Classic table hockey has evolved not only through several generations of 5380 boards–Coleco, Labelle, Carleco, SoHo–but also through several generations of pucks. Four pucks have mainly been used on classic boards, and here are photos and rundowns on each. The Peyman puck, produced in 2015, is the latest, and best yet.
original Coleco 5380 puck
Material: injection molded ABS plastic
Diameter: 7/32″
Weight: 3.5 grams
This original puck was designed for the 1970s Coleco board. It is 1/32″ wider than the modern pucks, and also slower. It has a bigger rim dragging on the ice, producing more friction, and also less lift. A collector’s item, it went out of production when Coleco went out of business in the 1980s. It plays perfectly on the vintage Coleco board, but is too slow and unresponsive for today’s faster boards.
Irwin “hollow” puck
Material: injection molded ABS plastic
Diameter: 3/16″
Weight: 2 grams
This Irwin puck was designed for use with the “Power Play” boards. Sometimes called the “hollow puck” because it has a large cavity on either side, its weight and hence its stability are reduced. This is less critical on the smaller Irwin playing surface, but on the 5380 board this puck rolls constantly on end, ricochets like crazy, and frequently sails out of play.
HTQ “hot glue” puck
Material: Irwin “hollow puck” filled with epoxy resin or hot glue
Diameter: 3/16″
Weight: 3 grams
This “hot glue” puck may have been Martin Labelle’s invention, and was prevalent in HTQ events. A quick and easy fix, it gave the hollow puck greater weight and stability. But the “hot glue” pucks were unbalanced–whenever more glue was poured into one side than the other– and no two pucks were ever identical in terms of just how much glue they contained. The outer rim also wore down over time, whittled by constant battering.
Peyman puck
Material: injection molded high quality ABS plastic
Diameter: 3/16″
Weight: 3.6 grams
This Peyman puck was designed and produced by Peyman Honarmandi, professor of engineering at Manhattan College, in collaboration with Lou. Fast and responsive, it slides on a thin lip with minimal friction. It has great precision, stability, and lift. It rewards any and every kind of play. Introduced in New York in 2015, it has been adopted by the NTHL, the NYTHL, the NYCTHA, and by classic players coast-to-coast. Carlo Bossio calls it “the best puck yet.”
Professor Peyman Honarmandi, creator of the Peyman puck
Peyman pucks can be ordered directly from Lou. They cost $3 (USD) or $4 (CAD) each. They are 100% guaranteed against defects and breakage.
You can pick up your Peyman pucks from Lou in person at a table hockey event, or by mail order for the additional cost of the postage. To obtain your Peyman pucks, please contact Lou via this website.
