Czech hockey pucks used across the world
photo: (gufex.cz)
Not only does the Czech hockey team rank among the best in the world, but Czech hockey pucks also became famous around the world at the end of the nineties. Since then, they have been used at all significant tournaments of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF): Winter Olympic Games, World Championship and many international tournaments.
Czech hockey pucks are made from a high-quality rubber mixture, which ensures low friction while maintaining elasticity. Due to these qualities, the pucks do not blacken the advertisements on the boards and are the only type of puck that does not break the plexiglass, even when reaching speeds of 180 km/h, which was tested by a Finnish company producing hockey boards and plexiglass. The parameters of the Czech pucks meet all international standards and the strictest requirements of the NHL.
These pucks are produced by the company
GUFEX in Kateřinice in northern Moravia. The company began producing them in 1994 as their secondary production, and four years later in 1998 they were first used during the Olympic Games in Nagano for their high quality. One year later in 1999, the GUFEX company signed a contract with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which gave the company its certificate as an award for the quality of their products.
These hockey pucks from the Czech Republic are today exported throughout the world. The firm GUFEX annually produces up to one million pieces, of which 90 percent are sold abroad, with 50 percent of them heading to the United States. Ice hockey is played with Czech pucks on all continents including those that house the hockey powers such as Russia, the USA, Sweden and Germany, as well as in other countries including China, South Africa, Mexico, Australia and many others.