Ice Hockey Injuries

Ice hockey is one of the most popular team sports in many parts of the country. It is a fast-paced game that combines players of many sizes together on the rink with high skating speeds and fast, furious action.

Hockey is known as a hard-hitting, collision sport. Players risk injury from high-impact collisions with each other, the rigid boards that mark the boundary of the playing surface, and the goal posts. Impact with a skate blade, long sticks, and pucks traveling more than 100 MPH also add to the risk.

What causes most injuries?
Studies show that most hockey injuries occur during games rather than practices. It is estimated that direct trauma (a sudden forceful injury) accounts for 80% of all injuries. Most of these injuries are caused by player contact (checking and collision), falls, and contact with a puck, high stick, and occasionally, a skate blade.

The most common injuries
Lacerations (cuts) to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury. However, the use of helmets and face shields has markedly reduced the incidence of injuries to the face and head.

Yet, there has been an increase in neck and spine injuries in the past decade. Some players may adopt a false sense of security, believing that they are not susceptible to injury when wearing protective equipment. Usually, however, that's when injuries occur-when you least expect them. (taken from http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.hockey.htm )

This small chart below shows the Montreal Canadians Injuries for this season.  This of coarse is only one team in the Entire NHL.

Injuries
Date Player Days Out Status Notes
01/20/2001 Brian Savage Out eight weeks injured reserve Broken right thumb
01/16/2001 Gino Odjick Out two months injured reserve Torn tendon in left wrist - surgery
01/13/2001 Jason Ward Out indefinitely injured reserve Torn ligament in left knee
01/10/2001 Craig Darby Missed four games injured reserve Separated left shoulder
01/02/2001 Andrei Bashkirov Missed 10 games injured reserve Bruised right knee
12/31/2000 Trevor Linden Missed 11 games injured reserve Severe contusion on 1st toe of rt. foot
12/31/2000 Jeff Hackett Out 3-4 weeks injured reserve Swollen right hand
12/30/2000 Francis Bouillon Out 6-8 weeks injured reserve Sprained left ankle
12/21/2000 Dainius Zubrus Out indefinitely injured reserve Neck/Mild concussion
12/18/2000 Martin Rucinsky Out 8-10 weeks injured reserve Sprained left MCL
12/16/2000 Stephane Robidas missed two games day-to-day shoulder contusion
12/15/2000 Benoit Brunet Out 8-10 weeks injured reserve Sprained left MCL
12/15/2000 Craig Rivet Out three months injured reserve Damaged shoulder cartilage - surgery
12/11/2000 Christian Laflamme Missed 10 games injured reserve Pulled groin
12/09/2000 Trevor Linden missed one game day-to-day ankle
11/29/2000 Craig Rivet Missed five games injured reserve Bruised right shoulder
11/14/2000 Francis Bouillon Missed 13 games injured reserve Broken finger, right hand
11/14/2000 Jim Campbell missed nine games day-to-day pulled/strained groin
11/14/2000 Patrick Poulin missed four games day-to-day pulled/strained groin
11/08/2000 Benoit Brunet Missed 11 games injured reserve Pulled/Strained groin
11/08/2000 Enrico Ciccone Retired injured reserve Shoulder/Back
10/28/2000 Patrick Poulin Misses six games injured reserve Pulled groin
10/24/2000 Christian Laflamme Missed six games injured reserve Mild concussion
10/24/2000 Jeff Hackett Missed 21 games injured reserve Fractured right hand
10/17/2000 Jim Campbell missed one game day-to-day slight concussion
10/11/2000 Saku Koivu Missed 28 games injured reserve Left knee - 10/17 surgery
10/04/2000 Patrice Brisebois missed end of training camp day-to-day sore back
10/03/2000 Karl Dykhuis missed first 11 games day-to-day abdominal surgery rehab
09/27/2000 Dainius Zubrus Missed first two games injured reserve Ribcage
09/27/2000 Christian Laflamme Missed training camp time injured reserve Bruised left shoulder
09/26/2000 Enrico Ciccone Missed first nine games injured reserve Major pulled groin
09/23/2000 Sheldon Souray Missed first 28 regular season games injured reserve Strained lower abdominal wall-10/17 surg

But to make Hockey illegal would be the utmost un-Canadian thing ever!!