Concussions: Should the hockey bodychecking age be raised in Canada?

By CBC News

Recent high-profile concussions in professional sports, such as that sustained by Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby when he was bodychecked in a Jan. 1 game, have put the spotlight on concussions at all levels of sports, including amateur leagues.

USA Hockey, the governing body for amateur hockey in the United States, is to vote on a rule change in June to ban bodychecking for players younger than 13 -- two years older than the current regulation age.

The proposal comes in part because of a study conducted by the University of Calgary that showed players in Pee Wee hockey leagues -- ages 11 and 12 -- that allowed bodychecking had more than three times the number of concussions than those in leagues that didn't allow it.

"That study is really a landmark peer-reviewed article that helps guide us," said Michael Stuart, chief medical officer at USA Hockey.

The 2010 study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, compared rates of injury between Alberta Pee Wee leagues, where bodychecking was allowed, and Quebec leagues, where it isn't. The Alberta players had 73 concussions, compared with Quebec's 20.

Though USA Hockey is pushing to raise the bodychecking age, across Canada, bodychecking remains allowed for all players 11 and older, except in Quebec, where it's banned until players reach the Bantam-level age of 13.

Read more.

Share your thoughts on the University of Calgary's study findings in the comments below. Should Canada follow the USA Hockey's lead and attempt to raise the bodychecking age?

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