9781422274804

INTRODUCTION

Ice hockey is often referred to as “the fastest game in the world.” Although that point can be debated, the sport is undoubtedly fast. Players regularly skate at speeds of more than 25 mph, or 40 kph as they would measure it in the countries where ice hockey is most popular. Pucks are often propelled at speeds easily surpassing 100 mph (160 kph). What makes all of this possible? The answer is STEM. Science, technology, engineering, and math are usually encountered in the classroom, an arena in which they are very familiar. To find that they are all just as present at an ice rink might be unexpected, but the speed and movements generated it would not be possible without STEM. Physics is the science that plays the largest part, and in this book we will see how the three laws of motion articulated by Sir Isaac Newton in the seventeenth century affect a twenty-first-century slap shot. For that slap shot to go as fast as it does requires some high-end technology in the stick used to take it. The indoor surfaces on which hockey games are played are an engineering marvel. As for math, well, how would you know which players to drop or pick up on your fantasy hockey team without being able to calculate even-strength Corsi for percentage? Math is a must for hockey stat–heads. STEM concepts and examples are prevalent throughout the sport of hockey. The chapters ahead will explain how players can skate so fast, shoot so hard, pass with precision, and make those incredible saves. Let’s drop the puck.

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