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Hockey team puts black ad on ice; in related story, hockey puck is still black (Photo)

Like every other hockey team in the world these days, the Sheffield Steelers of the U.K. Elite Ice Hockey League have put down a fresh sheet of ice for the new season. And as is tradition these days for pro hockey teams, most of that ice is covered in advertising.

But two ads, spotted on a YouTube time-lapse of the Motorpoint Arena ice, are getting some added attention due to their color. Which is the same color as the puck. Which could be problematic:

That's an ad for Ogilvie, a transportation company in the U.K. Black on black … great Waylon Jennings album, not exactly recommended for puck gliding over advertising on a hockey rink.

Ah, but is it illegal? A forum that supports the rival Coventry Blaze believes so, and predicted the Steelers would be “burning the midnight oil” repainting it.

International Ice Hockey Federation rules dictate the following for the crease area:

“The goal crease area shall be painted light blue. The inside of the goal area from the goal line to the back of the net shall be white.”

Now, does that mean EIHL teams need to abide by that? Steelers announcer Dave Simms claimed via Twitter that the rules only apply to international tournaments, and not to the EIHL.

So there you go. The Steelers sound like they’re keeping the ads behind the nets, which means players might need to bring a flashlight into Gretzky’s office.

Watch the time lapse of the rink being iced here:

s/t Owen Bradley.

UPDATE: Reader Brian Rowland notes that the Los Angeles Kings are also getting their noir on, only at center ice.