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Background: Although there is a growing understanding of the consequences of concussions in hockey, very little is known about the precipitating factors associated with this type of injury.Aim: To describe player characteristics and situational factors associated with concussions in the National Hockey League (NHL).Methods: Case series of medically diagnosed concussions for regular season games over a 3.5-year period during the 2006-2010 seasons using an inclusive cohort of professional hockey players. Digital video records were coded and analysed using the Heads Up Checklist.Results: Of 197 medically diagnosed concussions, 88% involved contact with an opponent. Forwards accounted for more concussions than expected compared with on-ice proportional representation (95% CI 60 to 73; p=0.04). Significantly more concussions occurred in the first period (47%) compared with the second and third periods (p=0.047), with the majority of concussions occurring in the defensive zone (45%). Approximately 47% of the concussions occurred in open ice, 53% occurred in the perimeter. Finally, 37% of the concussions involved injured players' heads contacting the boards or glass.Conclusions: This study describes several specific factors associated with concussions in the NHL, including period of the game, player position, body size, and specific locations on the ice and particular situations based on a player's position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Concussions in sports are a growing cause of concern, as these injuries can have debilitating short-term effects and little is known about the potential long-term consequences. This work aims to describe how concussions occur in the National Hockey League.Methods: Case series of medically diagnosed concussions for regular season games over a 3.5-year period during the 2006-2010 seasons. Digital video records were coded and analysed using a standardised protocol.Results: 88% (n=174/197) of concussions involved player-to-opponent contact. 16 diagnosed concussions were a result of fighting. Of the 158 concussions that involved player-to-opponent body contact, the most common mechanisms were direct contact to the head initiated by the shoulder 42% of the time (n=66/158), by the elbow 15% (n=24/158) and by gloves in 5% of cases (n=8/158). When the results of anatomical location are combined with initial contact, almost half of these events (n=74/158) were classified as direct contact to the lateral aspect of the head.Conclusions: The predominant mechanism of concussion was consistently characterised by player-to-opponent contact, typically directed to the head by the shoulder, elbow or gloves. Also, several important characteristics were apparent: (1) contact was often to the lateral aspect of the head; (2) the player who suffered a concussion was often not in possession of the puck and (3) no penalty was called on the play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article documents the processes and procedures to ensure the involvement of Attawapiskat First Nation on the De Beers' Victor Project which was approved by the federal Environmental Assessment (EA) in Canada in August 2005. Attawapiskat First Nation agreed to the project by passing the Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA). Mechanisms were placed to ensure the project's success including an IBA before construction began, access to raw environmental data, and a seat at the permitting table.