Ice Hockey Injuries: A Look at High School and Collegiate Athletes

This episode examines ice hockey injuries in the United States, comparing injury rates and patterns between high school boys and collegiate men and women over multiple seasons.
● Men’s collegiate ice hockey has the highest overall injury rate compared with boys’ high school and women’s collegiate ice hockey. This could be due to several factors, including the greater intensity of play and the larger size and speed of collegiate players.
● Injury rates are consistently higher in competitions than in practices across all levels. The injury rate in collegiate men’s ice hockey competitions is lower than previously reported, while the rate in women’s collegiate ice hockey competitions is higher than in a previous report. The reasons for these discrepancies are unclear.
● In collegiate women’s ice hockey competitions, 38% of all injuries result from contact with another person, despite body checking being illegal. This suggests that enforcing rules related to player contact could help reduce injuries.
● A higher percentage of injuries in boys’ high school ice hockey are attributed to checking compared to men’s collegiate ice hockey. This raises the question of whether rules aimed at reducing or eliminating checking could help to decrease the incidence of injuries.
● Concussion rates vary compared to earlier research. The concussion rate is higher in collegiate men and lower in collegiate women, which could be due to changes in concussion management policies and education efforts. The concussion rate in high school boys is lower than in collegiate men.
● The study was limited to data from high schools with certified athletic trainers and NCAA institutions. Therefore, the results may not be generalizable to other playing levels or institutions. Additionally, the study did not consider certain factors that could influence injury risk, such as previous injuries and the use of injury prevention programs.
This episode provides valuable insights into the epidemiology of ice hockey injuries across different levels of play. It highlights the need for ongoing research to develop effective injury prevention strategies specific to each level of competition.
Main source: The First Decade of Web-Based Sports Injury Surveillance: Descriptive Epidemiology of Injuries in US High School Boys' Ice Hockey (2008–2009 Through 2013–2014) and National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's and Women's Ice Hockey (2004–2005 Through 2013–2014)
Robert C. Lynall, Jason P. Mihalik, Lauren A. Pierpoint, Dustin W. Currie, Sarah B. Knowles, Erin B. Wasserman, Thomas P. Dompier, R. Dawn Comstock, Stephen W. Marshall, Zachary Y. Kerr
J Athl Train. 2018 Dec; 53(12): 1129–1142. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-176-17
PMCID: PMC6365065