Injuries in Canadian youth ice hockey: The influence of relative age

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between relative age and injury prevalence in Canadian youth ice hockey. METHODS. In study 1, youth ice hockey-related injuries (among children 10-15 years of age) collected by the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program between 1995 and 2002 were analyzed. The relative ages of injured children were compared across different age groups and injury characteristics ( mechanism of injury and severity of injury). In study 2, injuries reported in the Hockey Canada Insurance Database were analyzed. The relative ages of injured children at different levels of play (ie, representative versus house league teams) were compared. RESULTS. In study 1, the majority of injured players were of older relative age. However, relative age was not related to mechanism of injury or severity of injury. In study 2, similar to 40% of injured players at the highest level of play were relatively older, whereas only 20% to 25% of house league injured players were relatively older. CONCLUSION. Relatively older children within ice hockey age groups are at increased risk of injury compared with their younger peers. Furthermore, the risk of injury for relatively older players is greater at more competitive levels of play. This study proposes that the relative age advantage associated with selection to Canadian youth ice hockey teams is accompanied by an increased risk of injury.