The 9th annual Rethink the Rink Make-a-thon challenged Carnegie Mellon University students to take on one of hockey’s toughest safety challenges: goalie chest protection. Working alongside experts from Covestro, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Bauer Hockey, four teams of students explored new ways to improve impact absorption, mobility and comfort in current chest protection designs.
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2026 Rethink The Rink Recap: Goalie Chest Protection
The Winning Design: Inspired by Aerospace and Motorsports
The Green Team's winning prototype featured hexagonal impact plates, an integrated cooling system and more.
The Green Team impressed judges with a cutting-edge goalie chest protector concept that balanced safety, breathability and range of motion. Their prototype featured:
Hexagonal impact plates designed to better distribute and absorb high-speed puck impacts
An integrated cooling system to improve airflow and keep goalies comfortable during play
Lightweight structural materials that maintain protection while reducing bulk
Mobility-focused design allowing greater range of motion for faster reactions in the crease
The team drew inspiration from aerospace and motorsports engineering, applying high-performance design principles typically used in extreme environments to improve safety and comfort for hockey goalies.
The 2026 Rethink the Rink cohort.
The winning team, pictured from left to right: Niya Sejpal, Zachary Hopp, Joy Ji, Ethan Steeg, Geetika Gupta.
Joy Ji was voted by her teammates as this year’s team MVP.
“Safety is critical in everything we do, whether it is in sports, at work or in daily life. The designs the CMU students brought to life during the Rethink the Rink Make-a-thon remind us that there is always room to improve if we think creatively and work hard.”
Samir Hifri
Chairman and President, Covestro LLC
Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Make-a-thon in action:
Safety from the neck down: Tackling neck protection in the 2024 Make-a-Thon
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Make-a-Thon 2023
Taking a shot at foot safety: 2023 Rethink the Rink Make-a-Thon
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Make-a-thon 2022
The 2022 make-a-thon featured an “assist” from PPG and Athletica Sports Systems.
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Make-a-thon 2021
Three giants of sports, innovation and technology - The Pittsburgh Penguins, Carnegie Mellon University and Covestro - teamed up for the fourth time in a continuing innovation partnership to make hockey safer at every level.
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Rethink the Rink
Powerhouse innovation collaboration between Covestro, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carnegie Mellon University aims to make hockey safer at all levels
