Injuries

[troy 12]

In the past six years I've broken my left collarbone, broken my left femur and torn my MCL, broken my pelvis, broken my right wrist, and torn ligaments in my left ankle as well experiencing severe tendinitis in both ankles. I've also had about three concussions in this span. Most recently I had a displaced Colles' fracture in my right wrist. The hospital stay, surgery, current pain and rehab outlook have me wondering if I'll ever return to serious playing again. I play 18AA and HS Varsity, and through all of my other injuries I've never once considered not returning to play.

My question is, at what point if ever, would you say enough is enough?

[burrn 0]

if you ask me you're already dead like 8 times

[Neal 41]

There are other options that allow you to stay in hockey and not take the same abuse.

1) You could play only one of 18AA or HS Varsity. Your body may be trying to tell you it is not able to handle that much ice time.

2) You could take it a step further and play in a non-competitive league such as the XL league offered in Minnesota, if something like that is offered where you live.

3) You could get out of playing altogether and ref games.

4) You could take a year off of hockey and heal. If you aren't a senior this is a viable option.

[gxc999 7]

I personally think you need to join the Teemu Selanne retirement club. I really think a year off is a good idea, to let your body heal. You probably play a very gritty game, and I can relate. Time off is a good idea :D

[BigDipper 0]

I suffered a major head injury which ultimately ended my competitive playing career. After taking a year off, I started playing again, forging medical clearance documents to play. After realizing that everything was "Wrong" with how my head was working I saw the doctors again. One said this to me..."are you going pro? cause if you are...go ahead.. play..but dont come whining to me when you cant live a normal life all because of one more season of junior hockey." I quit before I even left the building. Dont get me wrong, it killed me and still does to this day. BUT...there is, and always will be, more important things to life than hockey. And I sure as hell wasn't ready to roll the dice on that.

[JR97 2]

You're 18 and you've had all of that? Damn, dude. You're pretty resiliant. I say keep going until you can't go no more. Especially when you're young and can heal a little quicker.

When I was 27 I was in a severe snowboarding accident. Massive blood clot on the brain and a couple of fractured vertabrae. I was told anything other than walking could kill me because of the head injury and my back would give me problems all of my life. Being stupid, I was back on skates in 3 months and back in the league in 6 months. I could have been killed by something as slight as congrads head butting the teammates after a beauty goal.

Don't risk your life or future over hockey like I did, but at the same time hockey is life and it's a life worth working for.

[Bravada 442 0]

Do you enjoy the game without worrying about what else might happen?

I think that if you can play with a clear conscience, then continue. I know if I had that many injuries at that young of an age, I'd really have to start thinking about being a grown up and maybe stepping out of the competitive area.

I had a relatively major knee injury as a senior in high school that cost me a scholarship to play football at the college level. They offered me to walk on at the beginning of the spring semester, work out and see how everything played out.

I then had an academic scholarship to a more prestigious school and had to make the decision between the two. It sucked to have to make that decision at such a young age, but I'm glad that I did. I wasn't going anywhere, wasn't going to make money playing a game, so I decided to use the academic money and further my education by going to a better school.

Just my choice, and its not the right choice for everyone. It's really up to how much you are willing to sacrifice.

[Penguinsfanatic 0]

I'd hang um up when there is no possible way i can walk lol.....probably if it really hurt to skate and i wouldnt think i would be able to do it, otherwise im strappin um up

[cj190 0]

As long as there is a surgery that will eventually fix it, no matter how long I have to wait, Ill play (right now recovering from a sports hernia surgery). But to answer the question, like the guy above said, a head injury would make me think twice.

[Law Goalie 147]

I had to quit because of my back. I ended up off the ice for eight years. Took about as long to heal the injury as the pride. Now that I've been back playing for a couple of years, I can honestly say I didn't love the game back then the way I do now; I was doing it because I was successful, not because it was really a passion.

Which is to say, unless you have an education (ie. a full scholarship) or a living (ie. a salary) riding on your game, I'd hang them up, heal, and come back to play for fun and nothing more. The sport will take you back on whatever terms you please.

[N!! 0]

In the past six years I've broken my left collarbone, broken my left femur and torn my MCL, broken my pelvis, broken my right wrist, and torn ligaments in my left ankle as well experiencing severe tendinitis in both ankles. I've also had about three concussions in this span. Most recently I had a displaced Colles' fracture in my right wrist. The hospital stay, surgery, current pain and rehab outlook have me wondering if I'll ever return to serious playing again. I play 18AA and HS Varsity, and through all of my other injuries I've never once considered not returning to play.

My question is, at what point if ever, would you say enough is enough?

If you don't mind my asking, how on earth did you suffer all of these injuries? That's a lot of bone fractures and connective tissue damage in a fairly short time.