Adult Recreational Hockey & Concussions

[gintonic]

I've never heard so much talk of concussions until this season, and with all the talk of it, it has me wondering if it's an issue in adult rec leagues? I play beer league and I can't ever recall anyone getting a head injury in a game. I had a concussion in a game as a kid, but not really even close in playing adult hockey. Or maybe it's just as an adult you don't play as reckless as when you're younger?

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[mbeam]

I don't know of a single adult rec league that is full contact hockey so a concussion would only happen on incidental contact. The chances are very low.

 

[Jarick]

It's fairly low as the speed of the game is much slower and there's a lot less contact and hitting (still some, but not as much). Typically it seems most of the concussions are related to incidental contact or beginner skaters that lose their balance and hit their head on the ice.

 

[r3cc0s]

outside of the variables of the fact that its easier to fall, other usersthere is a 6oz vulcanized puck, stics and pads... No difference nor more chance of becoming concussed than playing soccer.

If you wear a cage, I can gaurantee this will not be a problem.

If you wear a helmet with a visor and mouth guard... the only thing would be a puck

Being that generally "shinny" has an unwritten rule about taking dangerous shots into traffic, I'd say you're safe.

 

[ponder]

Concussions were reasonably common in my leagues when I played competitive, full contact hockey, but now that I'm playing non-contact, adult beer league they're extremely rare. Hit's are still thrown occasionally, but not NEARLY as often, and the hits are normally pretty weak. You don't get the large number of big hits every game like you do in competitive, full contact hockey.

So yeah, basically what mbean and Jarick said.

 

[SouthpawTRK]

We had two players on the beer league team that I play on that both got concussions. I would definitely say it's less likely to happen in a beer league that only allows incidental contact. However, the two players on our team that got concussions were both basically crushed by bigger skaters that lack the control on the ice. Even in a beer league that may require a cage w/a chin cup, without a mouthpiece a concussion is still very possible.

 

[adaminnj]

I just put my shoulder into someone's head tonight. The guy I hit is a much better hockey player than I but he came around the net with his head down and I was moving to get the puck at the side of the net I had my head up and I put my shoulder down to protect my head and POP he got it. it was not to bad and it could have been worse for sure.

I don't think that head shots are the norm but it can happen,

 

[Kritter471]

More common than you think, particularly at lower levels.

There's a lot of collisions in low-level beer league where people have their heads buried, don't see each other coming or maybe aren't completely controlled stoppers. Those all cause head vs. ice collisions, something your head almost always loses.

I've had one diagnosed and two probable concussions, all very minor, in six years of rec hockey. First probable was an open hockey session where two guys collided and fell and slid down the ice, one taking out the back of my legs and whipping me back to the ice where my head smashed. First diagnosed was a collision with a much larger human where we tried to avoid each other but both moved the same direction and read head on into each other which sent both of us onto our backs. That also caused a strained neck. Second probable was a year later where I was trying to collect a puck and a guy came to pressure me, but he couldn't stop and bowled me backwards really hard. He got called for that, but it was unintentional.

Some of it depends on how tight the refs on your league call incidental contact (the refs in my league = you have to be really reckless or accidentally blow someone up to get called). The tighter they call it, the fewer collisions and, therefore, the fewer concussions.

 

[CuteHockeyBunny]

It happens in beer leagues. I ~think~ I had one a while ago. We were racing for the puck behind the net, and right before we cross the goal line, he tripped my skate and I went barelling head first into the boards. Strangely, I got up right away and went to the bench. I felt weird and all but what made me think I had a concussion is that the next day, when I was driving my car, the sun was abnormally bright and I was having physical pain looking at the glare. It never happened to me before and I heard that might be a symptom.

Anyway yea. There's a lot of people that skate hard in beer league and accidents happen. Rare, I guess, but they happen.

 

[kingscourt26]

I've seen it twice. Both resulting from a shove from behind along the boards in a no contact league. The best thing to do is a rec league is know your positioning, know your surroundings and don't fight for the puck.

I will usually back off and try to get the puck back. I have seen too many injuries along the boards including a chase for an iced puck that resulted in my friend's foot being broken and turned 180 degrees.

 

[rinkrat22]

I had one from playing. the first one in 20+ years of beer leagues, and 30 years of playing overall, though. incidental contact shoulder to my jaw from the side. I was high in the slot in the offensive zone shot on net was kicked out to me i started to drop to one knee to load the stick to go high over the goalie who was now down. The collapsing d winger caught me just right trying to knock the loose puck from me before I could get the shot off. I saw stars. I've known the guy for many years it was accidental, and a blind side hit. He actually drove me home that day because I was so loopy.

I have to condition this with the fact that I was 5-6 months post concussion from having a roof collapse on me in a fire. so I may have been a little "soft" in the head at the time still.

 

[TheOtter]

It happens in beer leagues. I ~think~ I had one a while ago. We were racing for the puck behind the net, and right before we cross the goal line, he tripped my skate and I went barelling head first into the boards. Strangely, I got up right away and went to the bench. I felt weird and all but what made me think I had a concussion is that the next day, when I was driving my car, the sun was abnormally bright and I was having physical pain looking at the glare. It never happened to me before and I heard that might be a symptom.

I had a similar one - skating side by side with an opponent towards the corner, and he tripped me (intentional or not, I'm not sure). I slid headfirst into the boards, and even though I got my arms up to take most of the force, I did whack my forehead hard enough to feel a little "off" for a couple of days after. I felt fine during the rest of the game, so I stayed in, but I did play it safe and skip another game a couple days later.

I never exercise, so as long as I don't play hockey for a while, I'm a natural at concussion recovery.