Research Progress on Common Sports Injuries Among Youth Ice Hockey Players and Prevention Strategies: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND

Ice hockey is a high-intensity collision sport with one of the highest injury rates among youth team sports. Despite advanced protective equipment, youth athletes remain particularly vulnerable due to their unique physiological and psychological characteristics.

OBJECTIVE

This narrative review aims to synthesise the current evidence on the epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention strategies for common sports injuries in youth ice hockey players.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library for publications between August 2015 and August 2025 using an iterative process and manual reference screening to identify relevant studies.

RESULT: The evidence indicates that injury rates are notably high, ranging from 11.7 to 34.4 per 1000 athlete-hours. Concussions and upper/lower limb injuries are most prevalent. Body checking is the most significant modifiable risk factor associated with a threefold increase in concussion incidence. Policy interventions prohibiting body checking have demonstrated substantial benefits, leading to a 50-70% reduction in injury rates and a 57-60% reduction in concussions. Furthermore, the use of full-face protection was associated with a fourfold reduction in the risk of facial and dental injuries. Specialised preparatory activities and neuromuscular training, as well as comprehensive safety and rules training for players and coaches, can reduce the risk of injury in youth hockey players.

CONCLUSION

This review underscores that effective injury prevention in youth ice hockey requires multi-faceted strategies focused on policy changes and proper equipment. Future work should focus on developing personalised prevention models, establishing youth-specific equipment standards, and enhancing safety awareness.