What question did this study set out to answer?

To analyze the incidence and patterns of injuries in professional ice hockey within the NHL over a specified period.

February 26, 2026

The Epidemiology of Professional Ice Hockey Injuries in the National Hockey League: A Retrospective Analysis From 2012 to 2023

Key Points

To analyze the incidence and patterns of injuries in professional ice hockey within the NHL over a specified period.
Conducted a retrospective analysis of NHL injury data from the 2012-2023 seasons, excluding two seasons affected by COVID-19.
Examined injury occurrences across regular and playoff seasons, focusing on player positions and injury causes.
Identified types of injuries and calculated the mean number of man-games and days lost due to injuries.
Highest number of injuries recorded during the regular season and highest rate during playoffs.
Most injuries were observed in forwards, especially during the first period, primarily due to puck-related causes.
Head and hand injuries were the most common, while knee and shoulder injuries led to significant man-games lost.

Abstract

From the 2012-2013 through 2022-2023 NHL seasons (excluding the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic), the highest number of injuries occurred during the regular season, while the highest rate of injury occurred during the playoffs. The greatest incidence of injuries occurred in forwards, during the first period, due to puck-related causes. Injuries occurred most commonly to the head and hand, while injuries to the knee and shoulder accounted for the greatest mean number of man-games and days lost.

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