Page and a half

How can we reduce injuries in sports like hockey, football, and lacrosse?

How can the NHL make hockey a safer sport?
I, as a hockey player, have had many injuries: a concussion, broken nose, a stick to the eye, a puck to the jaw, a skate cut my thigh, and many more from blocking shots. Hockey is one of the most exciting and dangerous sports known to mankind. It always has and always will be. However, more and more professional hockey players have been suffering from long-term and short-term injuries. Although there are many views on safety in the NHL, the best approach would be to change rules and regulations and improve equipment.
The reason why hockey is so liked is because of the risk. Ryan Miller, goalie for the Buffalo Sabres, says that “guys [are] on the ice bleeding and missing times with concussions” (Klein). Lately, concussions have been a common injury in the NHL. As a matter of fact, concussions account for 18 percent of all hockey injuries (Klein). So far, there have been 43 concussion since September in the NHL and is on pace for have 77 this year and an average of 75 a season (“Crosby’s injury renews focus on hits to head in the N.H.L.”) Despite the newest rule in the NHL, Rule #48, concussions are up this season due to secondary contact, head hitting the ice, boards or glass after a hit, and accidental contact, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman claims. Accidental contact is collisions with pucks, teammates and legal hits. But concussions aren’t the only injuries players suffer from. Muscle and ligament tears are also very common. Face and neck injuries are bigger injuries compared to tears and sprains. Muscles and ligaments can heal over time, but faces can’t. Who wants to mess up of the most beautiful part of their body? I sure wouldn’t. Pucks and sticks are flying all over the place during a hockey game. Without facial protection in hockey, players’ chances of suffering a facial injury are 8.5 times greater than with a half shield (Elliott). A half shield is a plastic visor the covers the eyes and forehead. “Players who wear no facial protection are twice as likely to suffer a facial injury as players who wear a half shield,” says Helene Elliott for the Los Angeles Times. She also goes on to say that, “those who wear half shields instead of full mask have twice the chance of suffering a facial injury.” Spine and neck injuries are very serious as well. From 30 year ago until now there have been 243 spinal injuries and 6 of those injuries have resulted in death. (Elliott) Also, neck injuries, which aren’t that common, are still very scary.

In your main question you ask about football, hockey and lacrosse. Maybe you should just say contact sports, that way you can use all of them as examples but will not feel as if you need to answer every question.

I like that your question is about hockey, I feel like this is a very interesting question, and it appeals to more people than just you. I know you like hockey so it is something that you are familiar with so this is a good start.

You talk about concussions in this paper. Just an idea for that would be to incorporate football injuries to the head to instead of just hockey. Maybe even compare stats regarding hockey head injuries, and football head injuries. I think that would be legit.