Injuries in international ice hockey. A prospective, comparative study of injury incidence and injury types in international and Swedish elite ice hockey.

In this prospective study, we have investigated incidence, nature, and mechanisms of injury in the Swedish national hockey team during 40 international games. There were 19 injuries associated with absence from practice or games, and 17 facial lacerations. The incidence of injuries associated with absence was 79.2 per 1,000 player-game hours, compared to the corresponding incidence of 78.4 found for Swedish national hockey. The incidence of facial wounds was 70.8 per 1,000 player-game hours, compared to the incidence of 21.8 for Swedish national hockey. The high incidence of facial injuries in international hockey is due to a high rate of stick contact injuries. Stricter enforcement of rules and more widespread use of visors would reduce the number of facial injuries.