Hockey is a popular youth sport in Ontario; however, a recent study out of the United States notes that the concussion injury to youth who play hockey may be similar to that of other contact sports. The study found that there is about one injury that occurs in an average of every 10 hours of practice time or play time. Interestingly, more than 40 percent of the hits that caused concussions were said to be caused by illegal moves.

On behalf of Joseph Caprara of CBLAW posted in Brain Injuries on Monday, January 11, 2016.

Hockey is a popular youth sport in Ontario; however, a recent study out of the United States notes that the concussion injury to youth who play hockey may be similar to that of other contact sports. The study found that there is about one injury that occurs in an average of every 10 hours of practice time or play time. Interestingly, more than 40 percent of the hits that caused concussions were said to be caused by illegal moves.

The study took a look at 397 youth hockey players from the 2012 through 2014 seasons. During that time, the concussion rate that occurred per one minute of athletic exposure was looked at. The athletic exposure rate was considered any practice or game that had the potential to cause injury.

Youth hockey players were more likely to suffer a concussion during a game than during practice. The rate of concussions during a practice was 1.04 per 1,000 athletic exposures. The rate of concussions during games was 2.84 concussions per 1,000 athletic exposures, more than double that of practices.

Age mattered when it came to who was injured. Children who were 12 to 14 years old were more than two times as likely to suffer from a concussion than children who were 15 to 18. Of all the concussions that were caused by sports for children under 18, 10 percent were caused by ice hockey.

This shows that proper protection and monitoring is critical for youth who play hockey. The youth should also be taught how to use proper techniques when making contact with another player, such as when body checking. Concussive injuries can affect youth players long-term, and these injuries can be costly to treat.

Source: Yahoo! Sports Canada, “Youth hockey concussions similar to other contact sports,” Lisa Rapaport, Jan. 08, 2016