Researchers reveal brain injury risks in ice hockeyRSS Feed

The tactic of bodychecking more than triples the risk of concussion in young ice hockey players, perhaps leading to brain injury, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada looked at ice hockey players between the ages of 11 and 12 in two different parts of the country.

A league in Alberta which allows bodychecking - a practice where the player uses his body to block the opponent - was compared to a league in Quebec where the tactic is banned.

The findings showed that the Alberta league produced around three times the number of injuries than the Quebec league.

Most worrying for brain injuries was that players in Alberta suffered 14 severe concussions compared to just four in Quebec.

Rosalie Kolstad, whose son suffered brain injury while playing hockey, commented: "Bodychecking is part of the game. Part of the problem might be players not knowing how to bodycheck which results in headshots or hits from behind."

Concerns were recently raised by Constantine Lyketsos, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University, about the danger of long-term brain injuries being caused by blows sustained by American football players.

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Posted by John Sherrington

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