Hockey is one of the most popular winter sports globally. Every December and January, people around the world play hockey to the delight of fans. However, while the puck can be a great tool in helping players move around the ice smoothly and gain skill, there are certain risks associated with hockey that need to be considered.
To better understand these risks, it is important to consider the differences between the two sports. Firstly, NHL (National Hockey League) games are generally more physical than those of the CFL (Canadian Football League). Players from both sports can suffer from concussion, but the symptoms usually clear up within a few days, and the recovery time is much shorter for hockey.
Secondly, hockey is a more dangerous sport than football when it comes to car accidents. According to data from the U.S. Federal Highway Safety Administration, hockey is one of the most dangerous sports for car accidents, with over 40,000 accidents per year. This makes it the third most dangerous sport after motorcycling and snowmobiling. As a car driver or passenger, you’re more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a hockey accident than in a football accident. Fortunately, with proper car safety equipment, chances of serious injury are typically low.
Lastly, hockey is more dangerous than football when it comes to fighting. More than 300 fights each year are registered in the NFL (National Football League), which is the premier professional American football league. By comparison, only 100 to 150 fights are reported in the NHL each year. Some of these fights are so ferocious that players have been carried off the rink on a stretcher. While hockey is a less violent sport than football, when you consider the number of injuries and accidents that occur during ball games, it’s not difficult to see why people prefer to avoid contact as much as possible.
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What Are The Top Three Risks Involved In Hockey?
The following are the top three risks involved in hockey:
1. Head Injury
The first and most obvious risk in hockey is head injury. Checking hits to the head and body are common in hockey, and are one of the main reasons for the sport’s high injury rate. When a player’s head or body contacts another player or object directly on the ice, it usually results in a head injury. Such head injuries can range from mild to severe, and the effects can last for years. For instance, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a disease that develops in athletes who play contact sports. It’s a form of dementia that affects the way a person thinks and acts. Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, and trouble with judgment. There is no known cause of CTE, but it has been linked to repeated head trauma. Many people who develop the disease never play organized hockey again. The symptoms usually show up between the ages of 20 and 40.
The head is a major area of the body that needs to be protected in hockey. Checking hits to the head are common, as are head-to-head collisions. Because of the increased pace of the sport, players are often better equipped than they are in other sports when it comes to taking a hit to the head, says Dr. Andrew Weiland, medical director of the Minnesota Head Health Program. They’re also better able to withstand the forces involved in such accidents. Due to the nature of the game, however, head injuries are often unavoidable. They can’t always be prevented, but they can be minimized.
2. Car Accident
The second most dangerous risk in hockey is car accident. Just like in any other sport where cars are used, aggressive driving and recklessness play a major role in car accidents in hockey. These accidents can range from minor fender benders all the way up to drivers who lose control and flip the vehicle. While most hockey car accidents are minor, they can still result in serious injuries or death. This makes it one of the most dangerous sports, not just for car accidents but for accidental deaths in general. More than 40,000 people die each year from accidental causes, and around 75% of these accidents involve a car.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, hockey is the third most dangerous sport for car accidents, after motorcycling and snowmobiling. One of the main reasons for this is that cars are involved in most accidents in hockey. The other reason is that most accidents in hockey happen because of poor driving habits. When you throw in the fact that hockey is a speed-related sport, you have a recipe for disaster. This is especially dangerous for younger players who are often less experienced and more prone to recklessness. They also don’t wear protective gear like helmets or knee pads, which are required in other sports.
3. Joint Injury
The third most dangerous risk in hockey is joint injury. Like head injury, joint injury is often a result of playing the game, though it can also occur from a car accident or falling ice plant. The worst case scenario is when a player is hit directly in the knees, causing sudden and permanent damage. This is often the result of blocking a shot or getting hit by a puck. When a player’s knees are hit directly, it’s usually a result of reckless or dirty play. The good news is that joint injuries are less common in hockey than in football, in part because of the increased protection that modern day rules provide. Still, around 1500 people per year sustain injuries to a joint in hockey, resulting in over 500 days of missed play.
Hockey is one of the most popular winter sports globally. Every December and January, people around the world play hockey to the delight of fans. However, while the puck can be a great tool in helping players move around the ice smoothly and gain skill, there are certain risks associated with hockey that need to be considered.