Should bodychecking be allowed in minor hockey?

With more than 4.5 million Canadians involved in ice hockey as coaches, officials, administrators, volunteers or spectators, and more than 500 000 registered players, hockey is undeniably Canada's national sport. 1 Combining skill and speed, hockey is an exciting sport for both players and spectators. Hockey can also be an emotional, intense game and is classified as a collision sport by the American Academy of Pediatrics because of the intentional body contact, or bodychecking. 2 Unlike body contact, which may be an incidental part of the game, bodychecking is defined as an individual defensive tactic designed to legally separate the puck carrier from the puck. Using this tactic, a defensive player is allowed to deliberately and forcefully "hit " another player who is carrying the puck. Body contact, on the other hand, is an individual defensive tactic designed to legally block or impede the progress of a puck carrier. 3 Using this tactic, a defensive player is not allowed to "hit ' an opponent but can use his or her body to block the opponent's way or take away the skating lane by proper skating, angling and positioning. Hockey Canada, the governing body for amateur hockey in Canada, recommends that both tactics be taught as part of a 4-step skills-development program, with body contact being taught before bodychecking. 3 Every year numerous children are injured severely enough while playing hockey to attend an emergency department, with 2002/03 estimates of more than 3000 children 16 years of age and younger with such injuries in Ontario alone. 4 This is likely the tip of the iceberg, since many injuries, particularly concussions, which may have long-term consequences on the developing brain, are underreported. 5,6 Bodychecking has been identified as the main cause of injury, accounting for 50%–86 % of all injuries in minor hockey, despite the fact that the vast majority of players participate in leagues where bodychecking is not allowed