U of M Ice Hockey Study Finds Player Contact Leading Cause of Injury Among NCAA Goaltenders

Injuries to head and knee most prevalent

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (March 10, 2009) – In a first-of-its-kind study, University of Minnesota researchers discovered that despite rules against goaltender checking and contact, nearly half of all injuries suffered by NCAA ice hockey goaltenders are caused by on-ice contact with another player. As a result, these findings may eventually influence rules and equipment regulations in order to reduce injury to goaltenders.

“Equipment, unique to the goaltender, prevents direct body impact from shots to the goal; overall, the goalie is the most heavily padded player on the ice,” said Robert LaPrade, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the study. “Despite this, goaltenders are at risk of contact with other players, especially those skating out of control.”

LaPrade, head team physician of the University of Minnesota Men’s Hockey Team, in collaboration with co-authors Coen Wijdicks, M.Sc., and Stanislav Spiridonov, B.S., studied NCAA goaltender injuries between the 2001-02 and the 2006-07 seasons. They found that nearly half of all injuries were due to contact with another player. The overall rate of injury for male goaltenders was 0.5 injuries per 1000 games played (55 injuries in 110,205 games). Female goaltenders had fewer reported injuries (26 injuries in 36,329 games), but a higher injury rate of 0.72 per 1,000 games played.

When researchers examined injury location, the most frequently reported injury for both men and women occurred in the knee and head of the goaltender. Of the 13 total head injuries (7 male, 6 female), all but one resulted in concussion, and the majority were caused by contact with another player. Nearly half of all injuries to the lower body were caused by contact with another player. The researchers suggest equipment variations may be a contributing factor to these injuries. For example, goalie helmets provide less padding to the back of the head when compared with player helmets. Furthermore, due to the goaltender’s primary objective of securing the net, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to avoiding collisions with other players.

To determine severity, researchers analyzed time loss after injury. Of the 55 male-injuries reported, 51 (92.7 percent) resulted in further time away from the ice, 10 injuries (18 percent) resulted in time loss of 10 or more days. In women, 22 of the 26 total injuries (85 percent) resulted in further time away from the ice, of which 7 (27 percent) resulted in time loss of 10 or more days.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from the NCAA Injury Surveillance System, a database that houses injury reports of male and female Division I, II, and III athletes. All reported injuries required attention from a team physician or athletic trainer, and the injuries occurred during an organized game (not at practice or off-ice training session).

Throughout the years, rule changes have been implemented in order to help create a safer environment. For example, the implementation of the rule that bans checking from behind has reduced injuries to players and created a safer environment, while minimally influencing game dynamics. While injury to goaltenders cannot be fully eliminated, the authors suggest strategies to avoid unnecessary contact with goaltenders and to maximize equipment protection.

This study, “A Prospective Study of Injuries in NCAA Intercollegiate Ice Hockey Goaltenders,” was supported by the Sports Medicine Research Fund of the Minnesota Medical Foundation. It will be published in the Journal of ASTM International, Vol. 6, Issue 3.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

Contact:       
Emily Jensen, Academic Health Center, 612-624-9163, jense888@umn.edu
Sara Martin, Academic Health Center, 612-626-7037, buss@umn.edu