Minor Hockey Research Articles

Impact of Core and Peripheral Service Satisfaction on Team Identification and Revisit Intention: A Comparison of Minor and Major League Ice Hockey

By incorporating two different types of service satisfaction (core and peripheral service), this study developed and tested a conceptual model delineating the impact of consumers’ satisfaction on fans’ team identification and revisit intent and examined the differential patterns among the variables across different sport league levels. Data were collected from a total of 918 spectators of both major and minor league ice hockey events. This study showed that the impact of core and peripheral service-related satisfaction varies across the sport contexts. The results provided empirical evidence of the direct effect of core service-related satisfaction on team identification leading to revisit intent in both major and minor league sport contexts, while peripheral service-related satisfaction had a direct effect on team identification in only the major league sport context. Direct effect of peripheral service-related satisfaction on revisit intent was evident in the minor league sport context but not in the major league sport context.

Texas Sport Leadership Consultants, LLC: A Case of Cases

This immersive, multi-case experience consists of four distinct cases and one meta-case that require students to engage with several organizational behavior topics. First, the meta-case takes the form of Texas Sport Leadership Consultants (TSLC), a fictitious company which consults with local sport management professionals in a variety of contexts. Students participate as temporary members of the company to analyze the issues and challenges associated with working as a member of TSLC. TSLC work groups are hired by four different clients, each of whom has a unique organizational behavior challenge. These clients include: (1) a combat-oriented sport company; (2) a company that provides luxury sport experiences for business travelers; (3) Division II athletic directors; and (4) a minor league hockey team. The clients face challenges related to mission and vision, group dynamics, change leadership, and power and politics. Student groups analyze the case and provide recommendations, which are presented as the basis for discussion among TSLC colleagues.

Managing Conflict and Resistance to Change in a Minor Hockey System

In March 2017, responding to a pressure to improve athlete development and enjoyment, Hockey Canada moved to change how youth are introduced to hockey by mandating the implementation of a cross-ice development program for its entry-level participants. The mandate of cross-ice programming was to ensure that all 75,000 entry-level participants received increased touches of the puck on an appropriately sized playing surface; thus, heightening their spatial awareness and foundational skills necessary to enjoyably move forward in hockey. As is common for many sport organizations, the proposed programming changes were met with resistance by some stakeholders. Surprisingly, the resistance to the programming changes evolved into a much-publicized intergroup conflict within Hockey Canada’s largest market. The dispute could not be resolved in time for the beginning of the 2017–2018 season. As a result, the defiant local leagues were granted a one-year reprieve from implementing cross-ice programming. With only a one-year reprieve granted, Hockey Canada must now determine the appropriate steps to fully implement their desired programming change and ensure that resistance-based conflicts are limited in the future.

Effect of Training Level on a Visuomotor Balance Task in Youth with Previous Sport-Related Concussion.

INTRODUCTION: The demands of sport require the integration of cognition and sensory inputs to produce more complex, goal-directed movement. Howell and colleagues (1) revealed that the differences in balance control between athletes with or without previous concussion were greater in youth compared young adults during dual-task gait. PURPOSE: 1) To determine if a novel visuomotor dynamic balance task can objectively identify differences between youth hockey players with/without sport-related concussion (SRC); and 2) If there are balance control differences between players who participate in minor hockey and private hockey academy training. METHODS: Youth hockey players (N=47; age=12-17 years), who reported previous SRC (n=17) and CONTROL (n=30). Group 1 was from a minor hockey team (SRC1=4; CONTROL1=12) and group 2 a private hockey academy (SRC2=13, CONTROL2=18). Participants stood in single support on a Nintendo Wii Balance board sampled at 100Hz and performed a lower limb reaching task with their non-stance foot. Five FitLights were arranged on the floor anteriorly at +60°, +30°, and 0° and were used as Go(GREEN)/No-Go(RED) stimuli. Balance control was assessed using RMS velocity of COP (vCOP) in anterior-posterior (A/P) and medial-lateral (M/L) planes. RESULTS: There were significant differences for both A/P vCOP (SRC= 8.04cm/s; CONTROL= 11.04cm/s, p <.05) and M/L vCOP (SRC= 6.27cm/s; CONTROL= 7.72cm/s, p <.05), as the SRC group performed the task slower than CONTROL There were no significant differences between SRC1 and SRC2 in vCOP A/P (p=0.50) or M/L (p=0.26) likewise for CONTROL1 and CONTROL2 vCOP A/P (p=0.88) and M/L (p=0.97). CONCLUSION: The assessment of a visuomotor dynamic balance task can objectively identify youth athletes with previous history of SRC regardless of training levels. Incorporating cognitive-motor tasks may help to improve balance control deficits in youth post-SRC and ensure true readiness for return-to-sport. 1. Howell DR, Osternig LR, Chou LS. Adolescents demonstrate greater gait balance control deficits after concussion than young adults. The American journal of sports medicine. 2015 Mar;43(3):625-32.

Understanding Brand Associations of Preferred Minor Hockey Tournaments From the Parents' Perspective

Hosting tournaments and other hockey-related activities have been hailed as important drivers of tourist dollars for many regions across Canada. The competition to attract teams to participate in tournaments, which benefit the tournament organizers and the communities in which they reside, is considerable. Consequently, the purpose of the study was to identify the characteristics of a preferred tournament experience from the perspective of representative (rep) hockey parents from Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe Region. Specifically, these characteristics were considered through a brand management lens by focusing on brand associations related to tournament offerings. To investigate the current study, 30 interviews were conducted using a laddering interview technique. Findings indicate that there are four attributes that influence a tournament brand including: competition, tournament operations, accommodations, and travel requirements. Further, six benefits derived from these attributes emerged: bonding, fun, parity, value, life skills, and time management.

Oral injuries related to Ice Hockey in the province of Alberta, Canada: Trends over the last 15years.

Ice hockey players of all ages experience oral and dental injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rates of ice hockey-related oral injuries, time lost due to oral injury, and mechanisms of oral injuries in the province of Alberta during a 15-year period (2001-2016). Hockey Alberta, the governing body for minor ice hockey associations across the province, collects injury report forms from injured participants in sanctioned events. Fifteen years (2001-2016) of this database was examined for total respondents suffering oral injuries. Data on total injuries, estimated time lost, and injury mechanism were analyzed. Overall, 12433 ice hockey-related injuries were recorded. The oral region was the third most common body part (16% of total injuries) to be injured after the arms and legs. Oral injuries have been occurring at a relatively constant rate each year from 2001 to 2016, with a maximum of 174 and minimum of 99 reported. Oral injuries usually result in a short absence from the sport of 1week or less and tend to occur through being struck by a stick or the hockey puck. This differs from total injuries, which tend to occur through collisions with the boards or other players. Rates of oral injuries in Alberta due to ice hockey comprise a significant portion of the injuries that players sustain. Oral injuries occur mostly when a player is struck with a puck or stick, and the rest of the body is injured primarily through collisions. Dental practitioners can help ice hockey athletes prevent oral and dental injuries through encouraging the use of mouthguards (custom over boil and bite) and continuing to wear full-face protection.

Problematizing the Pursuit of Personal Development and Performance Success: An Autoethnography of a Canadian Elite Youth Ice Hockey Coach

Performance success and positive development are goals of youth sport coaching that need not but often do find themselves in conflict with each other, yet there is a dearth of research that has inquired into the tensions between these 2 goals for sport coaches. Adopting an autoethnographic research design, this study explored the first author’s coaching experiences with a focus on his attempts to facilitate players’ personal development and the team’s performance success in a Canadian elite minor ice hockey context. Framed in a positive-youth-development approach, the first author’s philosophy and behaviors were informed by key tenants of achievement goal theory and self-determination theory. Three key areas were problematized: pursuing personal development and performance success, creating a task-oriented environment, and implementing autonomy-supportive behaviors. Practical implications for elite youth coaches and coach educations programs are discussed.

Factors Influencing the Underreporting of Concussion in Sports: A Qualitative Study of Minor Hockey Participants.

The present study is to identify factors contributing to underreporting of concussion in adolescent athletes. Qualitative interviews. Participants were interviewed in an office environment. Interviews were conducted with 31 minor hockey players, 10 parents, 6 coaches, 4 trainers, 2 managers, and one game official. Players were 13 to 15 year old. With selective sampling, an inductive approach of analyzing the interviews was undertaken and themes were identified and analyzed. Underreporting is a complex phenomenon. A number of risk factors related to hockey culture, players, reference others, and rules of play were assessed. Reasons not reporting concussion is accepted in minor hockey. Aspects of hockey culture such as an overemphasis on winning games and upheld misperceptions about the risks associated with concussion were identified as relevant to the underreporting of concussions. Various factors relevant to the underreporting of concussions include player's motivation to win, group membership dynamics such as a player's role as the team's "enforcer," coaches' own motivation to win to further their own opportunities in the sport, and parents' personal financial interest or alternative agenda in terms of time commitments and their child's future career prospects. Our findings indicate that underreporting of concussion among those players interviewed appears to be prevalent and associated with misconceptions about injury risk, and a culture that both reinforces and encourages underreporting with tacit or overt complicity of parents and coaches. Our findings support the need to alter the culture of violence and tough play in hockey by education, rule changes, economic measures, and changes in governance of the sport. Interviewing more stakeholders and policy makers would shed light on such potential interventions.

Vitamin D Knowledge Awareness and Behaviours Associated with Sunlight in the Elite Minor Hockey Community in Calgary, Alberta

Vitamin D Knowledge Awareness and Behaviours Associated with Sunlight in the Elite Minor Hockey Community in Calgary, Alberta

Vitamin D Knowledge Awareness and Behaviours Associated with Sunlight in the Elite Minor Hockey Community in Calgary, Alberta

Vitamin D Knowledge Awareness and Behaviours Associated with Sunlight in the Elite Minor Hockey Community in Calgary, Alberta

EFFECT OF PREVIOUS CONCUSSION ON SPORT-SPECIFIC SKILLS IN YOUTH ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS

BackgroundHockey Canada developed the Hockey Canada Skills Test (HCST), which measures skill acquisition and development.ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of previous concussion on sport-specific skill performance in youth ice hockey players.DesignCross-sectional.SettingIce...

Individual fluid plans versus ad libitum on hydration status in minor professional ice hockey players

BackgroundDespite exercising in cool environments, ice hockey players exhibit several dehydration risk factors. Individualized fluid plans (IFPs) are designed to mitigate dehydration by matching an individual’s sweat loss in order to optimize physiological systems and performance.MethodsA randomized control trial was used to examine IFP versus ad libitum fluid ingestion on hydration in 11 male minor professional ice hockey players (mean age = 24.4 ± 2.6 years, height = 183.0 ± 4.6 cm, weight = 92.9 ± 7.8 kg). Following baseline measures over 2 practices, participants were randomly assigned to either control (CON) or intervention (INT) for 10 additional practices. CON participants were provided water and/or carbohydrate electrolyte beverage to drink ad libitum. INT participants were instructed to consume water and an electrolyte-enhanced carbohydrate electrolyte beverage to match sweat and sodium losses. Urine specific gravity, urine color, and percent body mass change characterized hydration status. Total fluid consumed during practice was assessed.ResultsINT consumed significantly more fluid than CON (1180.8 ± 579.0 ml vs. 788.6 ± 399.7 ml, p = 0.002). However, CON participants replaced only 25.4 ± 12.9% of their fluid needs and INT 35.8 ± 17.5%. Mean percent body mass loss was not significantly different between groups and overall indicated minimal dehydration (<1.2% loss). Pre-practice urine specific gravity indicated CON and INT began hypohydrated (mean = 1.024 ± 0.007 and 1.024 ± 0.006, respectively) and experienced dehydration during practice (post = 1.026 ± 0.006 and 1.027 ± 0.005, respectively, p < 0.001). Urine color increased pre- to post-practice for CON (5 ± 2 to 6 ± 1, p < 0.001) and INT (5 ± 1 to 6 ± 1, p < 0.001).ConclusionsParticipants consistently reported to practice hypohydrated. Ad libitum fluid intake was not significantly different than IFP on hydration status. Based on urine measures, both methods were unsuccessful in preventing dehydration during practice, suggesting practice-only hydration is inadequate to maintain euhydration in this population when beginning hypohydrated.

Making Sense of Pain in Boys’ Competitive Minor Ice Hockey

The study on which this article is built identifies psychosocial factors that come into play when boys experience pain and, more specifically, how these particular boys attribute meaning to such experience. Twelve male competitive ice hockey players aged nine to thirteen years participated in small focus-group sessions. Pain from exertion/fatigue, acute pain, chronic pain, and pain from a head injury were examined. The older boys had a more advanced understanding of pain but all the boys engaged in sense-making strategies to play through pain. They were all well informed about concussions and many exercised a greater level of caution towards symptoms of a head injury compared to chronic pain or discomfort from exertion. Educating young athletes and adults about the implications of pain and injury both in and beyond the sport itself may help deconstruct the false sense of invulnerability associated with being a competitive athlete.

Aggression, Violence and Injury in Minor League Ice Hockey: Avenues for Prevention of Injury.

BackgroundIn North America, more than 800,000 youth are registered in organized ice hockey leagues. Despite the many benefits of involvement, young players are at significant risk for injury. Body-checking and aggressive play are associated with high frequency of game-related injury including concussion. We conducted a qualitative study to understand why youth ice hockey players engage in aggressive, injury-prone behaviours on the ice.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 61 minor ice hockey participants, including male and female players, parents, coaches, trainers, managers and a game official. Players were aged 13–15 playing on competitive body checking teams or on non-body checking teams. Interviews were manually transcribed, coded and analyzed for themes relating to aggressive play in minor ice hockey.ResultsParents, coaches, teammates and the media exert a large influence on player behavior. Aggressive behavior is often reinforced by the player’s social environment and justified by players to demonstrate loyalty to teammates and especially injured teammates by seeking revenge particularly in competitive, body-checking leagues. Among female and male players in non-body checking organizations, aggressive play is not reinforced by the social environment. These findings are discussed within the framework of social identity theory and social learning theory, in order to understand players’ need to seek revenge and how the social environment reinforces aggressive behaviors.ConclusionThis study provides a better understanding of the players’ motivations and environmental influences around aggressive and violent play which may be conducive to injury. The findings can be used to help design interventions aimed at reducing aggression and related injuries sustained during ice hockey and sports with similar cultures and rules.

‘It’s just girls’ hockey’: Troubling progress narratives in girls’ and women’s sport

The current historical moment abounds with social ideologies suggesting that girls’ and women’s sport has come a long way. Narratives of achievement, success and the gains that have ostensibly been made over the last three decades hold up these ideologies. In this interview-based study, we consider girls’ minor hockey in Southern Alberta, Canada to examine whether and how historically entrenched inequalities are being challenged, eradicated and/or maintained. To do this, we consider how gender systems are simultaneously resisted and reproduced in girls’ minor hockey in this region thus, positioning it outside the ‘triumphant feminist tale’. In so doing, we highlight the importance of critically considering progress narratives of growth and success in girls’ and women’s sport.

‘If You Don’t Want to Get Hurt, Don’t Play Hockey’: The Uneasy Efforts of Hockey Injury Prevention in Canada

Ice hockey is known for its speed, skill and aggression. This paper uses an analyses of injuries in boys’ minor leagues and primary documents to examine competing discourses that surround participant safety which give meaning to broader hockey practices. We problematize a prevailing discourse that preserves the physicality of Canadian hockey and an emerging reverse discourse that prioritizes player safety. Theoretically informed by Foucault’s concepts of discourse, knowledge and power relations, we interpret the relationships between these two competing discursive streams which have created a public controversy, particularly concerning body checking, and intensified a polarizing national debate. Ultimately, we argue that these discourses impact the implementation of progressive injury prevention initiatives in minor hockey and youth sport.Le hockey sur glace est réputé pour être rapide, technique et violent. Cet article utilise une analyse des blessures et documents de ligues mineures masculines afin d’examiner les discours qui circulent à propos de la sécurité des participants et qui sont reliés aux pratiques plus générales du sport. Nous mettons en évidence un discours dominant qui préserve la physicalité du hockey canadien et un discours contraire émergeant qui priorise la sécurité des joueurs. En nous appuyant au niveau théorique sur les concepts foucaldiens de discours, savoir et relations de pouvoir, nous interprétons les relations entre ces deux courants discursifs en compétition qui ont créé une controverse publique, particulièrement en ce qui concerne les mises en échec, et intensifié un débat national polarisé. En bout de ligne, nous avançons que ces discours influencent l’implantation d’initiatives progressistes de prévention des blessures dans le hockey mineur et le sport pour les jeunes.

The Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (Child SCAT3): normative values and correspondence between child and parent symptom scores in male child athletes

BackgroundChildren and youth are at increased risk of sustaining sport-related concussions. There is a need to develop age-specific tools to evaluate the effects of concussion. The objective of this study...

Fighting, winning, promotions, and attendance in the ECHL

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of fighting (in addition to other variables) as it relates to attendance at minor league hockey games (ECHL). Design/methodology/approach – Building upon previous research on hockey attendance, a regression model is specified with attendance as the dependent variable and fighting (measured as a running average of fights-per-game) as an independent variable. The sign and statistical significance of fighting is tested through the regression model. Findings – Despite recent tragedies in the hockey world and public outcries against fighting, fighting is found to have a positive and significant effect on attendance at ECHL games. Practical implications – Findings suggest that if fighting is removed from hockey in North America that teams will suffer attendance wise and it will hurt the overall profitability of teams and leagues. Teams in the ECHL that do not fight often may wish to have more “enforcers” on the team which would increase the number of fights and increase attendance. Social implications – Despite calls for its outright ban, fighting is popular with hockey fans. Even in a world where many game-day promotions are aimed at families, fighting appears to have a place in the game and is a desired attribute of this sport in terms of its entertainment value to fans. Originality/value – First study of the ECHL (AA-equivalent minor league for professional hockey) on a game-by-game basis. This paper examines the role of fighting and violence in the world of professional sports. The regression model also includes highly detailed data on game day promotions used by all of the teams. The value of the paper lies in the public debate about fighting in hockey. The findings and implications of this paper are also of value to team and league management as it relates to fighting in hockey.

Establishing a “Safety Net”: Exploring the Emergence and Maintenance of College Hockey Inc. and NCAA Division I Hockey

National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I schools compete with the Canadian Hockey League for top Canadian youth minor hockey players (ages 14–18). To address the challenges of adhering to NCAA’s eligibility and recruitment regulations, the NCAA commissioners created College Hockey Inc. (CHI). One challenge facing new institutions such as CHI is establishing legitimacy as a means of penetrating a crowded organizational field. In this paper we examine what forces, actions, and events contributed to the creation of CHI and what forces, actions, or events contribute to maintaining CHI’s relevance in their attempt to leverage NCAA Division I hockey with Canadian players and parents. Educational Opportunities, Student Life Experiences, Player Development, and Professional Hockey Opportunities were found to be discursive strategies used by CHI to gain pragmatic legitimacy and maintain the institution. Exploration of these strategies makes a number of practical and theoretical contributions to the field of sport management.

Exploring Minor Hockey Players' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Concussion

To evaluate minor hockey players' attitudes and knowledge about sport concussions. Male and female Pee Wee, Bantam, and Midget level players (n = 183) participating in minor hockey and a comparison group of non-hockey players (n = 57). Survey. Player knowledge and attitudes were evaluated with a standardized questionnaire developed for the purpose of this study. Descriptive statistics including cross-tabulations and proportion comparisons were used to report the data. Players had foundational knowledge about concussions; however, more than half underestimated the prevalence and more than 30% were unaware of return to play protocols. Although nearly all players knew what they "should" do when concussed, 33% did not follow recommendations. Players reported more concern and appreciation of the seriousness of concussion than non-players, but they tended to minimize their vulnerability. The most common and helpful information sources were parents, doctors, and coaches, and therefore knowledge translation efforts should target theses audiences. Young athletes continue to demonstrate gaps in their knowledge of concussions. In addition, attitudes toward concussion suggest a developmental trajectory with younger athletes being most likely to ignore current recommended guidelines.