With the beginning of the NHL’s 2021/2022 season start date just around the corner, the discussion of a vaccine mandate for players, coaches, officials, and support staff has been on the rise. NHLs deputy commissioner Daly projects to see the NHL at a 98% full vaccination rate.   

Players like Jacob Strouba and Thatcher Demko, who are public roles models are promoting getting vaccinated – Strouba beingwas the first NHL player to be photographed during his vaccination. With a vaccination rate as high as 98% across the association, and the possibility of it reaching 100%, one wonders if groupthink may be the culprit. 

Fender suggests that when comparing individual scores versus a group score the group performs better more frequently. This may have led more NHL players to get vaccinated because conforming to what the rest of the players do may lead to better cohesion with your team.  

As the vaccines began to roll out all over North America and become available to players in the NHL the players wondered if the vaccine would be mandated or not. While still unsure if the vaccine would be required, the players made their own decisions and ended up with 98% vaccination rate. Some may argue that this is because the NHL proposed pay cuts and disallowing players to travel between the USA and Canada, therefore using this as a scare tactic to convince more players to get vaccinated while others suggest it is a side effect of groupthink. Though groupthink is typically negatively associated with decision making, sometimes conforming to others standards and rules can be a good thing.  

Cassie MacInnis 

Featured image: Jacob Trouba of the New York Rangers receiving one of his COVID-19 vaccines (Source: Nock Holmer/AP)