Canada
Australia
Hockey is part of Toronto’s identity, from NHL & GTHL games to competitive junior leagues & weekend adult rec hockey. The speed, quick direction changes, and physical contact that make the sport exciting also make injuries a common part of playing it. They range from a minor groin strain that lingers for a few weeks to a more serious knee or shoulder injury that sidelines a player for the season, and each one calls for a different approach to recovery.
At Ace Sports Clinic Toronto, we treat hockey players at every level who face these same physical demands game after game. Recognizing how these common injuries happen, and how physiotherapy and osteopathy supports treatment and recovery, can help you get back on the ice sooner and with less risk of the injury coming back.
Below, we’ve broken down the most common hockey injuries by body area, along with how our team approaches treatment and what you can do to help prevent them in the first place.
The Most Common Hockey Injuries
Hockey injuries tend to fall into a handful of categories, some from repeated overuse and others from a single hard hit, fall, or awkward landing. Here’s what we see most often at Ace Sports Clinic Toronto, and how each one typically presents.
Head, Neck, and Face Injuries
Concussions are one of the most talked-about hockey injuries, and for good reason. They can happen from a check, a fall into the boards, or contact with the puck or a stick, and symptoms aren’t always obvious right away. Neck strains and facial injuries are also common, particularly in leagues with more physical contact. Any suspected head injury should be assessed before a player returns to the ice. If neck pain lingers after the initial injury has settled, our neck pain relief page covers how we approach ongoing treatment.
Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder separations and rotator cuff strains are common after hits into the boards or falls onto an outstretched arm. These injuries can range from mild discomfort to a more serious separation that needs a longer recovery. Our shoulder pain relief and rotator cuff injuries pages go into more detail on treatment options.
Hip and Groin Injuries
Groin strains are one of the most frequent hockey injuries, largely because of the sport’s quick lateral movements and powerful skating stride. Hip impingement is also common in players who’ve been skating for years, as the repetitive hip flexion can wear on the joint over time. Left untreated, a groin strain tends to become a recurring issue rather than a one-off. Our hip impingement page has more on symptoms and treatment.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are a major concern in hockey, and goalies face a particularly high risk given how much time they spend in a butterfly or half-butterfly stance. Common issues include MCL sprains from awkward twists, meniscus tears, and, in more serious cases, ACL injuries from a hard stop or collision. Goalie-specific knee pain often develops gradually from the repetitive strain of dropping into and holding the butterfly position.
Ankle and Foot Injuries
High ankle sprains and broken ankles happen from awkward landings, collisions, or a skate catching an edge wrong. These injuries can be trickier to recover from than a standard ankle sprain because the ligaments involved sit higher up and take longer to heal. Foot injuries from blocked shots are also common, particularly among defencemen. See our foot and ankle pain relief page for more on treatment timelines.
Back Injuries
Lower back pain is common in hockey, often from the forward-flexed skating posture combined with sudden twists and hits. For some players, it builds gradually over a season rather than starting with one specific incident.
Elbow, Wrist, and Achilles Injuries
Elbow and wrist injuries typically come from falls or direct hits, ranging from bruising to fractures. Achilles injuries are less common but can be serious, especially strains or tendinopathy from the repetitive push-off of skating. Our tendonitis and tendinopathy treatment page has more detail on managing these.
How Physiotherapy Supports Hockey Injury Treatment
Every hockey injury is different, so treatment starts with a thorough assessment rather than a generic recovery plan. At Ace Sports Clinic Toronto, our physiotherapists look at the injury itself as well as the movement patterns, skating mechanics, and muscle imbalances that may have contributed to it in the first place.
From there, treatment typically includes a mix of:
- Manual therapy to reduce pain and restore joint and soft tissue mobility
- Targeted exercise rehabilitation to rebuild strength, stability, and range of motion
- Movement and biomechanics assessment, particularly for overuse injuries like groin strains and goalie-related knee pain, where skating mechanics often play a role
- Return-to-play planning, so players build back up gradually instead of returning too soon and risking re-injury
For some injuries, physiotherapy and osteopathy work alongside other modalities, including dry needling for muscle tension and kinesiology for sport-specific strength and conditioning as players work their way back to full training.
Recovery timelines vary depending on the injury, but the goal is always to get players back on the ice at full strength, with a lower risk of the same injury happening again.
Preventing Hockey Injuries
While not every hockey injury is avoidable, the right preparation goes a long way toward reducing the risk. There are a few crucial steps you can take that make a real difference:
- Dynamic warm-ups before games and practices to get muscles and joints ready for quick starts, stops, and direction changes
- Off-ice strength and conditioning, particularly for the hips, core, and legs, to support the skating stride and reduce strain on the groin and lower back
- Flexibility and mobility work, especially through the hips, to help offset the repetitive, low-position skating posture
- Proper-fitting equipment, including skates, since poor fit can contribute to both foot injuries and altered skating mechanics
- Listening to early warning signs, like nagging groin tightness or knee discomfort, rather than pushing through until it becomes a bigger issue
- Gradual return to play after any injury, so players don’t come back too soon and risk re-injury or a longer-term problem
For goalies, building hip and knee resilience through targeted strength work can help offset the wear that comes with spending so much time in the butterfly position.
A physiotherapist can also help identify individual risk factors, like muscle imbalances or movement patterns, before they turn into an injury.
Book a Physiotherapy Assessment in Toronto
Staying healthy on the ice takes more than playing through the pain. From a nagging groin strain to a knee injury that needs a proper recovery plan, or simply a pre-season movement assessment, early, targeted care is the fastest way back to full performance.
Book an appointment online or call us at 1-833-266-5223 to get back on the ice sooner and stronger. Our Ace Certified Practitioners have vast experience working with some of the best athletes in the world including NHL and semi-pro players.