This thesis examined the 'recoil' effect of the ice hockey stick shaft during a stationary slap shot. Nine subjects were tested. Four were classified as 'elite' and the remaining five as the 'recreational' group. Their performances were evaluated by simultaneously recording stick movement and bending from high-speed video capture (1000 Hz) and puck acceleration from a triaxial accelerometer positioned inside the puck. Data were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA for several dependant variables including final puck velocity, stick shaft bending, blade-puck contact time and stick kinetic energy. The results indicated that: (1) the puck velocity was influenced by skill level, blade-puck contact time and stick bending energy but not puck acceleration. Further studies are needed to address the influence of events before and after blade-puck contact as well as the strength of the player on the mechanical energy and impulse given to the puck.

Ice hockey facial protectors are essential to prevent eye and dental injuries but must also not encumber vision and, in turn, players' performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of three different facial protection conditions on response time (RsT) and kinematics in a goal directed pointing task: helmet (control), visor, and cage. A 13 light target array and six-camera Vicon Mx system were used to collect response time and kinematic data. Subjects recruited were 16 male and 12 female varsity ice hockey players (n=28). Results demonstrated that although kinematics remained largely unaffected, throughout the visual field test RsT increased significantly with the cage (23 ms) as well as delayed head movement for both the visor (14 ms) and cage (18 ms). These differences may well represent a functional disadvantage to a player's performance given the dynamic, open environment where multiple players contest for puck possession. In summary, further research is warranted to achieve both optimal performance and safety.

The purpose was to examine the effect of shaft stiffness on puck velocity and response characteristics of the stick during performance of a slap shot. Six elite male ice hockey players performed 6 slap shots with 4 sticks of different shaft stiffness designated as medium (13 N/m), stiff (16N/m), extra (17 N/m) and pro stiff (19 N/m). These four levels represent the range in stiffness of sticks available to hockey players. The mechanics of the slap shot were evaluated by recording ground reaction forces and kinematics from high speed filming and a radar gun. Data were analyzed with a 3-way repeated measures ANOVA for 7 dependant variables---puck velocity, peak Z force, peak Y force, time to achieve peak Z force, time to achieve peak Y force, peak deflection and time to peak deflection of the shaft. Results indicated: (1) the stick with shaft stiffness of 13 N/m produced the highest puck velocity, the greatest amount of shaft deflection, the longest time to peak deflection and the lowest peak Z forces; (2) time to obtain peak forces in the Y and Z directions were similar across level of shaft stiffness; (3) puck velocity was influenced by the interaction of subject and stiffness; (4) variability in performance measures across subjects was greater than the variability across stiffness.

This thesis was to examine the interaction of players' skill level, body strength, and various types of stick construction and stiffness on the performance of the hockey shots. Forty subjects were tested, and each subject performed the slap and wrist shots with different stick shaft constructions and stiffness. Shot mechanics were evaluated by simultaneously recording of ground reaction forces, stick movements and peak puck velocity. Data analyzed with a 4-way ANOVA for several dependent variables. The results indicated that: (1) the slap shot was faster than the wrist shot corresponding to greater vertical force, stick bending and hand placement; (2) the puck velocity was influenced by skill level and body strength not stick type; and, (3) the skilled players generated greater vertical force and stick bending by adjusting their hand positions. Further studies are needed to address the specific stick material and construction properties.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the three dimensional kinematic differences between elite and recreational ice hockey players while performing a stationary slap shot. Ten subjects, five elite-level players and five recreational players, each performed five stationary ice hockey slap shots. Data were collected using the UltratrakRTM electromagnetic system (Polhemus Inc., Burlington, VT, USA) at 60 Hz. Kinematics of the torso, arms and hockey stick were examined using a multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results indicated that: (1) the elite subjects shot significantly (p < 0.05) faster due to the translational movement aspect of the stick; (2) the proximal to distal kinematic chain sequence of the elite subjects was better than the recreational subjects; and (3) the elite subjects showed less variability in stick movement within groups, than the recreational subjects. Further studies are needed to address kinematics of the lower limbs and of different ice hockey stick skills.

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