Celebrating 15 Years

Fifteen years ago this April, this project didn't start with a grand ambition to catalog the history of hockey rinks. It didn't even start with a deep knowledge of surface designs. Honestly, back then, I assumed every team used the same generic checkered or diamond red line patterns. It all began simply with a passion for the St. Louis Blues and graphic design.

In late 2010, I just wanted a desktop wallpaper for my computer that matched my home team's playing surface. By today's standards, that first 1280x720 pixel graphic was pretty amateur—just a sliver of the faceoff circles and a generic bold font for the arena wordmark. But a friend noticed it, asked for a Detroit Red Wings version, and soon I was sharing a handful of designs on Facebook. That led to requests for Philadelphia and Anaheim, and eventually, I sat down and created a graphic for all 30 pro teams.

I hastily uploaded them to a simple Blogspot page. I figured that was the end of the adventure. The 30 teams were done, they were out there for anyone to use, and it was time to move on to other things.

Then the new season rolled around. People started reaching out on message boards asking for updated graphics. I was confused—there were no new teams or major rebrands that I knew of. That was the exact moment I learned that red line patterns and neutral zone layouts actually change from year to year. I realized how much detail I had missed, like the fact that one team's diamond red line is completely different from another team's version.

That realization turned a one-and-done project into an ongoing challenge. Over the years, the site evolved drastically. For our 10th anniversary, we finally moved off that heavily modified Blogger template onto a brand-new web platform, refocusing all our energy on what we do best: accurate, authentic rink designs.

Now, as we celebrate 15 years, the scope of TheFaceoff.net has grown far beyond those original 30 desktop wallpapers. We meticulously archive the visual history of the NHL, along with the AHL, CHL, ECHL, and other leagues across the continent.

Over the next couple months, we have several surprises in store and look forward to continuing to enhance the North American Rink Archive. Be sure to watch our homepage for updates, along with our social media accounts which you will find in the navigation bar on our site.

Thank you to everyone who has visited, requested updates, and pointed out the intricate details over the last decade and a half. Here is to preserving the hockey canvas for many more years to come!