There's no place like home when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup.
But good luck telling the Edmonton Oilers that.
A Canadian researcher has found that the phenomenon of the "home advantage" may simply come down to higher levels of testosterone and a primal need to protect territory.
Justin Carré, a PhD candidate in psychology at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., observed that players on an elite hockey team from Northern Ontario had higher levels of the sex hormone when they played at their home arena, possibly giving their performance that extra jolt needed for a victory.
The study, presented yesterday at the International Congress of Neuroendocrinology in Pittsburgh, found the players, aged 16 to 20, had higher testosterone levels both before and after a winning game. But when that game was played at home, pregame levels were significantly higher. Mr. Carré suggested the additional hormone rush correlates to a very basic need for protecting territory. In this case, home ice.
"Humans might be just like rodents and lower animals when they defend their home territory, being more territorial in a venue they're more comfortable with," he said in a telephone interview.
In lower animals and humans alike, testosterone is associated with aggressiveness, risk taking, assertiveness, dominance and sensation seeking.
So did playing at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C., for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals drain the Oilers of their testosterone?
"I wouldn't say that they ran out of testosterone, but I don't know if I could have got a ticket to the game to measure their testosterone levels," Mr. Carré joked.
Of the 11 home games the Oilers played in this year's playoffs, they lost only three. But they lost six of 13 games played when they were on the road.
Dr. Nicholas Holt, a sport psychology expert from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, didn't find the results of the study surprising.
"There have been a couple of studies showing that athletes at home have a better mood profile, meaning higher vigour and confidence and less anxiety, lower depression, lower tension and lower fatigue," he said.
"What this is suggesting is that they're up for it more when they're playing at home -- their game face is better -- compared to playing on the road."
But, he said, there still is no direct correlation between the higher levels of the hormone and winning, and it is more likely a combination of factors that make home wins more likely.
"There are four things that are generally accepted as reasons for the home advantage, [including] crowd, travel, having the last change [in player lineup], and familiarity with the venue."
