Technology

“Uber for goalies” app Puck helps pickup hockey teams man the net

A new matchmaking app from a Toronto startup pairs amateur hockey teams with available goalies on demand

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Hockey goalie viewed from above

(David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated/Getty)

Summer isn’t officially over yet, but with Labour Day come and gone it may as well be winter here in Canada. For sports fans, that means one thing: it’s almost hockey season.

One problem that often plagues kids looking to play pickup hockey is goalies. Either no one wants to play net or no one wants to shell out all that money for pads.

That means either sticking someone in goal with no protection and hoping no one takes a slapshot or getting a teammate drunk and convincing him that no, getting hit with a speeding puck won’t hurt that much.

Well, now there’s an app that’s looking to fix that problem.

The Puck app crosses social networking with Uber and “allows hockey players to quickly rent a goalie for their game by matching their team with the best available goalie:”

Screenshots of the new Puck App

 

How it works is that the person looking for a goalie enters in their location, date, budget and participant skill level. Goalies on the other end can then pick and choose available games and make some money on the side.

And, in true Uber fashion, buyers can rate the goaltenders out of five stars after the game. “The better you play, the more games you’ll get,” says the website.

The app, available initially for iPhones, is the brainchild of Niki Sawni, a sales representative for Salesforce in Toronto.

The system is only live in and around Toronto so far, but Sawni has ambitious goals, with expansion planned to most major Canadian cities.

It’s a cool idea that some enterprising individuals could potentially turn into a job. Come to think of it, having strangers shoot pucks at me at high velocities sounds more appealing than journalism these days. Maybe I should invest in some pads?

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