Abstract:
The invention consists of a blade for a hockey stick, comprising: a blade portion, with a forehand side and a backhand side and a loop extending from the one or both sides of the blade portion, with the loop dimensioned to enclose a hockey puck.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of hockey sticks and the sport of hockey. In particular, it relates to a modified hockey stick and blade for use in training hockey skills. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Hockey (often called “Ice Hockey”) is a fast-paced, physical sport in which many children and adults participate, particularly in North America and Europe. Historically, hockey has been a primarily male sport; however, the recent creation of the Women&#39;s World Hockey Championship, as well as the addition of Women&#39;s Hockey as an Olympic event has vastly increased the number of female players in the last decade. As a result, there are now more players, of both sexes, picking up the sport for the first time than at any previous time in history. 
     One of the primary attributes of a good hockey player is the ability to make good split-second choices about where and when to shoot, pass and carry the puck. In order to make these choices, the player needs to be aware of the location, speed, and direction of travel of the other players on the ice (“seeing the ice”). In order to see the ice properly, the player needs to be able to control the puck with their stick while keeping their head (eyes) up, not looking at their stick and the puck. 
     This skill of controlling the puck without looking at it is very difficult to learn and master, particularly for younger children who are still developing their basic motor skills. At the same time, it is a skill that must be developed in order to successful play hockey at more competitive levels and gain the most enjoyment from participating in the sport. A complicating factor in developing the skill is that the players are constantly in motion and the skill needs to be developed in conjunction with developing skating ability. In other words, it is still insufficient to be able to control the puck without looking if it cannot also be done while skating. 
     Another concern is player safety. A player who is looking down at the puck and not seeing the ice is more vulnerable to having a collision, whether as an intentional body check from another player or merely through inadvertent contact. Additionally, as the player is not prepared for the collision, the severity of the collision and risk of injury as a result is substantially increased. Parenthetically, it is noted that even professional players are vulnerable in this fashion, either through not having fully developed the skill or simply being engaged in a play where it is required to look down at the puck (e.g. when a loose puck is caught up in the players skates). Thus, the safety of the player with proper puck-handling skill is protected by minimizing risk, not eliminating it. 
     To address this safety concern, the Heads Up Hockey program, conceived in the early-90&#39;s by Dr. Alan Ashare, the chairman of USA Hockey&#39;s safety and protective equipment committee, emphasizes what players can do to play safer, smarter and better hockey: “The first—and perhaps the most important—rule of Heads Up Hockey is, “Heads up, don&#39;t duck!”. Whenever you see potential impact coming your way, whether it is another player, the boards or the goal post, you should never duck your head. When your head is ducked down, the head and neck are much more vulnerable to injury. When your head is up, the neck is given maximum flexibility to endure impact without injury, because the natural curve of the neck is not compromised. When your head is down, the spine&#39;s normal curve is straightened, and any impact can cause injury.” 
     Balanced against the need to learn heads-up skills is the extrinsic admonition to players and the intrinsic motivation not to lose control of the puck. With this concern in mind, most players, if not all, learn to stickhandle and control the puck by looking down and watching it while performing various training exercises and practice drills. The players&#39; fear over losing control of the puck creates a compulsion to, if not continually look down, at least regularly look down to confirm that control of the puck is maintained. 
     This compulsion results in a learning process where players first learn to stickhandle and control the puck while looking down at it, and then learn to maintain control with their head up. The transition is generally difficult, particularly for younger players. Additionally, because the players have never discovered or experienced the benefits of seeing the ice, they lack the motivation and perseverance to become fully comfortable or capable of playing without looking down at the puck. Players can become frustrated with a lack of progress and stop participating in hockey at an earlier age than if they had developed the proper head up, seeing the ice skills from the start. 
     Instruction in this manner tends to limit the development and participation of all but those players who can most readily adapt to this process. By analogy, consider if the preferred manner of learning to drive an automobile was to focus on the placement and use of the steering wheel, pedals and gearshift before looking up through the windshield. If driving was taught in such a fashion, most learner drivers, intent on controlling the instruments per se, would take much longer to develop the perceptual skills needed to navigate safely past pedestrians and vehicles on streets and highways. Similarly, hockey players who play with their heads down in order to focus on the stick and puck, either never adequately learn or take much longer to learn to navigate safely and effectively past other players and obstacles, due to being unable to watch the game in front of them. 
     A related requirement is for the player to keep their stick on the ice surface as much as possible, both with and without the puck. Players who develop the habit of keeping their stick on the ice at all times also stay in a proper ‘ready’ posture for receiving passes and reacting to plays. Players without this habit tend to straighten up their body during play without the puck, pulling their stick off the ice surface and delaying their ability to react to passes and loose pucks. Also, players who have straightened up are less able to absorb incidental body contact or body checks. By developing proper heads-up puck control skills, players will also keep themselves in proper posture, leading to improved play as well as improved safety. 
     A sport functionally identical to hockey, sledge hockey, has been developed for people with disabilities and has been included in the ParaOlympic games. A sledge hockey stick is similar to a conventional hockey stick, with a shorter shaft (as the player is positioned closer to the ice surface) and a pick on the end of the shaft the player can use to propel themselves along the ice surface. Maintaining control of the puck is difficult for sledge hockey players, even more so than in conventional hockey. Ideally, any training aid developed for use by hockey players should also be quickly and easily adapted for use in sledge hockey, in order to enable more participation and more rewarding involvement in that sport. 
     Also notable is that in sports similar to hockey where control of the puck or ball is aided by the equipment, with lacrosse and ringette as common examples, players exhibit team play skills at an earlier age as there is no development time lost to learning ball or puck control skills, nor is there a skill learning impediment created by the need to do so. 
     Several types of training aids for stickhandling and puck control are known in the art. One type is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,917 to Beale and U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,120 to Normand. Both Beale and Normand disclose modified hockey sticks and puck which use a tether to connect the puck to the blade of the stick. The presence of the tether allows the player to readily retrieve a puck which has been lost from a failure to properly control it during stickhandling. However, neither Beale nor Normand permit for participation and use by more than one player for passing, checking and shooting drills, or playing hockey. The tether limits the usefulness of the Beale and Normand sticks to single-player stickhandling only. 
     An additional limitation of tether-type device as disclosed by Beale and Normand is the need for a modified or customized puck for use with the tether. Ideally, a training aid should be functional with a standard puck (or ball, for dry land training and ball-based versions of hockey). 
     Another type of training aid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,753 to Scarry and U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,248 to Lawlor et al. Scarry and Lawlor both disclose variants of shields that are attached to a hockey stick at a location above the blade. The shield prevents the player from seeing the blade of the stick and the puck when it is in the vicinity of the blade. While the shield devices of Scarry and Lawlor may act to discourage players from looking down to confirm control of the puck, they do not provide any actual assistance to the player in maintaining control. Furthermore, it is not necessarily desirable that the player have no ability to look down and see the puck and stick blade. In passing and shooting situations, a quick look down to confirm the location of the puck is not wholly undesirable. 
     There is a need for a hockey stick training device, which removes the learning impediment caused by players keeping their heads down in order to control the puck. By facilitating control of the puck, the hockey stick training device allows players to discover and experience the predominant benefits of seeing the ice vis à vis controlling the puck. The device should provide a means for preventing the player from losing control of the puck. The same device should also allow the stick to function in a conventional manner to permit its use in multiple player drills and game situations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention consists of a blade for a hockey stick, comprising: a blade portion, with a forehand side and a backhand side and a loop extending from either the forehand side or the backhand side, with the loop dimensioned to enclose a hockey puck. Alternatively, the blade may have two loops, one located on each side of the blade. 
     The loop can be secured to the blade portion by passing ends of the loop through the blade portion or, alternatively, by passing ends of the loop over the blade portion. 
     The loop can further include a cover surface to enclose the hockey puck and prevent the hockey puck from being projected out of the loop. The cover may enclose the entire loop. 
     The loop can be formed from a rigid material or from a flexible material. 
     Alternatively, the loop can be secured to the blade via a mechanism which permits the loop to be repositioned between the forehand and the backhand side of the blade. Optionally, the mechanism can permit the loop to additionally be positioned in a neutral position above the blade. 
     Preferably, the mechanism can be triggered by a player through creating forceable contact between the loop and a playing surface. 
     An alternative to a complete loop is a partial loop formed from two pieces, with the separation of the pieces, which provide the enclosure, being less than the dimension of the hockey puck. 
     The invention further consists of a hockey stick incorporating the blade and loop as previously described. 
     Other and further advantages and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers refer to like elements, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a hockey stick according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the blade portion of the hockey stick of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the blade portion of the hockey stick of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front close-up view of the blade portion of the hockey stick of  FIG. 1 ; and, 
         FIG. 5  is a front close-up view of the blade portion of a hockey stick according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Within this specification, “puck” is used to described a standard ice hockey puck, as well other similar objects used for playing and practicing hockey, such as plastic pucks, rollers pucks (used in roller hockey) and hockey balls (used in floor hockey and dry land practicing). 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a loop hockey stick  10 , with a shaft  12  and a blade  14 , with a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  consisting of a loop  16  of material which is coupled to the blade  14 . The loop  16  is of sufficient size to fully enclose a standard hockey puck  18  and acts to trap the puck  18  against the backhand (convex curve) side of the blade  14 . The blade  14  is shown curved for clarity in the drawing and description, however, the loop  16  can be equally used with a straight blade  14 . In order to keep the weight of the hockey stick  10  to a minimum, the loop  16  need not be a solid piece of material, but can have holes cut into it or even be a mesh, as long as the shape of the loop  16  can be generally maintained. The puck  18  is readily removed from the loop  16  by raising the blade  14  off the ice (playing surface) and transitioning the puck  18  to the forehand (concave curve) side of the blade  14  in a standard stickhandling motion. 
     The loop  16  can be attached to the blade  14  in either a permanent or temporary fashion. A permanent attachment is shown in  FIG. 4 , where the loop  16  is attached by securing the ends of the loop  16  through slots  20  in the blade  14 . Alternatively, the loop  16  can be formed as an integral part of the blade  14 , made out of the same material as the blade  14  (wood or composites) or of a different material. A variety of different methods of affixing the loop  16  to the blade  14  can be contemplated, non-exhaustively including tape (hockey, duct, industrial), contact cement, Velcro™, staples, bolts, rubber or elastic bands that slip over the blade, or a special sleeve that fits over the blade and has two slits at the back. In all cases conventional hockey stick tape can be used to further secure the loop  16  as part of the normal application and usage of stick tape. It is considered preferable that the loop  16  be attached so the opposite surface of the blade  14  is not altered, e.g. for a loop  16  attached on the backhand side of the blade  14 , there should be no protrusions or other alterations on the forehand side of the blade  14 . 
     One type of attachment is shown in  FIG. 5 , where the ends of the loop  16  consist of slip loops  22  which are passed over the blade  14  and secured in place by tightening the slip loops  22 . For additional security, the slip loops  22  can be taped over with conventional hockey stick tape to prevent slippage during use. A benefit of temporary attachment is that players can quickly adapt their regular sticks for use in practice and restore them to their original condition for a game. Also, in game situations, a damaged loop  16  can be replaced without the need to replace the blade  14 , and vice-versa, where an undamaged loop  16  can be attached to a new blade  14 . 
     Other variations of the loop  16  include a sleeve which fits over the entire blade  14 , covering the front and rear faces. The sleeve can be stretchable to secure itself to the blade  14 , or held in place with hockey tape. A tight-fitting sleeve is preferred to minimize interference with the feel and control of the puck  18  on the surface of the blade  14 . 
     By positioning the loop  16  on the backhand side of the blade  14 , the player can use the forehand side of the blade  14  to execute normal passing and shooting plays. Furthermore, a backhand shot or pass can be executed by tilting the angle of the blade  14  sufficiently to allow the puck  18  to slide under the loop  16 . This can be made easier by positioning the loop  16  such that it is not in contact with the whole puck  18 , but only the top half or third, which is still sufficient in most cases to keep the puck  18  trapped in the loop  16 . 
     While the loop  16  is preferably contemplated as having its bottom surface flush with the bottom surface of the blade  14 , alternative positions and shapes can be readily used to meet the same functional purposes. For example, the loop  16  can be secured to the blade  14  near the middle or top, and be positioned at an angle to be flush with the playing surface at the outer edge of the loop  16 . Alternatively, the loop  16  can be tapered, being thinner near the blade  14 , to allow for some angular tilt of the blade  14 , and thicker near the outer edge of the loop  16 , to provide containment for the puck  18 . 
     In alternative embodiments, the loop  16  could be placed on the forehand side of the blade  14  or there can be a loop  16  located on both the forehand and backhand sides of the blade  14 , for use in different drills and skill training exercises. 
     As another alternative, the loop  16  can be hinged so that it can be repositioned to the top of the blade  14 , enabling the loop  16  to be moved from the forehand side to the backhand side or even to a neutral position above the blade. The hinges can be spring-loaded to lock the loop  16  into position once moved. The spring-loaded hinges can further be designed to trigger under pressure to allow the loop  16  to be repositioned during play. For example, with the loop  16  attached on the forehand side of the blade  14 , it may interfere with attempts to make a forehand shot, as the shot motion involves cupping (tilting) the blade  14  towards the ice surface. A pressure-sensitive spring-loaded hinge can be used so that the cupping motion triggers the hinge and causes the loop  16  to spring into a neutral position over the blade  14 , clearing the path for the shot. Alternatively, triggering the hinge may merely raise the loop  16  to a position sufficient to provide clearance for the puck  18 , such as a 45-degree angle from the playing surface. 
     The loop  16  can be made from a rigid material (hard plastic, laminated wood, fibreglass) or a flexible material (nylon, soft plastic, polyethylene) as desired. A rigid loop  16  provide a more secure enclosure, but is vulnerable to fracture or breakage from contact with another stick. A flexible loop  16  is less likely to be broken, but provides a less secure enclosure. Either type of loop  16  is suitable for use, although particular drills or games can require one type of loop preferentially over the other. A flexible loop  16  is preferred, as in order to provide for proper shooting of the puck the stick blade  14  must be tilted and the loop  16  needs to flex in response to the tilting motion. When a rigid loop  16  is used, the attachment point of the loop  16  to the blade  14  provides the flexibility instead. 
     Alternatively, the loop  16  can be enclosed with a solid or mesh netting cover  20 , which prevents the puck from inadvertently being bounced or knocked out of the loop  16 . The cover  20  is particularly preferable for use with balls, which have less contact surface with the ground and are subject to more bouncing than pucks. Rather than a complete enclosure, the loop  16  may instead have a partial covering extended over a fraction of the surface or from specific regions of the loop. In particular, a loop  16  with an edge or lip along the top edge at the outermost section of the loop  16  provides most of the benefits of a full enclosure, while keeping the weight and material require for the loop  16  to a minimum. 
     The dimensions and shape of the loop  16  can be tailored for different purposes, the most significant of which is the difference between carrying the puck on the forehand side of the blade  14  and the backhand side of the blade  14 . On the forehand side, the puck  18  is being pushed by the blade  14  and is partially contained by the curvature of the blade  14 . By contrast, on the backhand side of the blade  14  the curvature of the blade  14  does not provide any assistance in containing the puck  18 . Thus, a loop  16  located on the forehand side of the blade  14  can be effective in a smaller size than a loop  16  located on the backhand side as the containment requirements for the forehand loop are less demanding. 
     Additionally, the parameters of the loop  16  are governed by the same parameters used for the blade  14 . Hockey stick blades are defined by several characteristics. First is the lie, which reflects the angle formed between the blade  14  and the shaft of the stick. Typical values for the lie range from 2 to 8, with higher numbers representing angles closer to 90 degrees. The next factor is the location of the curve of the stick, defined in one of three locations, heel (near the shaft), mid (center of blade) and toe (end of blade). Related to the location of the curve is the depth of the blade  14 , as determined relative to a flat blade. 
     Two other blade measurements are commonly used. An open blade is tilted upwards (bottom forward, top back) relative to a flat blade, whereas a closed blade is tilted downwards (top forward, bottom back). Lastly, rockering is a term used to describe a blade which has a curved contact surface, as opposed to a flat contact surface, allowing the blade to maintain contact while moving into and away from the player&#39;s body. 
     In the preferred use of the loop  16 , a non-rockered blade is used, with a closed face and a mid-curve of shallow depth. A higher lie (6 or 7) is preferred for beginners, as the blade  14  (and puck  20 ) is kept closer to the body, allowing for easier control. 
     Other blade modifications can be made to accommodate the loop  16 . For example, a longer blade  14  provides for a larger loop  16 , making the puck  20  easier to locate and handle within the loop  16 . 
     Another variant of the loop  16  is a partial loop, where the loop is split into two separate pieces coupled to the blade  14  and the separation between the pieces is small enough to prohibit the puck from escaping the resulting partial loop. The partial loop has the advantage of being lighter than a full loop, as well as enabling a larger range of motion for the blade, while still providing an enclosure for the puck  18 . 
     Using the loop stick  10 , a player can develop puck carrying, passing and team-play skills without needing to look down for fear of losing the puck. The effect is that the learning curve for these basic hockey skills is advanced and reduced, increasing the novice player&#39;s enjoyment of the sport. Additionally, the player develops into a more complete player who is better able to coordinate with other players, and is potentially even capable of achieving a higher overall skill level than would otherwise be possible. 
     Fundamentally, by using the loop stick  10 , a player is taught to give up their pre-occupation with control of the puck to gain control of the game. By eliminating concerns, which are often raised to an excessive level, over controlling and losing control of the puck, a player can watch and focus on the game as a whole. Through observing the movement and position of the other players, the individual player gains control over the whole game. The trade-off leads to players who have a higher skill level, are able to get the most from their physical talents, and who enjoy the game to their fullest potential. 
     This concludes the description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. The foregoing description has been presented for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended the scope of the invention be limited not by this description but by the claims that follow.