Do National Hockey League Injury Rates Increase During the Years Players Participate in the Winter Olympics?

Every 4 years, the Winter Olympics occurs in the middle of the National Hockey League (NHL) season. The NHL allowed its players to participate in the Olympics during the 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 editions. The added game load, travel, and intense exertion over a short period of time may increase players' risk of sustaining injuries.

To compare the injury rates between a normal NHL season and an Olympics-interrupted season and to compare the rates of different types of injuries, games missed due to injury, and the incidence of multiple injuries in NHL players.

Descriptive epidemiology study.

The study retrospectively evaluated NHL injuries that occurred between 2000 and 2023. Injured players were identified from publicly available online databases: tsn.ca, capfriendly.com, cbssports.com, and sportsforecaster.com. Information regarding the number and characteristics of the injuries was categorized for each season. Injury rates were compared between Olympic and non-Olympic seasons. To evaluate the effect of the Olympics on injuries, multivariate regression models were used, adjusting for position.

No significant difference was found in overall injury rates in Olympic years compared with regular NHL seasons (P = .94). The proportion of forwards injured during Olympic seasons increased significantly (P = .041). After adjusting for position, the authors noted significantly increased odds of players sustaining multiple injuries (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; P = .002), knee injuries (OR, 1.71; P < .001), and muscle injuries (OR, 1.65; P < .001) during Olympic years. The mean injury rate was 0.671 in Olympic players compared with 0.905 in non-Olympic players during these seasons (P = .083).

The study demonstrated no significantly increased rate of injuries overall to NHL players during Olympic seasons compared with regular NHL seasons. However, within Olympic seasons, an increase was noted in certain categories of injuries to players on Olympic rosters versus those who were not. The current findings may help in future discussions for policies on players' participation in the Olympics and/or to help develop awareness and safeguards from injuries during Olympic years.