Bodychecking experience and rates of injury among ice hockey players aged 15–17 years

The regression models were adjusted for the follow- the other players on the team did not participate, including 51 ing important covariates: injury in the previous 12 months, with 2 years or less of bodychecking experience and 66 with 3 or lifetime concussion history, player weight, level of play (elite more years of bodychecking experience. [...] (10/29) of all injuries, at a rate of 1.67 (95% CI 0.89–3.12) injur- Players with 3 or more years of bodychecking experience had ies per 1000 player-hours, in players with less bodychecking higher rates of injury (adjusted IRR 2.55, 95% CI 1.57–4.14), experience and 37% (115/309) of all injuries, at a rate of injury with more than 7 days of time loss (adjusted IRR 2.65, 95% 4.44  (95% CI 3.57–5.53. [...] the rates of all injury, injury resulting in more than 7 days of The analysis of this group resulted in even greater effect esti- time loss and concussion were significantly higher among mates, suggesting that players with 3 or more years of body- those with more bodychecking experience (≥  3 yr) than in checking experience had even higher rates of injury (adjusted those with less experience (≤ 2. [...] This finding was consistent with a pre- those who had 2 years of bodychecking experience and those vious study of 13- and 14-year-old players, but inconsistent with who had none.12 The rates of injury resulting in more than another that suggested an increased rate of injury in heavier 7  days of time loss were previously reported to be 33% lower players,12,16 and a study of 11- and 12-year-old pla. [...] The effect of the support of removing bodychecking in youth ice hockey to “zero tolerance for head contact” rule change on the risk of concussions in reduce rates of injury and concussion.