Bodychecking in youth hockey leagues in Canada, the United States and Finland is associated with an increased risk of injury to players, a study led by York University has found.

The study, a systematic review of published research from the three countries, appears in the March issue of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. It found that bodychecking, a tactic designed to separate another player from the puck, was often cited as a leading cause of injuries across age levels and divisions of play in youth hockey leagues in all three countries.

The international review of research confirms the main finding of a York-led study from three years ago, namely, that bodychecking is hazardous to young hockey players, said Alison Macpherson, a professor in York’s School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

“Nineteen of the 20 studies we looked at this time showed an increased risk of injuries when bodychecking was permitted, and some of these injuries were very serious,” Macpherson said. “We reviewed nine studies from Canada, nine from the United States and two from Finland. And the findings from all but one support recommendations that children should play in non-contact hockey leagues until they are at least at the bantam level – 13 years of age.”

Macpherson led the Canadian study published in 2006, working with co-author Andrew Howard, a staff orthopedic surgeon and director of the trauma program at the Hospital for Sick Children. They worked together again on the review of international research, along with first author Joel Warsh and Serban Constantin, both York students at the time of the study.

Some of the studies from Canada, the United States and Finland included leagues with players up to age 20, but the worst injuries were in young players.

“Fractures were the most common injuries, with most of the fractures occurring to those in checking leagues”, said Howard. “Hockey is a high-energy sport and this creates a potential for fractures, which prevent return to play for a very long time or in rare cases are disabling. Equally important is the risk of concussion, with repeat or even single concussions causing loss of educational and workplace performance relative to one’s peers.”

— Compiled by CJN Staff