from Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post,
Authors of a new article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggest a commitment to reducing aggressive body contact in hockey — such as adopting rules to limit bodychecking — would lead to a reduction in injuries on the ice. The lead author, Dr. Michael Cusimano, from the Division of Neurosurgery and the Injury Prevention Research Office, St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto, offers an analogy.
“If we had a pill, and we said we could cut down the number of concussions, or the number of instances of this brain sickness or this arm sickness called a fracture — if we could cut that down by tenfold, if you were a parent, you would want to get that for your kid,” he said. “So we know, right now, with these rule changes, that we could do that. But the culture is such that we’re not doing it, so there are kids getting hurt needlessly, when we know what we need to do to diminish [the risk].”
The article is a review of 18 studies, including several well-known works, with most of the focus on youth hockey. Eleven of those studies showed injuries and penalties were reduced after rules were changed. You can read the full article here, and read a partial transcript of the National Post’s interview with Dr. Cusimano (MC) below.
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