© 2003 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

Ice hockey, considered Canada’s national sport, hasmore than 500 000 registered players,1 many of whomaspire to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). With the drive to win at any cost permeating the game, it is not surprising that aggression is a commonly used tactic and has helped to turn hockey into a collision sport.2 Nor is it surprising that youth often idolize and emulate the professional enforcers who protect their team’s leading scorers.3 Bodychecking, thought by some a useful skill for win-ning games, is a major risk factor for injury.2,4–7 With the rising incidence of traumatic brain injury in hockey,8,9 too many Canadian youth are exposed to the lasting effects of such injuries, some of which are not fully realized until the brain completes its maturation. Before the start of the 2002–2003 season, Hockey Canada (previously known as the Canadian Hockey Associ