My First Research Publication: A Big Step Forward for British Ice Hockey
Publishing my first peer-reviewed research paper has been one of the proudest moments of my career so far—not just personally, but for what it means for British ice hockey and the athletes I work with every day.
The study, titled “Epidemiology of injuries in British male ice hockey: A multi-season prospective cohort study,” was recently published in the Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics alongside co-authors Ashley Jones, Farzan Kamdin, and Gareth Jones. This paper represents one of the first attempts to provide long-term, injury surveillance data for male players in the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL)—something that's been lacking for far too long in UK hockey.
As someone who's spent countless hours pitchside, in clinics, and in rehab sessions with hockey players, I’ve always known that injuries are common, but until now, the actual numbers and trends weren’t being recorded in a meaningful way. That’s what we set out to change with this study.
Why This Research Matters
Ice hockey is a high-speed, high-contact sport where injuries are not just frequent but often complex. Yet most injury research has come from North America or Europe, where the infrastructure and style of play can differ significantly from what we see in the UK. The NIHL is unique in that it blends professional and semi-professional athletes. Players often juggle training and competition with full-time jobs or studies, which has a real impact on injury risk, rehab time, and medical support.
By tracking 50 NIHL players over two full competitive seasons (2022–2024), we captured over 3,300 hours of match and training exposure. Every injury—whether it kept the player out or not—was logged, analysed, and categorised.
Key Findings
182 total injuries were recorded, with only 26 of them (14%) resulting in time lost from hockey.
Injury incidence was 54.18 per 1000 hours, but time-loss injuries occurred at a much lower rate: 7.74 per 1000 hours.
Matches posed far greater risk than training (35.63 vs. 0.75 time-loss injuries per 1000 hours).
The head was the most commonly injured area (17.6%), while shoulder injuries caused the most time-loss.
Muscle and tendon injuries were most frequent, with bone contusions the most commonly diagnosedcondition.
Contact injuries accounted for over 70% of all cases, highlighting the physical toll of the sport.
We also introduced injury burden metrics—calculating not just how often injuries happened, but how much time they cost. This allows clinicians like me to focus our efforts not only on the most common injuries, but the ones that do the most damage to player availability and performance.
What This Means for Practice
As a clinic owner and active sports therapist in British ice hockey, this research has already changed how I approach injury prevention and rehabilitation:
Better education for players and coaching staff on high-risk injury areas, especially the head, shoulder, and lower limbs.
Targeted rehab strategies for muscle contusions and bone injuries, not just soft tissue sprains.
Closer attention to non–time-loss injuries, which still impact performance and can snowball into longer-term issues if ignored.
Reinforcing the need for qualified medical support during matches, where the injury rate is highest.
Challenges and Gratitude
This research wasn’t easy. Tracking players across two full seasons, managing consent, recording injury data in real time, and ensuring accurate exposure tracking took an enormous team effort. I owe a huge thanks to the players and medical teams involved, Leeds Beckett University for the academic support, and my co-authors who brought experience and rigour to the process.
On a personal level, it’s rewarding to contribute something that not only supports my own athletes, but also builds a foundation for future sports science in the UK. We need more British-led research like this—research that understands the realities of our leagues and our players.
What’s Next?
This is just the beginning. We now need multi-site studies across the NIHL and EIHL to create a clearer national picture. I'd love to see more therapists, coaches, and teams take ownership of their own injury data, and I’m keen to help support that where I can.
I am also nearing the end of my Masters by Research project, also within ice hockey. And upon completion I aim to seek further publications with the data.
As for my clinic, this research helps me stay at the cutting edge of evidence-based practice. Whether you’re a recreational player or a seasoned pro, the injury insights we’ve gathered will feed directly into the rehab programs we deliver here every day.
If you’re a coach, athlete, or parent involved in ice hockey and want to learn more about injury prevention, or if you're recovering from an injury and want specialist help, feel free to reach out. You can also read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeo2.70319
Thanks for reading—and here’s to keeping more players healthy and on the ice.
– Declan Eastwood, BSc (Hons), MSST, Sports Therapist, Clinic Owner, Researcher