The Physics of Hockey (Hardcover)

by Alain Haché (Author) "This book combines two very different elements-a science and a sport-each of which has its own attraction..." (more)
Key Phrases: winless series, shooting velocity, puck velocity, New York, Bobby Hull, Ingen Schenau (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American
Haché brings to this informative study the perspective of a physicist (he is assistant professor of physics at the University of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada) and amateur hockey player (goalie). He stints on neither the physics, which he presents clearly, nor the hockey, making the reader feel like going to a game. Hockey, he says, perhaps involves more physics than any other sport. "Because it is played on ice, we need to take into account elements of thermodynamics and molecular physics. Skating makes use of a great deal of mechanics, as does shooting. Puck trajectories are influenced by air drag and ice friction, which involve fluid dynamics. And because hockey is a contact sport, the physics of collisions is also part of the game." After chapters on the ice and aspects of play, Haché considers the game as a whole and offers a betting tip: "Bet on the team that is in the middle of a losing streak (or against the team that seems to be on a roll)."

Editors of Scientific American

Review

"Haché brings to this informative study the perspective of a physicist and amateur hockey player (goalie). He stints on neither the physics, which he presents clearly, nor the hockey, making the reader feel like going to a game." -- Scientific American

"Intriguing... Haché is a physics professor and an amateur hockey player who combines his two passions in this book, which uses hockey to explain various aspects of physics, from thermodynamics to fluid dynamics." -- Publishers Weekly

"A book that will amuse and delight hockey lovers... Physical concepts are covered at a level that the average first year physics student would readily grasp. This book is highly recommended recreational reading for anyone with an inclination toward physics and an interest in the game." -- Tim Bach, The Physicist (Australia)

"The Physics of Hockey opened my eyes to a whole new way of viewing and understanding the game I love. It is pure entertainment, cover to cover. Who would have guessed physics could be so much fun?" -- Mike Brophy, The Hockey News

"An incredibly well-written and very approachable book... For chemists in the audience..., there are several discussions laced throughout the text that border more on materials science than physics." -- Randall C. Willis, Today's Chemist at Work

"Enjoyable to read... All aspects of the game are investigated and the mathematics are easy to follow." -- Physics Teacher

"Many high school students will learn good science, and any reader will learn more about the game." -- Choice

"Well-written, scientifically interesting, and pitched at a level that will appeal to both the literate high school student and the professional scientist. Even hockey coaches might read it!" -- Paul J. Nahin, University of New Hampshire

"This is a book every hockey player needs and every hockey fan will love. Well written, complete and thoroughly enjoyable, it's a book you won't want to pass up." -- Barry Parker, author of Einstein's Brainchild and Chaos in the Cosmos

"A great book and well worth buying a copy." -- Calvin S. Kalman, Physics Teacher

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; illustrated edition edition (October 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801870712
• ISBN-13: 978-0801870712
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #417,652 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INSIDE HOCKEY Book Review, May 7, 2003

By	Kevin M. Greenstein (Newton Centre, MA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alain Haché's The Physics of Hockey an extremely interesting book. As fans, we watch NHL players do some pretty incredible things, but don't really understand how they do them. Mr Haché uses his tremendous knowledge of physics to explain "how hockey happens".

The book explains just about every imaginable aspect of ice hockey. It explains how the ice rink is created and maintained. It tells us why players skate the way they do, why goalies move the way they do, why the players manipulate their sticks in certain ways, why the bodily protection is needed and how it works and how the game generally proceeds.

Haché's style is quite readable, though the idea of applying physics to hockey seems on the surface to be dry. He clearly loves the game and that comes through in his writing. He is both a scientist and a player, and he skillfully combines both of these talents in one very well-written volume.

For a scientist the book is much more meaningful; however, the book has plenty to offer for non-technical hockey fans. The book mixes very technical analyses and diagrams demonstrating physical principles with very down-to-earth prose that general hockey fans should gain a lot from and really enjoy.

The book's one flaw is the way in which the content was organized. The book starts off with a lot of scientific content before moving into the down-to-earth, non-technical prose. In fact, the first topic treated, the physics of the ice itself, is so esoteric, that even I, an engineer, was almost discouraged from moving past it. I was glad I made it through.

If there's a second edition, I suggest that Haché revise the structure of the book. He should write a version that deals with the physics in a way that demonstrates principles without detailed equations and diagrams. Then he should complete each chapter or section with his more technical treatment of each topic, which the non-technical person can bypass without really losing anything in the translation.

The physics is mainly what is called "mechanics". It involves the forces on skates that propel the players and the effects of friction with the ice. It also explains the movement of a puck, both sliding on ice and soaring through the air, and the impact of players on each other or on the boards in body contact. Haché also discusses ice quality and how it affects the play, and how the design of hockey skates achieves maximum usefulness. We also learn how figure skates and speed skates differ from hockey skates.

The difficulty of getting a puck past a goalie is explained in diagrams showing the effective open area of the net, why a goalie moves as he does in order to minimize this area, and why his equipment is designed as it is. Lots of interesting statistics are presented, such as typical puck speeds, both in standard shooting and slap shots, skating speeds and acceleration rates, and sizes of hockey players as it affects their play. The explanation of how a Zamboni works and what ice maintenance is about in general is also extremely interesting.

The Physics of Hockey is an excellent book. Alain Haché's explanations are current (using many current NHL stars) and very interesting (most hockey fans really have no idea how everything happens on the ice from a scientific standpoint). This is a very engaging book for a technical person, but I think Haché missed an opportunity to achieve a broader appeal with a somewhat different organization of the material.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brillaintly Written, Fun Applied Science, January 24, 2003

By	Mike Blaszczak (Mercer Island, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you like ice hockey and got a B or better in high school physics (and you remember how it happened), this book is a must-have.

Alain Haché is an amateur-league goalie, and a professional physicist. His book analyses all aspects of the game, from the coefficient of friction of ice at different temperatures to the effects of air and gravity on a flying puck after a slapshot.

The book includes references to hockey biographies, medical and physiological papers, and player technique books like "Speed on Skates".

Some reviewers might fault the book for not explaining hockey with only physics; the author uses statistics (to explain witing and losing streaks), and geometry (to explain why goalies come out of the net) in his analysis.

Haché's explanations are well written, and as far as I can tell, technically correct. The author is a student of the game and his reference for it is obvious. For the math hobbyist or amateur physicist who is also interested in hockey, this is a fantastic book.