Hockey’s insane, right? The hits, the speed, the adrenaline—it’s a wild ride from start to finish. But apparently, there’s one thing that might be even crazier than the game itself, and that’s the skates. Yeah, you read that right. If you thought skating at full tilt on ice with knives on your shoes was dangerous, then wait till you discover how they affix those knives on said shoes. The attachment of skate blades has undergone a mini revolution over the years, now allowing players to swap out a dull blade with ease. But NHL fans see it differently. “Sliced my fingers,” as one fan succinctly put it.

So what happened? Well, a Reddit user posted a video on the NHL subreddit where Matthew Tkachuk‘s skate blades were being changed amidst a practice session, as the 4 Nations Face-off rapidly approaches. In the clip, Tkachuk’s blades are popped on and off within seconds, leaving fans scratching their heads.

Before long, several commenters chimed in with their two cents on the dangers of quick-release blades and just blades in general. It was one of those posts that had the whole community talking about just how easily these sharp these blades can come off and hurt you—and whether or not we’re all underestimating the risks. Spoiler alert: it’s not a task you should be doing at home without proper guidance. Precaution is always better than the cure, right?

Here’s the thing—skate blades are sharp, as they have to retain their edge to cut through the ice. It might seem like common sense, but these blades can do some serious damage. They’re built to slice through ice at high speeds, which means they are equally good at slicing through skin. Earlier iterations of hockey skates came with attached blades that couldn’t be removed easily. Meaning there was less reason to handle the blades barehanded. But even so, a blade is a blade, as NHL fans were eager to point out.

As more people shared their thoughts, it became clear: the ability to quickly swap out a dull blade so quickly was an ingenious innovation. But it comes with its own set of unique risks. With the quick release mechanism comes more opportunity to accidentally cut your hands on the blade. Perhaps not a big deal for a professional equipment manager. But for an amateur? They’re sharp enough to cause damage, and those at home need to deal with them with the utmost caution.

NHL Fans describe their own experiences with hockey blades

So, back to the Reddit post. One NHL fan shared, “I just tried it at home. Sliced 5 of my 6 fingers.” Like, ouch. That’s next-level bad luck, right? But honestly, it’s not that shocking, if not handled with care. After all, even though skate blade injuries are uncommon on the ice, it takes just one bad incident to remind everyone of how sharp the blades truly are.

One commenter weighed in with their own experience: “Yea, skate blades ARE sharp and shouldn’t be messed with. I’ve got two scars myself from being sliced. Don’t mess with knives.” And it’s 100% true. These blades are made to slice through ice at lightning speeds, so you can imagine what happens if you mess with them the wrong way. Protective gloves and proper tools exist for a reason. Use them. Don’t try this stuff barehanded, folks.

Another popular question in the thread was, “How often do they change blades? Like, do they change in between periods?” Good question, because it’s not something you hear about every day. In pro hockey, players generally swap out blades when they start to dull or get damaged, and that can happen at any moment. Earlier, players carried multiple skates with them, but now they only need to change the blade itself, which they can do in seconds. However, some players have still stuck to their traditional skates.

One reaction really summed it up: “In general, you can push on a knife and not cut yourself. It’s the slicing motion that cuts you. Please don’t test this at home, your hand can still slip and you can slice open your hand.” Precisely. It’s all about the angle and motion of the blade. Don’t think you can casually handle a blade with your bare hands—it only takes one slip, and you’re looking at a nasty cut. Another fan added, “True but still should use a towel or something instead of bare hands to put these on like this.” Exactly. The towel trick is a simple and effective way to avoid injuries when handling blades at home.

And there’s always that one person who’s cool about it all, “they’re not that sharp at all unless you slide your hand along it. i swap mine all the time without gloves or anything. no cuts ever.” Sure. But let’s not pretend everyone’s going to have that same experience. Always best to use protective gear, cut-resistant gloves, blade guards, and stay updated on blade safety. What’s your take on this? Let us know in the comments!