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

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.