Performance After Concussion in National Hockey League Players.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT Concussions in ice hockey players are an interesting area of study due to the fast-paced and high-impact nature of the sport. Recently, researchers have focused on player performance after return from concussion to evaluate subclinical deficits that were previously missed. OBJECTIVE: To examine National Hockey League (NHL) player performance from 2013 to 2019 and compare performance before a concussion with performance immediately after recovering to assess the current NHL return-to-play protocol. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The NHL Injury Viz and sports reporting websites. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Players in the NHL who sustained concussions from 2013 to 2019. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Goals, assists, points, plus-minus, time on ice (TOI), and hits. RESULTS: When goals, assists, points, plus-minus, TOI, and hits were examined, only TOI was different after the players returned from injury, and this TOI difference was not substantively important. CONCLUSIONS: After concussion, NHL player performance did not change.