…As part of a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic for Minnesota Hockey, the hits to the head dropped from 12.4 per 100 youth games in 2004-05 to just two per 100 youth games the following season. Also, checking from behind penalties decreased approximately 23 per 100 games in 2004-05 to roughly 8.5 in 2009-10. These types of checks from the behind are considered very dangerous as they can possibly lead to spinal or head injuries.

Let’sPlayHockey.com, by Russ Bitely, 02/02/2012

Tags: Mayo Clinic for Minnesota Hockey, Research, spinal or head injuries, Sports Medicine