1. Ice Hockey Injuries Michael J. Stuart MD USA Hockey Chief Medical Officer Safety and Protective Equipment Committee,

2. “a finesse sport that requires dexterity, speed and power” “a finesse sport that requires dexterity, speed and power” ICE HOCKEY INJURIES

3. “a violent sport played with clubs, a bullet, and knives” ICE HOCKEY INJURIES

4. 1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

5. 1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

6. 1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

7. 1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

8. X Deliver a hit to the head X Check from behind X Use your stick as a weapon X Leave your feet to give a check X Drop your head near the boards NEVER !

9. level of participation level of participation game versus practice exposure game versus practice exposure protective equipment protective equipment player position player position violent behavior violent behavior personal susceptibility personal susceptibility (pre-existing injury and style of play) INJURY RISK

10. n Risk of injury in games increases with each higher level of participation. INJURY RISK Division Injuries per 1,000 hours Division Injuries per 1,000 hours Mite* (n=2)0.8 Mite* (n=2)0.8 Squirt (n=10)0.6 Squirt (n=10)0.6 Peewee (n=44)3.8 Peewee (n=44)3.8 Bantam (n=32)3.0 Bantam (n=32)3.0 High School# (n=9)9.3 High School# (n=9)9.3 Junior A 96.1 Junior A 96.1

11. INJURY RISK

12. Stuart MJ & Smith AM, AJSM 1995 “Injuries in Junior A Ice Hockey. A Three-Year Prospective Study” n Game injury rate of 96.1 per 1000 player game-hours n Players were ??? more likely to be injured in a game as compared to a practice.

13. INJURY RISK Stuart MJ & Smith AM, AJSM 1995 “Injuries in Junior A Ice Hockey. A Three-Year Prospective Study” n Game injury rate of 96.1 per 1000 player game-hours n Players were 25x more likely to be injured in a game as compared to a practice.

14. 3 body mass 3 strength 3 speed 3 size variation 3 intensity of competition 3 violent attitudes 3 illegal activities INJURY RISK

15. Prevention is the Key INJURY RISK 3 Preseason screening examination 3 Sports-specific conditioning 3 Focused stretching & strength training programs

16. 3 enforcement of existing rules 3 sportsmanship & mutual respect 3 body contact & body control skills 3 post-injury evaluation INJURY RISK

17. 3 full facial protection 3 custom mouthpiece 3 improvement in equipment 3 rink modifications l increased ice surface size l force-dissipating boards INJURY RISK