The purpose of this research was to build upon, and extend, the sport diversity research. Specifically, Study 1 adopted a compositional approach to examine the effects of ethnicity, age, and team tenure on a team process (team assists), and their indirect effects on overall team performance (team points) through that team process. Hierarchical regression analyses, after controlling for team ability, indicated that the block of diversity variables accounted for 6.5% (p < .05) of the variance in team assists. Further results indicated that ethnic diversity was significantly, and negatively, related to team assists, while age and team tenure diversity were not related to team assists. In turn, team assists accounted for 22% (p < .001) of the variance in team points, above and beyond team ability. Team assists were significantly, and positively, related to overall team performance. Results suggest that team diversity does impact team processes and, indirectly, team performance. Study 2 adopted a relational approach to examine how being similar, or dissimilar, influences the dyadic relationship between the goal scorer and assistor. The MANOVA analyses were significant for ethnicity, Wilks’ Λ = .976 (p < .001), age group, Wilks’ Λ = .952 (p < .001), and team tenure group, Wilks’ Λ = .896 (p < .001), indicating that there were differences between those goal scorers receiving assists from the various subgroups within each of these three categories. In general, results support the similarity-attraction paradigm, in that, a player is likely to assist a teammate who is similar to himself more so than he is to assist a player who is different, with regards to these three demographic characteristics. Results have practical implications for coaches and managers, while also contributing to the theoretical body of literature for sport and diversity research. This research examined National Hockey League teams and players during a three year period (2001-2004). English Canadians made up 42.5% of the players in the league, followed by Europeans (33%), Americans (15.7%), and French Canadians (8.8%). The average age of players in the league was 27.7 years of age, while the average team tenure was 3.7 years.

Adaptation in professional sport is the professional athlete’s capacity to act and react effectively to destabilizing stress episodes so that an internal sense of emotional and psychological balance is restored (Schinke, Tenenbaum, Lidor & Battochio, 2010). Professional ice-hockey players must overcome numerous stressors throughout their careers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Though sport researchers have conducted preliminary studies about the stress and adaptation processes of NHL players, small participant numbers and the use of a structured interview guide limited to rookie and veteran career stages limit the conclusions. Based on these limitations, the purpose of the present dissertation was to provide a comprehensive depiction of the stress episodes and processes that lead to adaptation and maladaptation in the NHL. Twenty-three current and former NHL players were recruited for individual interviews, which were then analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) inductive thematic analysis. As a result, stress episodes and the subsequent strategies attempted to reach adaptation or maladaptation could be housed either within a career stage or across an NHL player’s career. Career stages were (a) entry into the NHL, (b) remaining in the NHL, and (c) becoming an All-Star. Across-career stress involved (a) high profile team, (b) injury, and (c) relocation. Subsequently, the participants identified pathways designed to alleviate or manage the stressors situated within each stress episode. Through retrospection, the participants decided whether their pathways taken during various stress episodes were adaptive. Recommendations were then proposed by these athletes for aspiring NHL players or maladaptive. Implications for sport researchers and practitioners (e.g., coaches, mental performance consultants) are also provided within the conclusion.

This study examined the relationship between the physical fitness of National Hockey League (NHL) entry draft players and performance in the NHL. Physiological profiles were compared by level (NHL vs non-NHL) and position (forwards vs defense). The fitness level was determined by an assessment of body composition, anaerobic fitness, strength, power, muscular endurance, flexibility, and aerobic fitness. Subjects were 422 male hockey players, consisting of NHL entry draft (n = 310), minor league professional (n = 59) and NHL professional (n = 53) players. Results revealed that when drafted, physiological profiles of players who reach the NHL were significantly different from non-NHL players. Players that eventually made the NHL tended to be heavier and had higher peak power (W), mean power (W), VO2max (L/min), grip strength and leg power. The fitness variables in the test battery had low predictive power to identify players who played in the NHL. Physiological profiles of forwards were significantly different from defense. Defense were taller, heavier, and fatter than forwards. Defense had higher peak power (W), grip strength and leg power compared to forwards. The forwards were higher in VO2max when expressed relative to body weight. NHL entry draft players were lower in upper body strength than minor league professionals and NHL players.

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Fighting has been a centerpiece of the National Hockey League since it was formed in 1917. Although rules have been introduced regulating the physicality of play in the NHL, fighting is demanded—and encouraged—by fans and players alike. Fans have long been attracted to the violence of professional hockey; previous studies have documented that professional hockey is a “blood sport” that generates revenues with violence. This research investigates the effect of fighting on player salaries in the NHL, examining the way in which fighting has become a strategic element of the game, describing the way players enforce their own “Code” of hockey rules and police the ice in ways referees cannot, and comparing the salaries of fighters and skilled players to determine how players in different roles are valued.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2005. Graduate Programme in Kinesiology and Health Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-36). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url%5Fver=Z39.88-2004&res%5Fdat=xri:pqdiss &rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR11750

Hockey is a popular sport, and at its highest levels, it is a complex contact game characterized by physical strength, speed, and skill. The interaction of these characteristics contributes to the inherent risk of injury athletes must face while playing. Among hockey injuries, concussions are one of the most commonly sustained by athletes across all levels of play and age groups. Significant public attention, combined with poorly understood long-term effects, indicates the importance of tangible preventive strategies. The main goal of this thesis was to understand, through video analysis, how playing characteristics and mechanism of injury contribute to concussions in the National Hockey League (NHL). In the first study, the development and validation of an observational recording tool used to code and analyze NHL concussions observed via video analysis was described. The second study attempted to synthesize the description of players’ characteristics, antecedent events, and contextual variables associated with events leading to concussion at the NHL level. Several specific risk factors for concussion in NHL players were identified, including position, body size, specific locations on the ice, and particular situations based on a player's position. The final study systematically analyzed how concussions occur to identify potential pattern(s) of concussions. A common specific injury mechanism characterized by player-to-player contact and resulting in contact to the head by the shoulder, elbow, or gloves, was also identified. When the principal mechanism was refined further, several important characteristics were discernable: (i) contact was often to the lateral aspect of the head; (ii) the player who suffered a concussion was often not in possession of the puck; and (iii) no penalty was called on the play. Collectively, these studies served to address gaps in the literature; the implications for informing prevention and management strategies are also discussed.

Hockey is a popular sport, and at its highest levels, it is a complex contact game characterized by physical strength, speed, and skill. The interaction of these characteristics contributes to the inherent risk of injury athletes must face while playing. Among hockey injuries, concussions are one of the most commonly sustained by athletes across all levels of play and age groups. Significant public attention, combined with poorly understood long-term effects, indicates the importance of tangible preventive strategies. The main goal of this thesis was to understand, through video analysis, how playing characteristics and mechanism of injury contribute to concussions in the National Hockey League (NHL). In the first study, the development and validation of an observational recording tool used to code and analyze NHL concussions observed via video analysis was described. The second study attempted to synthesize the description of players’ characteristics, antecedent events, and contextual variables associated with events leading to concussion at the NHL level. Several specific risk factors for concussion in NHL players were identified, including position, body size, specific locations on the ice, and particular situations based on a player's position. The final study systematically analyzed how concussions occur to identify potential pattern(s) of concussions. A common specific injury mechanism characterized by player-to-player contact and resulting in contact to the head by the shoulder, elbow, or gloves, was also identified. When the principal mechanism was refined further, several important characteristics were discernable: (i) contact was often to the lateral aspect of the head; (ii) the player who suffered a concussion was often not in possession of the puck; and (iii) no penalty was called on the play. Collectively, these studies served to address gaps in the literature; the implications for informing prevention and management strategies are also discussed.

This paper examines whether racial salary discrimination exists in the National Hockey League (NHL). I examine data from Hockey Reference and CapFriendly and find some evidence of racial salary discrimination, controlling for a rich set of demographic and performance characteristics. Specifically, when I solely control for race, I do not find any racial wage gap. This gap exists when I control for race and limited place of birth groups, however, the effect is wiped out by performance controls. When controlling for race and detailed place of birth groups, I find some evidence of a race gap even when controls for performance are included. Lastly, I discover that whites from all countries excluding the USA earn more than whites from the USA.

This exploratory case study positions the 2004-05 National Hockey League (NHL) lockout as an organizational crisis, studying it within a Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) frame. A mixed methodology approach used qualitative and quantitative content analyses and a survey of NHL fans to gauge the NHL's reputation five years after the lockout. For the content analyses, 282 newspaper articles from 7 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada were coded for SCCT variables and presentation of the lockout by news writers. NHL fans (n = 140) were surveyed with the goal of assessing SCCT variables as predictors of attitude. Results confirmed previous SCCT findings and showed links between SCCT variables and fan attitudes toward the NHL and the sport of hockey.