Concussions occur at an unacceptable rate in the sport of ice hockey. Efforts are made to improve its prevention by modifying protective equipment and implementing rules of conduct; yet the effectiveness of these methods remains unknown as there is a lack of evidence pointing to a mechanical metric able to adequately predict concussion. The purpose of this thesis was to identify metrics which best characterize concussion following ice hockey collisions and provide values reflecting concussion risk. The first study reported effective mass of shoulder checks, extended elbow strikes, and tucked-in elbow strikes using 15 competitive ice hockey players as subjects. The results were used to guide the impact mass and compliance of laboratory reconstructions of real-world ice hockey collisions done in the second study. Analysis of these reconstruction showed that concussions following shoulder and elbow to head collisions in ice hockey occurred at low peak linear and angular accelerations and that impulse duration played a large role in the mechanism of injury. The results also indicated that concussion risk estimations are specific to the mechanism of loading. A 50% likelihood of concussion following a shoulder check to the head was established for peak angular accelerations of 9.2, 6.9, 4.6, and 2.2 krad/s^2 for impulse durations of 15, 20, 25, and 30 ms, respectively. A 50% likelihood of concussion following an extended elbow to the head was established for peak linear accelerations of 23, 15, and 7 g for impulse durations of 15, 20, and 25 ms, respectively. Finally, the third study reported brain tissue stress and strain comparable to the ones obtained reconstructing concussive impacts in American football, rugby, and Australian rules football despite having lower peak linear and angular acceleration values. This thesis has provided a new sport concussion data set acquired using a methodology guided by the biomechanics of ice hockey player volunteer testing, has identified metrics which can adequately predict concussion, and has established concussion risk levels. This information will be of use to helmet manufacturing companies, companies developing concussion detection sensors, and governing bodies in their efforts to eliminate concussion from the sport of ice hockey.

Since the introduction of helmets the incidence of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in ice hockey has greatly decreased, but the incidence of concussions has essentially remained unchanged. Despite goaltenders in ice hockey being the only players on the ice for the entire game, few have assessed the performance of ice hockey goaltender masks. In ice hockey, goaltenders are exposed to impacts from collisions, falls and projectiles. The objective of this study was to assess the protective capacity of ice hockey goaltender masks for three accident events associated with concussion. A helmeted and unhelmeted medium NOCSAE headform were tested under conditions representing three common accident events in ice hockey. Falls were reconstructed using a monorail drop. A pneumatic linear impactor was used to reconstruct collisions and projectile impacts were reconstructed using a pneumatic puck launcher. Three impact locations and three velocities were selected for each accident event based on video analysis of real world concussive events. Peak resultant linear acceleration, peak resultant rotational acceleration and rotational velocity of the headform were measured. The University College Dublin Brain Trauma Model (UCDBTM) was used to calculate maximum principal strain (MPS) and von Mises stress in the cerebrum. The results demonstrated the importance of assessing the protective capacity of ice hockey goaltenders masks for each accident, as each event created a unique response. A comparison of unhelmeted and helmeted impacts revealed ice hockey goaltender masks are effective at reducing the risk of both concussion and TBI for falls and projectiles, but less so for collisions. Further, the risk of more serious injuries was found to increase for falls and collisions as impact velocity increased. The results highlight the importance of impacting multiple locations when assessing the protective capacity of ice hockey goaltenders masks, as different impact locations result in unique responses. Overall this study demonstrated ice hockey goaltenders masks capacity to reduce the risk of concussion across three accident events.

Ice hockey helmet standards are employed to test ice hockey helmets to ensure that they mitigate the risk of traumatic brain injuries. These standards primarily reflect adult ice hockey players' anthropometrics and play styles; however, they may not address youth ice hockey players anthropometrics and play styles. This study created a youth helmet test protocol using head impact characteristics specific to the Learn to Play (5-8 years old) youth ice hockey age group environment. The youth helmet test protocol was compared to a general helmet test protocol with the head mass, shoulder mass, and impacting velocities modified to reflect real-world conditions. The dependent variables used in the study included peak resultant linear acceleration, peak resultant rotational velocity, peak resultant rotational acceleration, and maximal principal strain (MPS). Two-way ANOVA identified significant interactions between the test protocols and two helmets tested in this study. This was followed by ANOVA to test for significance across the levels of the independent variables followed by paired t-tests to identify significant differences between the test protocols for each dependent variable for the head to boards and shoulder to head condition (p<0.05). The only significant difference identified between the test protocols for the head to ice condition was linear acceleration. The paired t-tests identified significant differences between the two helmets for all dependent variables for the head to ice and head to boards conditions (p<0.05). The results from this study revealed that youth are being exposed to similar amounts of brain trauma when compared to adults for the head to ice event. The head to ice condition is one of the most common types of impact events in the Learn to Play age group supporting the need to consider a youth specific ice hockey helmet standard test. This study demonstrated that the CCM FL 500 provided better protection for youth ice hockey players, and helmet companies could employ similar technologies to better protect youth from the risk of brain injuries.

In youth hockey the act of bodychecking is used to separate the opponent from possession of the puck by contacting the body. In one form or another bodychecking has been an integral part of hockey, especially competitive hockey. Bodychecking is associated with a high risk for concussion symptoms with a number of studies reporting a significant decrease in concussion symptom presentation when bodychecking is removed from the game (Black et al., 2016). To decrease the incidence of concussion symptom presentation and maintain body checking in the game, some leagues have introduced modified body contact rules. This study compared the brain trauma profiles, characterized by frequency and magnitude, of players playing with modified body contact rules to a standard bodychecking hockey league. U15 AAA adhered to standard bodychecking, while M15 minor only allowed shoulder-to-shoulder contact while keeping sticks on the ice and travelling in the same direction along the boards. 16 U15 AAA and 16 M15 minor hockey games were analyzed documenting head impacts, and head impact conditions that were reconstructed to examine the differences by comparing frequency and magnitudes of head impact events. There were 76 and 101 impacts in AAA and M15 minor, respectively. Most common events in AAA were head-to-glass, shoulder, and other; and in M15 minor were head-to-shoulder, head, and other. Magnitudes were grouped into very low, low, medium, high, and very high. The only magnitude levels that were significantly different when comparing total head impacts were more very low magnitude head impacts in M15 minor. Most common frequencies of magnitude levels for events in AAA were low glass, and in M15 minor were very low head, and low shoulder events. Changing the body contact rules increased the frequency of very low magnitude events and did not change the frequency of individual events between the medium and very high magnitude events. The low magnitude displayed a shift from head-to-glass to shoulder-to-head events when body contact rules were modified. These findings suggest that modifying body contact rules can result in differences in the frequencies and magnitudes of head impacts in U15 ice hockey. Changing body contact rules resulted in changes of most common events, though the frequency of magnitudes of brain trauma did not decrease with modified contact. It is important to understand the risks associated with the frequencies of events and magnitudes in both divisions.

A lot of young athletes have great dreams but only a few reaches the stars. Which ways make it possible for the dreams to come true? This study has made a small research on the Swedish NHL professionals have made their way to the NHL by looking at data about their choices during his career, and tried to see if there is any connection between their paths to every hockey player's dream, the NHL. Results of the study show that there is a anatla different ways to go, but some are more common than others.

The aim of this research was to discuss about event management theory and how the Liiga (the major ice hockey league in Finland) team organisations could use this theory to improve their home game events. This topic has been divided into two research questions from which the first discusses the current situation and the other gives suggestions for future improvements for the Liiga team organisations. This research is conducted as a master’s theses and it has been conducted in years 2014 to 2016. In order to understand the research topic the general theory of event management has been told from the sporting event point of view. This theory has been divided into two different sections which are the five stages of event management and the operational strategies of event management. Answers for the research questions have been search with a qualitative research and its methods of interview and questionnaire, observation and content analysis. These methods and the way these have been used in this research are introduced after the event management theory. The data collected with the selected qualitative research methods has been introduced as empirical findings. These empirical findings are introduced a research method at a time and in a same order as the data has been collected. After introducing the collected data it has been carefully analysed. The analysis have also been divided into two section from which the first answers to the first research question concerning the current situation and the other the second questions concerning the future improvement that could be done. The first part of analysis has been made in a same chronological order as the event management theory has been written in order it to be easy to compere these two to each other. In the end the conclusions of this research and its research questions are introduced. Also the knowledge which this research is offering for the tourism industry and for its readers have been discussed. This are also a lot of different ways how this research could be continued and made further and these ways have been discussed as well. Last but not least the research has been viewed critically and the quality of it has been questioned.

Title: Public Relations tools and activities of ice-hockey team HKM Zvolen Goals: The objective is to analyze and appraise Public Relations tools and activities of ice- hockey club HKM Zvolen which are aimed at target group of fans. As a follow-up to the executed analysis and appraisal other possible solutions of effective communication with fans, that would lead to improvement of club's name, increasing its popularity among the public and mainly enlargement of fans basement connected with higher fans attendance of home games, will be suggested. Methods: The determinated objective is achieved by using analysis of documents and texts followed by descriptive analysis which were the base for creating summary of Public Relations tools and activities towards fans basement of ice-hockey club HKM Zvolen. To gain more detail information, which is not accessible to the public, cooperation with club's management in form of interview was very helpful. Results: The result of this paper is elaborated analysis and summary of PR communication of ice-hockey club HKM Zvolen with its fans during the previous season 2013/2014. On the basis of findings fan relations plan for long-term part of league for coming season 2014/2015 has been created. Fan relations plan was presented in front of management of ice-hockey...

Title: Importance of parental support in long-term sports training for children (chosen sports industry as an example) Objectives: Main goal of this work is to find out how much and how active parents are when it comes to sports training of their children and secondly, how much are they invested in overal development and education of their children. Methods: Empiric research is applied and for purpose of this work, mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research will be used. Currently, mixed research is understood as design research, where at least one quantitive aspect is combined with at least one qualitative approach, data collection or data analysis. Basic assumption is, that qualitative and quantitative approach combined allows better understanding of research problem, than only one of them (compare. Creswell a Plano Clark, 2007). Statistic methods will be used for data. Results: Interviews were done with parents of children (years 2010 - 2006). That means the oldest children were mome at the time. In these categories, parents are still very invested in many aspects. The parents visit matches of their children very often if not all the matches, they can come to Almost all the parents monitor the equipment their child uses and make sure the child has everything he/she needs for the...

THE COMPARATION OF SOLID AND UNSTABLE SURFACE EXERCICE ON 13YEARS OLD ICE-HOCKEY PLAYERS BY MYOTEST Objectives: Compare the effect of the course and exercises by using unstable surfaces with and without field accelerometer (Myotest). Methods: The exercise of a similar movement pattern was performed qualitative and quantitative comparison of the stress field parameters using the accelerometer. Quantitative stress parameters were evaluated for individual movements as mean values from a larger number of repetitions for intra- individual assessments. For comparison exercises were probands adapted from ongoing training process. Results: The results obtained during by testing shows that the measured power and performance weren't always exactly according to the hypotheses. The hypotheses were in some cases completely confirmed (eg VR lunge at the knees in the value of the force on the mat 994.4 N and Bosu 1154 N. The difference is 159,6 N, which is about 16%), in others completely rejected (eg KŠ kneeled in lunge was power value on the mat 730 W and on the Bosu 1172 W. Difference is 442 W, which is about 60%). Occasionally a situation where it was not possible hypothesis neither confirm nor reject (eg H2: the squat were measured performance values on the mat for the three probands negative (JP -70 W, VR...

Title: Ice Hockey Injuries in the Professional Ice Hockey leagues in Czech Republic Objective: The aim of this thesis is to investigate the incidence, types, severity and mechanisms of injury in Czech ice hockey players at the highest competition level during the season 2010/2011. Methods: Data were collected by the non-standardized six-side questionnair from 11 teams in the highest ice hockey league in Czech Republic for season 2010/2011. Findings: There were a total of 559 injuries, 18,4% injuries occured during praktice, 75% during games. The overall game injury rate was 57,4 per 1000 games. The most common injury was laceration in the face. Collision with an oponent, with the boards or fall on ice caused nearly 38% of injuries. As for severity, 45,1% injuries were classified as minor and 14,3% as major injuries. Of the 419 game injuries, 65,2 % occured in forwards, 28,1% in defensemen and 6,7% in goalkeepers. Keywords: ice hockey, injury rate, questionnair