to North America to see Team Canada before the 1974 Super Series spoke of Hull.

“He doesn’t have hands, he has levers!” Stroke!!! And what a throw!!! It looks like Firsovsky, but much stronger!

When the Soviet people saw Hull in action, they recognized that he was indeed an outstanding player, but we have at least no worse. And not alone. As for the “click”, the Canadian had it, of amazing strength. But he had nothing in common with Firsovsky.

- Tolya Firsov, of course, threw great, — said Honored Coach of the USSRBoris Kulagin. — But he had a big swing, and Hull seemed to “shoot”, almost without swinging, only slightly lifting the stick from the ice.

By the way, they say that Bobby Hull threw with brushes in the 60s of the last century at a speed of 169 km / h, and clicked at all - over 190 km / h. But now this result cannot be verified. Like the speed of the puck after Firsov's shot. They didn't do it then. It's a pity.

Pictured: Vladislav Tretyak, Gennady Tsygankov (center) and Bobby Hull (right) at the gate (Photo: Valery Zufarov and Igor Utkin/TASS)

Throw and click

So we come to the question that worries many hockey fans: what speed does the puck usually develop in hockey? And who is the owner of the record throw for the speed of the puck. And, of course, it is interesting to compare where they “click” more powerfully - overseas in the NHL or here in the KHL?

To begin with, we note that in hockey there are two main types of throws - hand and fly, that is, a click. The click is stronger. And not only because the hockey player makes the maximum swing, but also because the stick, hitting the ice in front of the puck, bends before touching the puck and it sounds like a shot, a kind of click. Therefore, the speed is measured precisely by clicking.

Our league beats overseas

In the NHL, puck speed has been measured since 1990. This is done at the All Star game. So here it is Al Aefreith from "Boston" at the corresponding competition then showed the result of 96 miles per hour (154.5 km / h). Three years later, he set a benchmark that another 16 years equaled - 105.2 miles per hour (169.3 km / h). Only in 2009 it was surpassed by the Slovak Zdeno Hara- 105.4 (169.6). In 2012, Hara raised the record to 107 miles per hour (172.2 km/h).

Zdeno Hara (Photo: Zuma/TASS)

However, by the standards of our KHL league, all these overseas records are “seeds” At the 2011 All-Star Game in St. Petersburg Denis Kulyash, which then represented the Omsk Avangard, “clicked” at a speed of 177.5 km / h. This result immediately hit the Guinness Book of Records.

But a year later, and beat this achievement Alexander Ryazantsev, playing at that moment for "Tractor". After his throw, the speed of the puck was fixed at around 183.7 km / h!

And although hockey experts still claim that many other hockey players had stronger clicks, officially the world achievement belongs to Alexander Ryazantsev. The record was recorded on January 21, 2012.

Many hockey fans are very interested in the question: what speed does the puck usually develop in hockey? Who has the most powerful throw? And what, if we talk about the speed of the puck, is the record? Sovsport.ru tried to summarize everything that is known about this.

Many hockey fans are very interested in the question: what speed does the puck usually develop in hockey? Who has the most powerful throw? And what, if we talk about the speed of the puck, is the record? website I tried to summarize everything that is known about this.

There are two main types of throws in hockey - a wrist throw and a swing, that is, a click. The click is stronger. And not only because the hockey player makes the maximum swing, but also because the stick, hitting the ice in front of the puck, bends before touching the puck and actually turns into a sling. Look at this photo of Sergei Fedorov - and you will understand what is meant:

Therefore, when people talk about the speed of the puck in hockey, they mean its speed after the click. So what kind of numbers are we talking about?

PUCK SPEED IN HOCKEY: A LITTLE HISTORY

The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has an attraction. A fan stands on the net and tries to deflect virtual shots from two of the most successful players in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Let's be honest, the fan has little chance - the "pucks" fly at a speed of 110-120 km/h. This is roughly the average puck speed in hockey these days.

However, neither Gretzky nor Messier, according to legend, had the most powerful throw in history. This glory belongs to another ice ace - Bobby Hull. They say that with his flick he sent the puck at a speed of 193 km / h, and with a wrist shot - at a speed of 169 km / h. “For five minutes my hand was paralyzed - Bobby Hull put his brand on it,” said one of his contemporaries, hockey players, who did not manage to dodge Bobby's click.

Whether these figures are correct is beyond verification. Firstly, now the clubs are not the same - they are easier. Secondly, not the same Bobby Hull. He recently turned 76.

FROM AEFREIT TO RYAZANTSEV

The NHL began to measure the speed of the puck since 1990 - Al Aefreith from Boston in the corresponding "all-star" competition then showed the result of 96 miles per hour (154.5 km / h). Three years later, he set a benchmark that another 16 years equaled - 105.2 miles per hour (169.3 km / h). Only in 2009 he was surpassed by the Slovak Zdeno Hara - 105.4 (169.6). By the way, he is also from Boston.

Hare liked breaking records - and did it a couple more times, reaching the figure of 107 miles per hour (172.2 km / h) in 2012.

But then it suddenly became clear that in the KHL there are also hockey players who can break through the wall with a throw. At the 2011 All-Star Game in St. Petersburg, Denis Kulyash from Avangard Omsk threw so that Khara bit his elbows with envy - at a speed of 177.5 km / h the puck sent by him flew straight into the Guinness Book of Records.

Another year passed - and this achievement was beaten by Alexander Ryazantsev, who was playing for Traktor at that moment. After his throw, the device recorded the speed of the puck 183.7 km / h.

Against this background, the result of Shea Weber from Nashville, shown at the last NHL All-Star Game, looks somehow weak - “only” 174.6 km / h (Alexander Ovechkin showed the second result - 163.2 km / h).

WHY WEAK KULASH?

But not everything is so simple. The fact is that in the NHL players shoot at the goal from a distance of 30 feet - about 9.1 meters. In the KHL, during the record-breaking 2011-12 years, they shot from closer distances. And if you think a little, it is clear that the initial speed of the puck is always higher than its speed at any other moment. The farther away the point where the speed is measured, the lower the value will be.

In 2014, in Bratislava, where the All-Star Game was held, Denis Kulyash was very surprised by his victorious (again) result - only 162.2 km / h. But the fact is that the leaders of the KHL decided to move the puck from the gate at the same distance as in the NHL. And if the initial speed of the puck remained the same, then at the measurement point it fell much more strongly.

So the debate about who has the strongest shot in the world continues. But while the world achievement formally belongs to Alexander Ryazantsev. 183.7 km / h - this is the speed of the puck after his throw. The record was recorded on January 21, 2012. Here is the throw:

source: "Soviet Sport"

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Hockey fans have always been interested in the question: what is the maximum speed of the puck in hockey? And who has the most powerful throw?

For reference
There are two main types of throws in hockey - a wrist throw and a swing, that is, a click. The click is stronger. And not only because the hockey player makes the maximum swing, but also because the stick, hitting the ice in front of the puck, bends before touching the puck and actually turns into a sling.

Therefore, when they talk about the maximum speed of the puck in hockey, they mean exactly the speed after the click.

Story
At the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, there is an attraction where a fan stands on the net and tries to deflect virtual shots from two of the most prolific players in NHL history, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. Let's be honest, the fan has little chance - the pucks fly at a speed of 120 km / h (approximately this is the average speed of the puck in hockey these days).

But the historical glory belongs to another Canadian athlete - Bobby Hull. They say that with his click he sent the puck at a speed of 193 km / h.

“For five minutes my hand was paralyzed - Bobby Hull put his brand on it,” said one of his contemporaries, hockey players, who did not have time to dodge Bobby's snap.

Whether these figures are correct is beyond verification. Firstly, now the clubs are not the same - they are easier. Secondly, and Bobby is already under 80.

Competition "Come on, guys!"
Powerful throws-“clicks” in the North American NHL (National Hockey League) and the Russian-European KHL (Continental Hockey League) are famous for many players. But only a special device and contests in the All-Star Games, which take place once a year, can reveal the owner of the strongest throw. North America, the NHL (1948) became the birthplace of show fights.

The NHL has been measuring the speed of the puck since 1990 during the games of the national teams of the two conferences of the National Hockey League - "West" and "East". The first winner was the American defender from the Canadian club "Toronto Maple Leafs" Al Iefrati, who started the puck at a speed of 154 kilometers per hour. Three years later, he set a new benchmark - 169.3 km / h. And only 16 years later, this result was improved by the current sole leader - the captain of the Boston Bruins, defender Zdeno Hara, who won five contests in a row. The last achievement of the defender of the Slovakian national team with a height of 206 centimeters was a throw in 2012 with an indicator of 175.1 km / h, for which he was recognized as a new world record.

At the 2011 All-Star Game in St. Petersburg, Denis Kulyash from Avangard Omsk threw the puck at a speed of 177.5 km / h, hitting the Guinness Book of Records. But a year passed, and this achievement was beaten by Alexander Ryazantsev, who was playing for Traktor at that moment. After his throw, the device recorded the speed of the puck 183.7 km / h.