Puck It!

Black Cats? Ladders? Broken Mirrors? Good Luck Charms? This week we dive into the bizarre world of player superstitions. Tessa got to read 2 peoples masters theses and Jaz gets to unfortunately learn how many players don't wash their gear. We not only discuss the superstitions themselves, but why players may have them! Works Cited:https://www.sportsish.com/thenews/https/wwwsportsishcom/nhlsuperstisionshttps://www.milehighhockey.com/2010/11/23/1832668/theyre-not-superstitious-theyre-just-hockey-playershttps://premiersportpsychology.com/2015/01/28/what-is-the-story-behind-superstitions/https://bolavip.com/en/nhl/the-most-bizarre-nhl-superstitions-wild-rituals-players-swear-byhttps://thehockeywriters.com/the-strangest-superstitions-in-nhl-history/https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-stars-superstitions-pregame-traditions-296669560Ptacek, Taylor Jon, "The Relationship Between Superstition and Confidence in Sport" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 742. University of North DakotaCatsoulis, Stamata. “Black Cats and Hockey Tape: Investigating Routines and Superstitions Among Professional Hockey Athletes: A Qualitative Study” (2011). York UniversityDömötör, Z., Ruız-Barquın, R. & Szabo, A. “Superstitous Behavior in Sport: A Literature Review” (2016) Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 57 368-382

This one is a bit different! Tessa did not do a bunch of in-depth research with citations galore. Instead, today Jaz and Tessa expose how nerdy they are by discussing fandom culture, RPF (Real People Fiction) and separating the idol from the person!

Last week we talked about fighting, this week we expand on the physical dangers to hockey. In an episode with a more serious note than usual, Tessa warms up her long burried research and communication skills to highlight some of the dangers of hockey. !!Content warning!! This episode contains mentions of severe bodily harm and suicideWorks Cited:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67264536https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6822215/https://canadasafetycouncil.org/hockey-our-most-dangerous-game/https://www.npr.org/2024/12/04/nx-s1-5214628/ice-hockey-nhl-cte-head-impacts-concussionshttps://www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/neurodegenerative-disorders/2025/protecting-the-game-how-hockey-can-prevent-brain-injury-among-players-042225https://publichealthpost.org/mental-behavioral-health/fighting-hockeys-deadly-toll/https://www.nhl.com/info/player-safetyAnderson, G., Melugin, H., Stuart, M. (2019) “Epidemiology of Injuries in Ice Hockey” American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine Volume 11, Issue 6. Markowitz, Jeffrey S. (2025) “Mortality and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Among Enforcers and Non-Enforcers in the National Hockey League (NHL)” Frontiers in NeurologyAbdolmohammadi B, Tuz-Zahra F, Uretsky M et al. (2024) “Duration of Ice Hockey Play and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy”. JAMA Network Open 7(12). Morrissette C, Park P, Lehman R, Popkin C. (2020) “Cervical Spine Injuries in the Ice Hockey Player: Current Concepts in Epidemiology, Management and Prevention”. Global Spine 11(8).

We all love it, it's the only major non-combat sport that has it. The only question is, why do they do it at all? This week we talk about all the fighting in hockey. We explore some potential reasons for it, and admit we have a love for it. Works Cited:https://www.wbspenguins.com/blog/what-kind-of-fighting-on-the-ice-is-allowed-in-hockey/https://www.purehockey.com/c/all-about-hockey-fightshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3752193/https://www.ontheforecheck.com/the-science-of-the-skirmish-the-mechanics-of-a-nhl-fight-mma-enforcers-strategy-ice-is-slippery/https://theweek.com/feature/briefing/1018995/why-fighting-is-allowed-in-ice-hockeyhttps://www.espn.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/28064/inside-the-rule-book-rule-46-fightingGoldschmied, N. and Espindola, S. (2013) ““I Went to a Fight the Other Night and a Hockey Game Broke Out”: Is Professional Hockey Fighting Calculated or Impulsive?” Sports Health 5 (5): 458-462

Well we know a bit about the NHL, YAY! But how do you get into the NHL? This week we cover the draft (which is coming up soon), and the AHL. We also cover scratches and waivers which can be confusing! Find us on twitter: Puckitit_PodcastInstagram: puckit_podcastEmail: [email protected] Cited:https://www.purehockey.com/c/understanding-the-nhl-drafthttps://www.eliteprospects.com/page/how-does-the-nhl-draft-workhttps://www.refrsports.com/blog/understanding-the-nhl-draft-a-comprehensive-guidehttps://www.wbspenguins.com/blog/how-players-move-from-the-ahl-to-the-nhl/https://www.sportsgirlsclub.com/post/the-important-relationship-of-the-ahl-and-nhlhttps://offsidenewsco.com/news/ahl-101https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/nhl/what-healthy-scratch-nhl-all-need-know-famous-hockey-terminology