Early into the 2022-23 season, Montreal Canadiens rookie Arber Xhekaj went head-to-head with NHL veteran NHL Zack Kassian of the Edmonton Oilers. While many Canadiens fans were excited for the rookie to knock down Kassian in a fight, other were cringing that he didn’t break his hand in the fight, or that neither player suffered a concussion.

Injuries are a common occurrence in the NHL, and injuries sustained as a result of fighting have been a hot topic in recent years following the introduction of the Instigator Rule. But what about all the other injuries?

NHL lines site Betway have completed a study into NHL injuries, comparing the findings against data from the NBA, NFL, MLB and the English Premier League to establish which sports incur the most injuries and assess the impact of those injuries. 

They include:

• 2020 saw the highest injury numbers for the NHL (1,179)
• Overall, NHL injuries have decreased by 14 per cent since 2017
• Injuries in the NBA have decreased by 53 per cent since 2017
• The NFL is the only sport to have increased injury numbers year-on-year since 2017, increasing by 73 per cent
• Only the NHL and NBA have seen injury numbers decrease since 2017
• The injury list time in days for the NHL has increased by 148 per cent since 2017
• The most injured body part across all sports is the knee
• The lower body is more prone to injuries than the upper body when combining data across all sports

However, a closer look at NHL injuries between 2017-21, reveals that NHL injuries are spread out.  Concussions were the number 1 source of concern. 

The NHL does have a Concussion protocol in place for its players.  After a concussion diagnosis, players should rest for 24-48 hours, avoiding anything that could worsen symptoms. Concussion prevention and treatment have improved significantly in the NHL, in part thanks to the research completed by sports physician and sports medicine specialist, Mark Aubry.

“UBI”  ; that’s a common phrase in NHL circles.  UBI refers to Upper Body Injury.  Very vague as many teams differ on what to disclose.  As hockey is more scrutinize due to gambling gaining a greater acceptance in the sport and broadcasting, more teams are becoming more transparent with disclosing what type of injuries players suffer, be it UBI or LBI (Lower Body Injury).

Where UBI includes hand, back, and shoulder, Lower body Injury is anywhere below the waist.  Knees being a primary source of concern.

But all these injuries not only yield man-games lost due to injuries, there is an economic impact too.  In 2021, the Montreal Canadiens paid costs of $33,602,889.05 for 2,755 injury days.  Carey Price, Shea Weber, Joel Edmundson, Paul Byron among the players missing the majority of the season.  Weber didn’t play the entire season.

In 2022-23, Carey Price most likely won’t play again, although he has four years left on his contract.  As his knee is not fully healed.  Paul Byron is in his final year of his contract, and he too will most likely not play again following hip surgery. With the season already 10 games in, the Montreal Canadiens will already surpass $15 million in paid costs due to injury.

There are many ways to prevent injuries, but sometimes all you need is some luck.