Assessment of basic physical parameters of current Canadian-American National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey players

Sport psychology researchers have studied careers of Canadian ice hockey players in the National Hockey League (NHL) and devised an empirical NHL career model. The model was comprised of career stages, statuses, demands and barriers to career progression without any indication of coping. The intent in the present article is to feature coping resources and strategies utilized by players during each status and career stage within the empirical model. Five rookies, 5 veterans, and 13 retirees participated in conversational interviews and the data underwent a deductive thematic analysis. Prospects seeking to gain entry into the NHL set controllable expectations rather than playing to impress coaches and staff. Most prospects played in the minor leagues where they adjusted their expectations to accept roles that they were likely to have during an NHL call-up. The career stage of developing as an NHL player was about rookies producing immediately in their role while holding off internal competition for their roster spot. In the same stage, sophomores were in their second full NHL season and they studied their opponents to avoid the sophomore slump. The stage of reaching the NHL elite involved constant pressure for point production and winning playoff games. The final stage was about seasoned veterans maintaining NHL play involvement by preserving their physique despite being worn down from long careers in a contact sport. The authors will discuss the significance of the model for sport psychology researchers and practitioners, and NHL stakeholders.

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An Examination of the Challenges Experienced by Canadian Ice-Hockey Players in the National Hockey League

Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology ◽

10.1123/jcsp.3.3.267 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 267-285 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Randy C. Battochio ◽

Robert J. Schinke ◽

Mark A. Eys ◽

Danny L. Battochio ◽

Wayne Halliwell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Analysis ◽

Expert Panel ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

National Hockey League ◽

Cultural Encounters ◽

Hockey Players ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

Interview Guide ◽

Team Trust

Semistructured interviews were used in this study to learn about the challenges experienced by four groups of National Hockey League (NHL) players (N= 11): prospects (n= 3), rookies (n= 3), veterans (n= 2), and retirees (n= 3). The database is comprised of 757 meaning units grouped into 11 contextual challenges. From an additional quantitative analysis, the prospects and rookies emphasized challenges pertaining to scouting demands, training camp, increased athletic demands, team expectations, and earning team trust. The veterans spoke mostly of challenges including scouting demands, athletic demands, and team expectations. Retirees considered mostly challenges pertaining to team expectations, athletic demands, lifestyle, media demands, transactions, cross-cultural encounters, and playoffs. An expert panel ensured that the interview guide, data analysis, and the findings represented the participants’ experiences in the NHL. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers working with NHL players are proposed.

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Prevalence of Os Styloideum in National Hockey League Players

Sports Health A Multidisciplinary Approach ◽

10.1177/1941738117707914 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 469-473 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Harry G. Greditzer ◽

Ian D. Hutchinson ◽

Christian S. Geannette ◽

Robert N. Hotchkiss ◽

Bryan T. Kelly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Bone Marrow Edema ◽

Case Series ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

National Hockey League ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Hockey Players ◽

Bone Marrow Edema Pattern ◽

Professional Hockey

Background: Os styloideum describes an accessory carpal ossicle between the trapezoid, the capitate, and the second and third metacarpals. Injuries to this tissue have been described as part of the carpal boss syndrome. While the etiology of os styloideum remains uncertain, it may represent a physiologic response to altered loading forces in the wrist, similar to the development of cam-type deformity in the hips of ice hockey players or the Bennett lesion in the shoulders of baseball pitchers. Hypothesis: Professional hockey players will have a higher prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. Study Design: Case series. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: A retrospective review of 16 professional hockey players from 4 different National Hockey League (NHL) teams who underwent unilateral imaging of the wrist was performed. Seventeen wrists were reviewed for the presence of os styloideum. Results: Thirteen of 16 players (81%) had an os styloideum, representing an increased prevalence compared with the general population. Previous clinical and cadaveric studies estimated a general prevalence of up to 19% ( P < 0.001). For the 10 players who had their leading wrist scanned, 9 had an os styloideum (90%). Ten of 11 (91%) players demonstrated a bone marrow edema pattern within the metacarpal and the os styloideum on magnetic resonance imaging. There was no significant association between the presence of an os styloideum and the player’s position, leading wrist, or years in the league. Conclusion: There appears to be an increased prevalence of os styloideum among NHL players, and team physicians should consider this finding while formulating a differential diagnosis for dorsal wrist pain. Clinical Relevance: This study identified NHL players as having an increased prevalence of os styloideum compared with the general population. By doing so, these findings represent an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the etiology, clinical significance, and treatment of os styloideum.

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A 26 year physiological description of a National Hockey League team

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/h08-051 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 753-760 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

H. A. Quinney ◽

Randy Dewart ◽

Alex Game ◽

Gary Snydmiller ◽

Darren Warburton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grip Strength ◽

Gradual Increase ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

National Hockey League ◽

Similar Time ◽

Physiological Profile ◽

Hockey Players ◽

Team Success ◽

Fitness Parameters ◽

Time Of Year

The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the physiological profile of a National Hockey League (NHL) team over a period of 26 years. All measurements were made at a similar time of year (pre-season) in 703 male (mean age ± SD = 24 ± 4 y) hockey players. The data were analyzed across years, between positions (defensemen, forwards, and goaltenders), and between what were deemed successful and non-successful years using a combination of points acquired during the season and play-off success. Most anthropometric (height, mass, and BMI) and physiological parameters (absolute and relative VO2 peak, relative peak 5 s power output, abdominal endurance, and combined grip strength) showed a gradual increase over the 26 year period. Defensemen were taller and heavier, had higher absolute VO2 peak, and had greater combined grip strength than forwards and goaltenders. Forwards were younger and had higher values for relative VO2 peak. Goaltenders were shorter, had less body mass, a higher sum of skinfolds, lower VO2 peak, and better flexibility. The overall pre-season fitness profile was not related to team success. In conclusion, this study revealed that the fitness profile for a professional NHL ice-hockey team exhibited increases in player size and anaerobic and aerobic fitness parameters over a 26 year period that differed by position. However, this evolution of physiological profile did not necessarily translate into team success in this particular NHL franchise.

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Performance After Concussion in National Hockey League Players

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-126.20 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 404-407

Author(s):

Aidan L. Neustadtl ◽

William K. Bukowski ◽

Alan Neustadtl ◽

David Milzman

Keyword(s):

Outcome Measure ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Return To Play ◽

National Hockey League ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hockey Players ◽

Player Performance ◽

Interesting Area

Context Concussions in ice hockey players are an interesting area of study due to the fast-paced and high-impact nature of the sport. Recently, researchers have focused on player performance after return from concussion to evaluate subclinical deficits that were previously missed. Objective To examine National Hockey League (NHL) player performance from 2013 to 2019 and compare performance before a concussion with performance immediately after recovering to assess the current NHL return-to-play protocol. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting The NHL Injury Viz and sports reporting websites. Patients or Other Participants Players in the NHL who sustained concussions from 2013 to 2019. Main Outcome Measure(s) Goals, assists, points, plus-minus, time on ice (TOI), and hits. Results When goals, assists, points, plus-minus, TOI, and hits were examined, only TOI was different after the players returned from injury, and this TOI difference was not substantively important. Conclusions After concussion, NHL player performance did not change.

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Influence of viewing professional ice hockey on youth hockey injuries

Chronic Diseases and Injuries in Canada ◽

10.24095/hpcdp.33.2.01 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 55-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

G Keays ◽

B Pless

Keyword(s):

Experimental Design ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

National Hockey League ◽

Striking Increase ◽

Minor League ◽

Hockey Players ◽

Before And After ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Illegal Acts ◽

Injury Reporting

Introduction Most televised National Hockey League (NHL) games include violent body checks, illegal hits and fights. We postulated that minor league players imitated these behaviours and that not seeing these games would reduce the rate of injuries among younger hockey players. Methods Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared 7 years of televised NHL matches (2002–2009) with the year of the NHL lock-out (2004/2005). Data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP) were used to identify the injuries and to ascertain whether they were due to intentional contact and illegal acts including fights. Results We found no significant differences in the proportions of all injuries and those involving intentional contact, violations or illegal acts among male minor league hockey players during the year when professional players were locked out and the years before and after the lock-out. Conclusion We concluded that not seeing televised NHL violence may not reduce injuries, although a possible effect may have been obscured because there was a striking increase in attendance at equally violent minor league games during the lock-out.

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