A new study has revealed that NHL clubs pay more than $218 million every year for players who have missed games due to injuries. More than 63 per cent of the 1,307 NHL players who laced up skates during the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 regular seasons, missed at least one game due to a hockey-related injury.
"Employers are morally responsible for protecting their employees," said Dr. Michael Cusimano, a St. Michael's Hospital neurosurgeon and researcher. "The NHL owners need to do a better job of protecting their athletes -- if not for their players, then for their own pocketbooks."
Over the course of three seasons, $653 million was doled out to injured athletes who were unable to play. The findings were published today in British Medical Journal's Injury Prevention.
"Most arguments against changing the game cite the connection between violence and revenue," said Dr. Cusimano. "But this research shows that preventable injuries – such as concussions, that are clearly related to violent acts in 88 per cent of cases – have an important economic burden in addition to the high personal health costs that players bear."
Dr. Cusimano's team, looked at the types of injuries and the location they're sustained to determine the most costly hockey injuries. Time lost to concussions alone accounted for $42.8 million each year.
During a 30-week sample, head and neck injuries, such as concussions, were the second-most common injury. These injuries also accounted for, on average, the most games missed (11 games) and were the single most expensive type of injury ($353,300 per injury).
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Groin ailments were the third-most frequent.On average, however, injuries to the groin were less costly ($203,900) than those to the shoulder ($306,600), arm/hand ($290,000) and chest/abdomen ($219,400).
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Source-Eurekalert