PT Headquarters Saint Paul MN (Winter 2023)

The first Puck Tornado (“PT”) was built in a backyard in Saint Paul by a carpenter Dad for his hockey-loving son, who played by himself and with friends nearly every day. At get-togethers, PT became a favorite game among cousins, uncles, school friends, and neighbors kids to play and practice their shots. Eventually, family and friends said “I want one.” Now, that carpenter Dad is retired and ready to make PTs on a large scale for more families to love!

PT comes in two sizes: the  “Original” for players 10 years or older; and the “Minnie” for players younger than 10. For the Original PT, the design features a white oak semicircle in the dimensions of a standard hockey goal (6 ft. W x 4 ft. H x 2 ft. D), plus a 1 Ft. polycarbonate glass rising above the goal.  On the surface of PT, there are ten holes with a diameter of 6 inches, which the players aim at. The novel, non-electric technology includes five tubes on the back, which connect the ten holes by linking a pair of target holes together. Thus, when a player shoots and misses, the backboard ricochets the hockey streetball back to the player. If the player shoots and makes a target, the connecting tube returns the hockey street ball toward the player via the linked hole. The Minnie (dimensions are 4 ft. W x 2.6 ft. H x 2 ft. D, plus a 1 Ft. polycarbonate glass rising above the goal), uses the same technology, but is smaller and only has six holes with three connecting tubes. Both units have deflector panels that keep the ball in play and are best used on hard surfaces including driveways, basements and garages.

It’s no coincidence PT was loved by Saint Paulites. Minnesota is a state in love with hockey, which makes the Twin Cities the ideal place to build and sell PTs. We flock to Wild games and public ice rinks in the winter. Indeed, in Minnesota, more than 58,000 people are involved in organized hockey – the most people in one state playing hockey. PT would be a valuable device for Minnesotans, and hockey-lovers further away, to practice their skills in their backyard, school, or at their local recreation center. Especially as we face impending climate change, rendering ice rinks less reliable, PT offers a way to practice hockey all year round no matter the weather.

Many sports return devices exist for other sports: basketball backboards and returns; golf return putting greens; and baseball pitching machines. However, no return device or backboard exists on the market for hockey yet. These other sports return devices are valuable tools for both fun and skill development, and all of them are popular, patented designs with widespread use by individuals, schools, and organized sports teams and centers. PT seeks to fill this niche and provide the first-ever hockey return device.

@pucktornado

We've been diligently been building for 14 months and are refining the process. The exciting news is that we've put in applications for the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Cup, sponsored by the Carlson School of Business. Keep your fingers crossed for us.