The Science of Injury in Sport:

The Ice Hockey Perspective

Dr. William J. Montelpare, Ph.D.,

Professor, School of Kinesiology
Two main areas of research

Development and A multidisciplinary

evaluation of the approach to injury
Play It Cool Program prevention research
The Play it Cool program was designed to
help generate awareness and prevention of
spinal cord injuries and neurotrauma
(e.g.concussion) in ice hockey
Play it Cool Delivered Online
The Play it Cool program is delivered to coaches in an
“8” week facilitated online course, in which 7 modules
are presented by experienced individuals using a web-
based format. BASED MODULES INCLUDE:
COMPETENCY

3 Ethics and Sportsmanship

5 Skating Skills

7 Principles of play

9 Awareness of the playing area

11 Teaching techniques and building an optimum environment

13 Teaching checking as a skill

15 Controlling risk as a coach

 Features of the program
The web based delivery
includes:
all forms of multimedia
a discussion board for each
cohort of 10-12 coaches
a blog page delivered by the
facilitator to generate
discussion
web enabled surveys
The modules include:

Animation and video that

demonstrates how to carry
out a safe hockey drill
Specific information related
to the intention of the drill
As well as the injury risks
which can be avoided by
using this type of drill

Steer, angle, and contain drill

 Teaching Hockey
Each coach is Through Games
issued a games
manual which was
prepared as a
resource and
consists of some 56
low organizational
games to assist in
teaching safe
hockey
“Introducing Gary
The Goal Light”

A graphic comic
style approach
directing the safe
hockey and injury
prevention
message to young
players
created by Ryan Ryan
Participants include …
Coaches from the
Ontario Hockey Federation,
Ottawa District Hockey
Association,
Hockey Northwest Ontario,

Massachusetts Hockey League,

The Rochester Hockey
Federation in conjunction with
A multidisciplinary approach to
studying injury prevention through
neurotrauma related events in ice
hockey
Evaluating the precursors that
underlie neurotrauma
§ Throughout this phase of
our research we
investigated several
aspects of ice hockey
participants that underlie
the likelihood for
neurotrauma related
event.

Head Impact Telemetric System

HITS computer screen
Measuring time on task

On submit the data are written

to a data set for subsequent
analysis
Online Injury Surveillance System
Faught Aerobic Skating Test (FAST)
Neck Strength Measurement Device
Examples of Neuro-cognitive tests

Connors Continuous
Performance Test

Attention Network
Test
Measures of Balance
Using game film analysis
PEAK field system for kinematic analysis
Future Directions
§ The proposed program of research
planned for the next five years is
intended to use a variety of innovative
approaches to developing, delivering,
and evaluating injury prevention
education and research.

§ At the core of the proposed program

will be the on-going development of
injury prevention research specifically
related to neurotraumaas a function of
pursuits in ice hockey.
The Research Team
§ Biomechanics: Moira McPherson, Ph.D., Patrick Bishop, Ph.D.
§ Biostatistics: Paul Corey, Ph.D.
§ Exercise Physiology: Brent Faught, Ph.D.
§ Injury Epidemiology: Alison MacPherson, Ph.D.
§ Neuro-Cognition: M. Keightley, Ph.D., J. McAuliffe, Ph.D., T. Laroque, M.Sc.
§ Sport Psychology: Joseph Baker, Ph.D.
§ Measures of Balance: Eryk Przysucha, M.Sc., Jane Taylor, Ph.D.
§ Neck Strength: Lucie Pelland, Ph.D. Joan Stevenson, Ph.D., Derek Kivi, Ph.D.
§ Play It Cool: Malcolm Sutherland, Graduate Student
§ Heart rate variability, Measuring Exposure, Blood Biomarkers,
§ Electro-encephalography
§ Project Management and Coordination: William Montelpare, Ph.D.