Economic burden of time lost due to injury in NHL hockey players.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the economic burden of salary costs lost due to injury in the National Hockey League (NHL).


METHODS
All NHL players who engaged in at least one regular season game during the 2009-2010 to 2011-2012 seasons comprised the study population. We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of publically available media sources to collect injury and salary data. Outcome measurements were games missed during regular season play due to hockey-related injury and lost salary.


RESULTS
A total of 50.9% of all NHL players missed at least one game within a season of play, and injuries represented a total salary cost of approximately US$218 million per year. Concussions alone amounted to a salary loss of US$42.8 million a year. Head/neck injuries and leg/foot injuries were the most expensive in terms of overall cost, while head/neck and shoulder injuries had the highest mean cost.


CONCLUSIONS
NHL players commonly miss time due to injury, which creates a substantial burden in lost salary costs.
Division of Neurosurgery and Injury Prevention Research Office, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Canadian Brain Injury and Violence Research Team, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Laura
L
Donaldson
Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bing
B
Li
Division of Neurosurgery and Injury Prevention Research Office, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Canadian Brain Injury and Violence Research Team, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Michael D
MD
Cusimano
D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000191:economics*; D002170:Canada; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006688:Hockey / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*