Hockey Exhibit with Hockey Simulation and Promotional Methods Used in Connection Therewith

Abstract

Promotional methods used in connection with hockey exhibits and hockey simulations are disclosed. A hockey simulation is provided comprising at least one mannequin resembling a hockey player arranged on a playing surface adjacent a target. The target is adapted to receive a hockey puck directed by a participant in the simulation positioned on the playing surface in the simulation. The at least one mannequin has an indicia area for displaying promotional material, and the hockey simulation further comprises a participant input device that among other things stores in a database information representative of the participant's effectiveness in interacting with the simulation in the database. A sponsor is associated with the hockey simulation, and promotional material associated with the sponsor of the simulation is displayed in at least one of indicia area of the hockey player mannequin and the promotional display area of the participant input device.

1 . A hockey simulation comprising:
 a hockey goal mounted on a playing surface;   a first mannequin resembling a hockey goalie mounted on the playing surface and arranged in a position defending the goal;   at least one other mannequin resembling a hockey player mounted on the playing surface and arranged in a position adjacent the goal;   indicia sufficient to instruct a participant in the simulation to direct a hockey puck from the playing surface toward the hockey player adjacent the goal to cause the puck to deflect off the hockey player into the goal;   a display displaying a score representative of the number of goals scored by the participant by deflection off the hockey player; and   a participant input device operatively connected to a database, the participant input device configured to display prompts to receive information relating to a participant in the simulation and store the participant information in the database, the participant information including data relating to the participant's score in the simulation.   
     
     
         2 . The hockey simulation of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one other player mannequin adjacent the goal has a hockey stick arranged in an out-stretched fashion. 
     
     
         3 . The hockey simulation of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of mannequins resembling players adjacent the goal. 
     
     
         4 . The hockey simulation of  claim 1 , wherein the player mannequin hockey stick has a target area angled toward the goal. 
     
     
         5 . The hockey simulation of  claim 1 , further comprising an impact sensor provided on the player mannequin hockey stick target area to sense a puck impacting the player mannequin hockey stick. 
     
     
         6 . The hockey simulation of  claim 5 , further comprising goal sensors provided on the hockey goal cooperating with the impact sensor to sense deflected shots entering the goal. 
     
     
         7 . The hockey simulation of  claim 6 , further comprising an actuator mounted in the goal operatively connected to the goal sensors, the actuator being adapted to actuate in response to a deflected shot entering the goal, and move a water bottle in a simulated bouncing motion on top of the goal. 
     
     
         8 . The hockey simulation of  claim 1 , wherein the display displays a ranking associated with the participant compared to other participants in the simulation. 
     
     
         9 . The hockey simulation of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the mannequins has an audio control operatively connected to at least one of the sensors, the audio control controlling an audio device to provide audio in response the participant's interaction with the simulation. 
     
     
         10 . The hockey simulation of  claim 1 , further comprising a basket unit forming at least a portion of a hockey goal, the basket unit having a front and back, left and right sides, a top and a bottom, the front having at least one opening to receive hockey pucks directed toward the goal, the back, left and right sides and top and bottom being enclosed to retain pucks entering the basket through the opening, the basket being positionable to form the portion of the goal such that the bottom of the basket is below the playing surface. 
     
     
         11 . The hockey simulation of  claim 10 , wherein the basket has a rear wheel adjacent the back. 
     
     
         12 . The hockey simulation of  claim 10 , wherein the basket has an outward appearance resembling a hockey net 
     
     
         13 . The hockey simulation of  claim 10 , wherein the basket has a door providing access to an interior of the basket 
     
     
         14 . The hockey simulation of  claim 10 , wherein the basket has a plurality of openings that correspond to the corners or the goal. 
     
     
         15 . The hockey simulation of  claim 10 , wherein the basket has a guide shoot in an interior of the basket at the opening to direct pucks toward the bottom back of the basket. 
     
     
         16 . The hockey simulation of  claim 10 , wherein the basket is positionable behind a generally rectangular frame defining the goal. 
     
     
         17 . A hockey simulation comprising:
 a playing surface;   a first mannequin resembling a hockey player of a team of a participant in the simulation, the teammate hockey player being mounted on the playing surface and arranged in a position to receive a hockey puck directed from a participant in the simulation;   at least one other mannequin resembling a hockey player of an opponent team of a participant in the simulation, the at least one other mannequin being mounted on the playing surface and arranged in a position to block a hockey puck directed to the teammate hockey player from a participant in the simulation;   indicia sufficient to instruct a participant in the simulation to direct a hockey puck from the playing surface toward the teammate hockey player;   a display displaying a score indicative of the number of hockey pucks successfully directed toward the teammate hockey player past the opponent player; and   an participant input device operatively connected to a database, the participant input device configured to display prompts to receive information about a participant in the simulation and store the participant information in the database, the participant information including data relating to the participant's score in the simulation.   
     
     
         18 . The hockey simulation of  claim 17 , further comprising a sensor arranged on the teammate hockey player sensing a puck successfully directed to the teammate hockey player past the opponent hockey player. 
     
     
         19 . The hockey simulation of  claim 18 , wherein the sensor is arranged on a hockey stick of the teammate hockey player. 
     
     
         20 . The hockey simulation of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of spatially separately sensors arranged on teammate hockey player each sensing a puck successfully directed to the teammate hockey player past the opponent hockey player. 
     
     
         21 . The hockey simulation of  claim 20 , wherein one of the plurality of sensors positioned on the teammate hockey player to sense an elevated pass over a hockey stick of the opponent player. 
     
     
         22 . The hockey simulation of  claim 20 , wherein one of the plurality of sensors positioned on the teammate hockey player to sense an elevated pass over the opponent player positioned in a blocking position. 
     
     
         23 . The hockey simulation of  claim 20 , wherein one of the plurality of sensors positioned on the teammate hockey player to sense a playing surface level pass through the opponent player positioned in a blocking position. 
     
     
         24 . The hockey simulation of  claim 20 , wherein one of the sensors has a first point level associated with the sensor and another of the sensors has a second point level associated with the sensor, the first point level being different than the second point level. 
     
     
         25 . The hockey simulation of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the mannequins has an audio device operatively connected to at least one of the sensors, the audio device providing audio in response the participant's interaction with the simulation. 
     
     
         26 . The hockey simulation of  claim 17 , wherein the display displays a ranking associated with the participant compared to other participants in the simulation. 
     
     
         27 . A method comprising:
 providing a hockey simulation comprising at least one mannequin resembling a hockey player arranged in a fixed pattern on a playing surface adjacent a target, the target being adapted to receive a hockey puck directed by a participant in the simulation positioned on the playing surface in the simulation, the at least one mannequin having an indicia area for displaying promotional material, and the hockey simulation further comprising a participant input device operatively connected to a database, the participant input device configured to display prompts to receive information relating to a participant in the simulation and store the participant information in the database, the participant information being representative of the participant's effectiveness in interacting with the simulation, the input device having a promotional display area;   associating a sponsor with the hockey simulation; and   displaying promotional material associated with the sponsor of the simulation in at least one of the indicia area of the hockey player mannequin and the promotional display area of the participant input device.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the simulation comprises a hockey goal, the at least one mannequin resembles a hockey goalie arranged in a position defending goal; and the method further comprises:
 providing at least one other mannequin resembling a hockey player arranged in a position adjacent the goal;   providing indicia sufficient to instruct a participant in the simulation to direct a hockey puck toward the mannequin hockey player to cause the puck to deflect off the hockey player into the goal past the goalie mannequin.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 displaying a score indicative of the number of goals scored by the participant by deflection off the hockey player.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the simulation comprises a hockey goal, the at least one mannequin resembles a hockey goalie arranged in a position defending goal; and the method further comprises:
 providing indicia sufficient to instruct a participant in the simulation to direct a hockey puck toward the goal past the goalie mannequin.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 displaying a score indicative of the number of goals scored by the participant.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one mannequin resembles a hockey player of a team of a participant in the simulation, the teammate hockey player being arranged in a position to receive a hockey puck directed from a participant in the simulation; and the method further comprises:
 providing at least one other mannequin resembling a hockey player of an opponent team, the opponent team mannequin being arranged in a position to block the hockey puck directed from a participant in the simulation to the teammate hockey player; and   providing indicia sufficient to instruct a participant in the simulation to direct a hockey puck toward the teammate hockey player.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 displaying a score indicative of the number of hockey puck successfully directed to the teammate hockey player past the opponent player.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the indicia area of at least one of the mannequin comprises at least one of the player's socks, player's sweater, player's pants, player's stick shaft, player's stick blade, player's skates, player's gloves. 
     
     
         35 . A hockey simulation comprising:
 a playing surface;   at least two obstacles mounted to the playing surface in a spaced-apart relationship;   a first mannequin resembling a hockey player mounted on the playing surface and arranged in a position adjacent at least one of the obstacles;   indicia sufficient to instruct a participant in the simulation to direct the hockey puck successively about the obstacles;   a display displaying a score indicative of a participant successfully successively directing a hockey puck about the obstacles; and   an participant input device operatively connected to a database, the participant input device configured to display prompts to receive information about a participant in the simulation and store the participant information in the database, the participant information including data relating to the participant's score in the simulation.   
     
     
         36 . The hockey simulation of  claim 35 , wherein each of the obstacles has an opening formed therein sized to allow a hockey puck to pass therethrough. 
     
     
         37 . The hockey simulation of  claim 36 , wherein the obstacles comprises hockey sticks with the opening formed in the blade of the stick. 
     
     
         38 . The hockey simulation of  claim 35 , further comprising a first sensor mounted on at least one of obstacles associated with a start of the stick handling simulation and a second sensor mounted on the other of the obstacles associated with an end of the stick handling simulation, the first and second sensors being configured to determine a time for a participant to begin and finish successively directing hockey pucks about the obstacles of the stick handling simulation. 
     
     
         39 . The hockey simulation of  claim 38 , wherein the participant's score is based in part upon the time taken by the participant to begin and finish successively directing hockey pucks about the obstacles of the stick handling simulation as determined by the first and second sensors. 
     
     
         40 . The hockey simulation of  claim 38 , further comprising a first light mounted on at least one of obstacles associated with a start of the stick handling simulation and a second sensor mounted on the other of the obstacles associated with an end of the stick handling simulation, the first and second lights being operatively connected to the first and second sensors, respectively, and illuminating when the participant begins and finishes stick handling simulation. 
     
     
         41 . The hockey simulation of  claim 36 , further comprising a sensor arranged adjacent the opening and adapted to sense a puck passing through the opening. 
     
     
         42 . The hockey simulation of  claim 35 , wherein the mannequin has an audio device providing audio in response the participant's interaction with the simulation. 
     
     
         43 . The hockey simulation of  claim 35 , wherein the display displays a ranking associated with the participant compared to other participants in the simulation.