Ice Hockey Club Research Articles

Understanding internationalization variance within a sport brand: case study of the Sparta Prague ice hockey and football clubs.

This article examines the internationalization of HC Sparta Prague (ice hockey) and AC Sparta Prague (football) by focusing on management decision-making. Using interviews with key personnel, it explores the varying levels of internationalization in these clubs, emphasizing their reliance on foreign players, the utility of foreign ownership, fan responses to foreign coaching, and marketing efforts toward foreigners. Football, being more global, is subject to 'Europeanization,' whereas ice hockey, centered in North America, is influenced by 'Americanization' and 'eventification.' Despite significant fan overlap and efforts at eventification, neither team has had success attracting Prague's tourists and neither currently views it as an important market, instead focusing on the domestic Czech market. Both clubs have undergone various phases of ownership, from foreign investors to a return to Czech owners, reflecting broader social and economic changes in the region following the fall of communism. The article further discusses the influence of historical and cultural contexts on the acceptance and resistance to globalization influences, emphasizing the importance of preserving national identity and selectively integrating global elements within the modernization of sports. The study proposes that, despite the Sparta brand identity being heavily influenced by internationalization, it remains largely a Czech brand, and cultural sporting identity currently plays a more crucial role in resisting globalization than sport brand identity in Eastern Europe.

Journalistic Framing of Finnish Ice Hockey Club Jokerit in the Russian-Led Kontinental Hockey League

One of the major franchises in Finland’s top division in men’s ice hockey (Liiga), Jokerit Helsinki, sold its home arena and half of its shares to Finnish-Russian oligarchs in 2013. Jokerit also switched to the Russian-led Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and competed there from 2014 to 2022. Russia’s KHL project and its expansion to the West can be viewed as a form of soft power. This study delves into the journalistic coverage of Jokerit during two specific periods: Its early days in the KHL and its later stages when exiting the league. These periods coincide with critical geopolitical events, such as Russia’s annexation of Crimea (2014), Belarusian protests (2020–2021), and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (2022). Our data consists of Jokerit-related articles in the newspaper <em>Helsingin Sanomat</em> as well as interviews of the journalists who followed the team closely. We explore the critical socio-political coverage of Jokerit in <em>Helsingin Sanomat</em> during these periods and investigate whether the sports journalists recognized the broader geopolitical context of the KHL project and, if so, how this influenced their reporting. Utilizing the framing theory, we identified five frames under which to divide the articles: (a) sports events, (b) international relations, (c) power and governance, (d) business, and (e) unity. The sports event frame predominated during the early KHL era, whereas international relations and power and governance frames only emerged later. These shifts were not initiated by sports journalists but resulted from the efforts of journalists in other fields and increased the societal scrutiny of ties to Russia.

Side-by-Sidedness: A Conceptual Rethinking of Post-Peace Agreement Encounter

ABSTRACT Between the poles of conflict and reconciliation are the complex and simple interactions of the everyday. This article introduces the conceptual development of ‘side-by-sidedness’ – a form of ‘lightened encounter’ that is civilly inattentive to differences and divisions, thus contributing to improved relationships between individuals in violent protracted conflict. Emerging from a case study centred on the supporters of the Belfast Giants ice hockey club, this concept is developed around shifts in identity, encounter and space that occur through the willingness to sit side-by-side across historical divisions at ice hockey games without a necessary willingness to live side-by-side the person in the seat next to you. The case study is utilised as an unorthodox meeting point – the ice hockey arena of Northern Ireland sits outside the disputed histories in the region and yet offers a banality in the inclusion of the ‘other’. Side-by-sidedness thus lies between the narratives and imagery of a divided past and that of a reconciled, hand-in-hand future, instead identifying the willingness to share space as a means of ‘getting on with it’ in everyday Belfast.

När kulturarvet fick rädda balansräkningen. Striden om hockeymuseet i Örnsköldsvik

This article examines the debate surrounding an ice hockey museum in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. In 2013, the local ice hockey club, Modo Hockey, received a loan from Örnsköldsvik municipality to build an ice hockey museum in its home arena. The ice hockey museum was a part of a bigger heritage project that involved various sites in the area around Örnsköldsvik, with the intention of increasing the number of tourists and branding the region as an attractive destination. However, the museum was never built in its intended form. The financial resources were instead used to cover regular costs for the club. This led to a conflict between Modo Hockey, Örnsköldsvik municipality and parts of the civil society. Theoretically, this study is inspired by heritage theory, stating heritage as a social constructed collective memory, yet also something that can be used for marketing and commercial branding. Lastly, the article is positioned against previous research about sports heritage in general, revealing that the planned ice hockey museum in Örnsköldsvik could be seen as an example of the priority conflict between balancing the heritage and continuing to be a financially strong elite club.

Crowdfunding as Financing Tool of Semi-professional Sports Clubs: Evidence on Funders’ Preferences and Typologies

Due to the official regulatory credit screening procedures of Basel II and Basel III in Europe, credit is now more difficult to obtain. As a consequence, alternative financial mechanisms, such as crowdfunding, that focus on sports clubs’ supporters have become more important. The aim of the present study is to evaluate crowdfunding related to sports clubs using a choice-based conjoint analysis (CBCA) to detect project- and participant-related success factors in successful financing. Therefore, two fictitious crowdfunding projects with the offered return and the price are chosen as features and two German sports clubs – one ice hockey club and one football club – are selected for the analysis. Using segmentation techniques, the study also examines the types of crowdfunders and their preferences. The results show that the offered return and the price are the two most important features for potential crowdfunders. They prefer either a club-related return containing a certain economic value or the donation as representative of a more altruistic return. The findings also indicate that crowdfunding can be a financial instrument for both semi-professional and professional clubs. Keywords: crowdfunding, financial instrument, sports clubs, semi-professional clubs, professional clubs

The relationship between perceived corporate social responsibility and perceived organisational performance in professional sports organisations

ABSTRACT Research Question Existing research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in professional sports organisations highlights the positive external effects of CSR, while employee-related and organisational outcomes are widely ignored. We aim at filling this gap by analysing the relationship between perceived CSR (PCSR) and perceived organisational performance (POP) in professional sports organisations (PSOs) and how this relationship is mediated by organisational identification and employee satisfaction. Research methods Based on a systematic literature review on the organisational outcomes of CSR we derive our research model and three hypotheses that are tested using parallel regression analyses. We hypothesise that PCSR is positively related to POP and that this relationship is positively mediated by organisational identification and employee satisfaction. Our sample consists of 338 employees of professional football, basketball, handball, ice hockey and volleyball clubs in Germany. Results and Findings Our results suggest that PCSR among employees of PSOs is positively related to POP, when controlling for age, gender, income, education, sports discipline, and organisational level. Furthermore, our results provide evidence that the positive relationship between PCSR and POP is positively and partially mediated by organisational identification and employee satisfaction. Implications Our paper enlarges prior knowledge on internal outcomes of CSR in professional sports organisations by quantifying existent contributions on the impacts of PCSR on POP and providing a model for how this relationship is affected by organisational identification and employee satisfaction. Our results provide scholars with a framework for further scientific investigation and practitioners with a concept for integrating the positive impacts of CSR into approaches to developing both their organisation and its employees.

Football and Ice Hockey Fans' Experience of a 12-Week Training and Weight-Loss Pilot Intervention (ViSiT) in Sweden—A Focus Group Study

Background: Excess weight is associated with an increased risk of poor health and premature mortality. This is more problematic for men than for women because men have a lower life expectancy and a higher prevalence of several lifestyle-related diseases. A concept whereby overweight male supporters of professional football clubs are recruited and offered a weight-loss intervention has been developed in Scotland. In the present study, we explore participants' experiences of a similar pilot intervention, called ViSiT, conducted with supporters in one ice hockey club and one football club in Sweden to assess the feasibility of using the intervention in a Swedish context.Methods: In this user centered evaluation, focus groups were conducted with 12 men who had completed the 12-week ViSiT intervention. Participants discussed reasons for participating in and completing the intervention, effects of the intervention, advantages, and areas of improvement of the intervention, and thoughts on the club's involvement. The material was analyzed using thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke.Results: The analyses revealed four themes: reasons to participate, motivation and reinforcement, change of habit, and areas for improvement. The intervention was seen as an opportunity to change daily lifestyle behaviors. The group format, as well as the involvement of a prestigious sports club, was important for signing up to the intervention and for motivating continued involvement. The intervention had also resulted in increased knowledge on health and changed mindsets about being more attentive to regulating day-to-day behavior. Although the overall feedback on the intervention was positive, the participants suggested that possibilities to have more individual coaching should be added.Conclusions: The ViSiT weight loss and lifestyle intervention may be feasible in a Swedish context to reach overweight men at risk of poor health. The ice hockey and football club supporters expressed similar experiences from participating in the intervention. ViSiT seem to have a potential to be adopted by many sports clubs for a widespread reach to a group normally considered reluctant to participate in lifestyle change programs.

The Influence of Recreation Specialization of Ice Hockey Club Participants on Sport Commitment

본 연구에서는 아이스하키 동호회 참여자의 레크리에이션 전문화가 스포츠몰입에 미치는 영향을 규명함으로써 생활 스포츠의 균형적 발전과 대중스포츠로서 자리 잡을 수 있는 방안을 규명하고자 한다. 아이스하키 동호회 운동 전사전 동의를 받은 후 회원들에게 설문 작성방법 및 기입 방법에 대해 설명한 후 비확률 표본 추출법 중 할당표본추출 법을 사용하여 총 230부의 설문지를 배부하였다. 배부된 설문지 중 회수하지 못한 16부의 설문지와 무응답 또는 불성실하게 응답했다고 판단되는 12부의 설문지를 제외하고 202부의 자료가 본 연구에 활용되었다. 첫째, 레크리에 이션 전문화의 하위요인 중 경험, 중요성, 중심성은 심리적 몰입에 통계적으로 정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 또한, 숙련도는 심리적 몰입에 통계적으로 부적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 레크리에이션 전문화의 하위요인 중 중요성, 물리적 열정은 교육적 몰입에 통계적으로 정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다.

아이스하키 참가자의 장소귀속감, 스포츠몰입, 운동지속의사의 관계분석

본 연구에서는 아이스하키 동호회 참여자를 대상으로 장소귀속감을 구성하고 있는 세부요인과 스포츠몰입, 운동지속의사 관계분석을 통해 생활체육으로서 아이스하키의 대중화 및 건전한 여가선용을 위한 기초자료를 제공하는 데 그 목적이 있다. 총 230부의 설문지를 배부하여, 조사 자료가 누락되거나 불성실하게 응답했다고 판단되는 설문지를 제외한 202부의 자료가 실제 분석에 사용되었다. 본 연구에서는 아이스하키 참여자의 장소귀속감, 스포츠몰입, 운동지속의사의 관계를 알아보기 위해 IBM SPSS 25 및 AMOS 25.0 통계프로그램을 활용하였다. 한편, 본 연구의 가설검증을 위해 확인적 요인분석, 구조방정식모형(SEM) 검증을 실시하였으며, 도출된 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 장소귀속감은 스포츠 몰입에 영향을 미칠 것이다는 사회적 유대감과 교육적 몰입의 관계이외에 모든 관계에서 기각되는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 장소귀속감은 운동지속의사에 유의한 영향을 미칠 것이다는 기각되는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 스포츠몰입은 운동지속의사에 유의한 영향을 미칠 것이다는 기각되는 것으로 나타났다. 아이스하키는 팀 스포츠라는 점에서 사회적 관계 맺기를 통한 기능 및 정보습득 등의 교육적 몰입에는 영향을 미치는 것으로 판단된다. 그러나 빙상장 자체에 대한 참여자들의 장소귀속감은 약한 반면에 종목 자체에 대한 매니아적 몰입 현상은 강한 것으로 나타났다. 이는 향후 종목의 저변확대 및 참여율 제고를 가로막는 요인으로 작용할 수 있기 때문에 향후 장소감이 주는 심리적 애착도 향상을 아이스하키 경기장에도 적용할 수 있는 방안마련이 필요한 때이다.

Programmes of frivolity on ice? Hockey, business, diasporic identity and apartheid in South Africa, 1936-1992

South Africa has a surprisingly long history of the sport perhaps most usually associated with the northern hemisphere: ice hockey. Ice skating was first introduced in the country in the last decade of the nineteenth century as a commercial venture. Entrepreneurs built ice rinks for profit-making purposes and brought showmen from overseas to demonstrate the sport. An ancillary activity was the establishment of ice hockey clubs in 1936 and beyond. Given the strong profit motive, personal and tactical differences between the chief investors and sports administrators inevitably left its imprint on the sport. The extensive involvement of German, Canadian and Swiss immigrants throughout the twentieth century also co-determined the eventual character of the sport. From its inception through to 1991, ice hockey practised racial segregation, operated within apartheid laws and remained an exclusively white activity. Unsurprisingly, the apartheid ice rink also became embroiled in global politics, became a target of the worldwide anti-apartheid sports boycott and was excluded from all international competition from the late 1960s until 1991. This article reclaims some of ice hockey's neglected history in South Africa and investigates the interplay of sport, ice rink entrepreneurship, imperial and foreign identity, and apartheid politics during the twentieth century.

Strong entrepreneurial focus and internationalization – the way to success for Finnish ice hockey: the case of JYP ice hockey team

Ice hockey is the most professionalized sport in Finland, and it has had an important effect on the overall sports development in Finland. The national ice hockey league was the first league to professionalize in Finland, and it is the most widely followed sport in terms of spectator numbers and media coverage. Internationalization and entrepreneurship have played a remarkable role in the development of Finnish ice hockey. Internationalization has been influenced, first, by the North American National Hockey League (NHL), and later by the Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and Europe’s Champions Hockey League (CHL). The establishment of entrepreneurially driven limited companies amongst ice hockey leagues at the turn of the century was a pivotal point for professionalization and commercialization in Finnish ice hockey. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of internationalization on one successful entrepreneurially driven Finnish ice hockey club, JYP ice hockey team, by demonstrating its path from a small-town club to a multi-time Finnish Champion and Finland’s first European Trophy (2014) and Champions Hockey League (2018) winner.

How professional sports clubs exploit a heterogeneous local potential: the case of Swiss professional ice hockey

Switzerland’s National League is the world’s third most high-paying ice hockey championship after the NHL and the KHL, even though Switzerland is a small country with a population of 8.5 million and the league’s professional clubs are based in areas that vary enormously in terms of their local potential (demographic and economic). How do these clubs exploit such different local potentials? In this paper, we examine the relationship between a club’s local potential and its commercial, financial and sporting results. Based on our data, we outline the specific characteristics of the different models adopted by Switzerland’s first division ice hockey clubs and draw up an empirical typology of four types of club. Our study’s contribution is both methodological and empirical. We describe an operational model that can be used to characterize local potential and three types of club expertise: marketing, managerial and sporting expertise.

아이스하키 동호인의 스포츠재미와 일상 스트레스 및 삶의 질의 구조적 관계

아이스하키 동호인의 스포츠재미와 일상 스트레스 및 삶의 질의 구조적 관계

유소년 아이스하키 클럽의 관계마케팅이 고객만족 및 재등록의도에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the youth ice hockey club’s relationship marketing on customer satisfaction and intention to re-registration. Toward this end, a total of 260 parents of registered youth players at the 10 youth ice hockey clubs in Seoul and Gyeonggi area was selected using a convenience sampling method and responded to the survey questionnaire. 251 usable data were utilized in the data analyses procedure. Data were analyzed using frequency analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analyses. BR The results of this study were as follows. Firstly, customer orientation and professionalism out of the five sub-factors of relationship marketing had significant effects on customer satisfaction. However, communication, facility, and price factors did not. Secondly, customer satisfaction of the youth ice hockey club had a significant impact on intention to re-registration. The results of this study suggested that marketing strategy on leading to a long-term re-registration should be established through increasing the level of customer satisfaction by reinforcing customer orientation and professionalism. Additional implications and future research opportunities were also suggested.

A Weight-Loss and Healthy Living Program for Men Delivered in Swedish Football and Ice-Hockey Clubs (ViSiT): Results from the ViSiT Feasibility Study

Background: Men appear less interested than women in engaging in health-promoting programs. We investigated the feasibility and proof of concept of a novel intervention program targeting male supporters of professional sports clubs. Methods: Our intervention is called ViSiT and the target population in this study was overweight male supporters aged 35 - 65 years with a body mass index ≥ 28 kg/m2, recruited through one football and one ice-hockey club. The participants (n = 22) participated in a 12-week lifestyle intervention with a 52-week follow-up. Body fat was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Results: The retention rate was high with 21 participants completing the 12-week program and 17 attending at least 10 of 12 sessions. Mean (standard deviation) body weight and fat reduction after 12 weeks was 8.2 (4.6) kg and 6.6 (3.6) kg, respectively. At 52 weeks, body weight and fat reduction were maintained at 6.4 (6.7) kg and 4.5 (6.5) kg. Even after 52 weeks follow-up, the participants appreciated most components of the ViSiT program and perceived the ViSiT program to have high impact on most health-related aspects investigated. Conclusions: The ViSiT program demonstrated a successful retention rate and clinically relevant weight reduction in Swedish overweight men. The maintenance of bodyweight reduction and positive experience after 1 year indicate a long-term effect of the ViSiT concept.

How Professional Sports Clubs Exploit A Heterogeneous Local Potential: The Case of Swiss Professional Ice Hockey

Switzerland’s National League is the world’s third most high-paying ice hockey championship after the NHL and the KHL, even though Switzerland is a small country with a population of 8.5 million and the league’s professional clubs are based in areas that vary enormously in terms of their local potential (demographic and economic). How do these clubs exploit such different local potentials? In this paper, we examine the relationship between a club’s local potential and its commercial, financial and sporting results. Based on our data, we outline the specific characteristics of the different models adopted by Switzerland’s first division ice hockey clubs and draw up an empirical typology of four types of club. Our study’s contribution is both methodological and empirical. We describe an operational model that can be used to characterize local potential and three types of club expertise: marketing, managerial and sporting expertise.

아이스하키 동호인의 재미요인이 운동몰입 및 생활만족에 미치는 영향

아이스하키 동호인의 재미요인이 운동몰입 및 생활만족에 미치는 영향

Is it really all about money? A study on incentives in elite team sports

ABSTRACTResearch question: A key task for sports managers of elite sports clubs is to create an ideal environment that enables athletes to perform at their best. Therefore, we investigate the relationship among monetary incentives, organizational support, and athletic performance in elite team sports.Research methods: This study is the first in sports management to calculate the relative effects of non-monetary incentives of organizational support and monetary incentives on individual performance through job satisfaction. Furthermore, we apply an innovative measurement approach of player performance by using individual performance ratings of coaches. We collect questionnaires from 315 athletes and 34 coaches of 19 professional football, ice hockey, and handball clubs in Germany.Results and findings: Two variables of organizational support – namely, integration of family and private problem support – show strong positive effects on athletes’ job satisfaction. Whereas prior studies have focused mainly on monetary incentives, this study reveals a strong relevance of organizational support. Furthermore, the results confirm a strong relationship between player satisfaction and individual performance.Implications: Sports managers need to recognize the relevance of non-monetary incentives of organizational support and integrate them into their management repertoire to improve job satisfaction and, consequently, facilitate top performance of their players. Further research should focus on the effects of non-monetary incentives and other aspects of organizational support. In addition, researchers should use individual performance ratings of coaches, rather than other measures, to evaluate player performance because of their expertise and superior background information.

The blend of normative uncertainty and commercial immaturity in Swedish ice hockey

By describing and analysing normative uncertainties and the commercial immaturity in Swedish ice hockey (Swedish Hockey League/Swedish Ice Hockey Association), this article focuses on the tension and dialectics in Swedish sport; increasingly greater commercial attempts (i.e. entrepreneurship, ‘Americanization’, multi-arenas, innovations and public limited companies) have to be mixed with a generally non-profit making organization (e.g. the Swedish Sports Confederation) and its traditional values of health, democracy and youth sports and fosterage. In this respect, the elite ice hockey clubs are situated in a legal culture of two parallel norm systems: the tradition of self-regulation in sport and in civil law (e.g. commercial law). Indeed, the incoherent blend of idealism and commercialism in Swedish elite hockey appears to be fertile ground for hazardous (sports) management and indebtedness. This mix of ‘uncertainty’ and ‘immaturity’ has given rise to various financial trickeries and negligence, which have subsequently developed into legal matters. Consequently, the legal system appears to have become a playground for Swedish ice hockey. This article reflects on the reasons and the rationale in this frictional development by focusing on a legal case that comes under the Business Reorganisation Act. The analysis reveals support for a ‘soft’ juridification process in Swedish ice hockey in order to handle the charging tension of the two parallel norm systems.

Viability of using the analytic hierarchy process for optimizing the training system in sports based on the MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ ice hockey club

Viability of using the analytic hierarchy process for optimizing the training system in sports based on the MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ ice hockey club