SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 06 August 2020
STP162520190049

Pressure, Aggression, and Fighting: The Role of Psychosocial Factors in Acute Concussions during Junior A Hockey

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Hockey is known for speed, skill, hard hits, and fighting. The violence and aggression present in professional hockey contrasts greatly with the skill and finesse of international play. Aggressive behavior across all levels of hockey has devastating long-term consequences resulting from the high prevalence of head trauma. Retired National Hockey League (NHL) players attribute their cognitive difficulties to the repetitive concussive events sustained during their careers. Some retired professional players, such as Daniel Carcillo and Nick Boynton, claim they would trade their name on the Stanley Cup to have known about the long-term consequences of repetitive head trauma. Many retired professional players, such as Ken Dryden, believe the aggressive intent to injure in hockey is completely unnecessary. Junior A hockey is consistently accompanied by a high risk of head trauma. For example, a single Tier III Junior A team experienced thirteen concussions to ten players in one season. Of six players who perceived it “definitely true” that their role on the team was to be an aggressive, forceful, and physical player, four were objectively diagnosed with a concussion during the season. Hypothesized was that intrinsic psychological factors, such as perceived aggression and willingness to fight, and extrinsic factors, such as role modeling by NHL players and feeling pressured by others to fight, contribute to sustaining concussions in hockey. For example, players perceiving themselves as aggressive and physical are at greater risk of concussion than those who see themselves as finesse, skilled players.

Author Information

Caputi, Michelle, H.
Sports Medicine, Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, US
Smith, Aynsley, M.
Sports Medicine, Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, US
Erredge, Kristen, M.
Sports Medicine, Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, US
Stuart, Michael, J.
Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, US
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Details
Pages: 82–92
DOI: 10.1520/STP162520190049
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7697-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7696-6