Ice hockey injuries are common and can range from minor annoying aches and pains to severe trauma. It is essential for both recreational and professional ice hockey players to wear appropriate ice hockey equipment, including helmets, pads, and other protective gear to reduce the risk and severity of injuries. Even so, hockey players can still get injured on the ice.
Ice hockey injuries are generally defined as chronic (overuse) injuries or acute (traumatic) injuries.
Chronic injuries are cumulative aches and pains that develop over time and can be prevented with proper training and rest. Acute injuries are sudden and unavoidable accidents but require immediate first aid.

General injuries:
Statistics show that the majority of ice hockey injuries are due to direct trauma during the game. Hard physical examinations, player collisions, forced collisions with walls and ice, and direct blows from pucks, sharp sticks, and skates all injure and highlight the inherent dangers of ice hockey.
Sprains and strains
Sprains and strains are the most common types of hockey injuries. The best immediate treatment for sprains and strains is the R.I.C.E. method (rest, ice, compaction, elevation).
Wounds and lacerations
Head and face cuts and scrapes also rank high in hockey injuries, but the use of helmets with full face shields has reduced the severity and frequency of these injuries.
Contusion and bruises
With many bumps on ice skaters, sticks and pucks, and ice, hockey players often suffer from a variety of contusions and bruises.
Cramp
A muscle cramp is a sudden, intense pain that causes the muscle to lose strength as it involuntarily exerts force, preventing it from relaxing.
Delayed onset muscle pain
This is a type of muscle pain experienced 12 to 48 hours after a hard workout or game. Getting enough rest is all you need to recover.
Transient syndrome
The excessive syndrome often occurs in athletes who train beyond the body’s ability to recover.

Ways to improve/avoid:

Ice hockey is a sport with a greater risk of injury than rugby due to frequent clashes between players. The most common injury in ice hockey is a rotator cuff injury, a type of ligament. The rotator cuff is prone to damage because the shoulder is hit when the stick is swung with force on the shoulder. Injury to the rotator cuff can cause chronic pain and affect performance. Since violent collisions and twisting of the knee are frequent, damage to the varus meniscus located between the thigh and calf also occurs frequently.

In particular, in order to provide first aid for acute injuries, the “PRICE principle” must be observed. The PRICE principle is that five items, Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, must be managed continuously for 24 to 72 hours after the occurrence of an injury. Especially, ice is very important to reduce the risk of cell necrosis by slowing down the metabolic rate in the injured area. The compression, which minimizes the amount of body swelling by applying pressure to the injured area, and the high level, where gravity drains the fluid from the injured area by raising the injured area at a high level, are also essential for pain reduction and quick recovery. Quick first aid is important in the event of an injury, but it is also important to prevent injury before it occurs. and can be treated.