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The Impact Of Dr. Ashare A S K D R . H O C K E Y 42 // JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM p By Charles A. Popkin, MD & Michael J. Stuart, MD Mark, the best answer to t h i s q u e st i o n r e q u i r e s a short history lesson on ice hockey safety. In the late 1980s there was a sharp rise in cervical spine injuries in the sport of ice hockey. Research in the United States and in Canada identified that a major cause was checking from behind (CFB). This dangerous play can launch a player headfirst into the boards. As the head strikes the boards, the remainder of the player's body continues to move forward. The cervical spine then absorbs high compression forces, resulting in considerable risk for a broken neck. Research has shown that collision speeds as low as four mph can cause a cervical fracture, w h i c h i s v e r y c o n c e r n i n g s i n c e some players can reach speeds on the ice of over 27 mph! Checking from behind was made a 10-minute major penalty and the number of cervical spine injuries reduced dramatically. A dditional preventative measures to reduce cervical spine injuries include the STOP program and "Heads Up Don't Duck." A youth hockey coach who suggested that a STOP sign be sewn into the back of each player 's jersey. STOP stands for Safety Towards Other Players and was designed to make players think twice before checking an opponent from behind. The "Heads Up, Don't Duck" program was started by USA Hockey in 1995 under the leadership of Dr. Alan Ashare. Doc Ashare, who passed away this past summer, was a long-time member and Chair of the USA Hockey Safety and Protective Equipment Committee (SPEC). "Heads Up Don't Duck" teaches players to take the safest posture when hitting the boards by first trying to make initial contact with another part of the body, like the shoulder blade or buttock areas. If head contact can't be prevented, players should lift their head up. This maintains the normal curvature of the cervical spine to better absorb forces and help protect the neck from injury. Youth hockey coaches can incorporate safety drills at the beginning of every practice to teach sliding on the ice with the head up, angling a teammate into the boards and turning with skates parallel when approaching the boards. I n a d d i t i o n t o e s t a b l i s h i n g "Heads Up Don't Duck," Doc Ashare chaired HECC (Hockey Equipment Certification Council), wrote a textbook on ice hockey safety, served as a team physician for USA Hockey, won the USA Ho c ke y S a f et y A wa r d , t h e P r e s i d e n t 's A w a r d , t h e D o c C o u n s i l m a n S c i e n c e Award in Ice Hockey and was elected into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame. He w a s a w o n d e r f u l p hy s i c i a n a n d a n even better person. Doc Ashare left a big footprint in the world of ice hockey and the game is safer because of his efforts. We miss his guidance and sense of humor at the Safety and Protective Equipment Committee meetings. P A T H E D O C I S I N A N D R E A D Y T O A N S W E R Y O U R H O C K E Y M E D I C A L Q U E S T I O N S PHOTO COURTESY OF Charles Popkin I was at a youth hockey tournament last month in Northern Minnesota and one of the teams had orange STOP signs on the back of their jerseys above the number. Another team that came down from Canada had a red STOP sign on the back of the players' helmets. What does the STOP sign mean, Doc? Q – Mark H. (Minnetonka, Minn. ) If you have questions for Dr. Hockey, please email Justin.Felisko@ usahockey.org ? HEADS UP DON'T DUCK HOCKEY RULES 1. Rule One: Head up —don't duck! 2. Hit the boards with your shoulder, arm, a leg or anything but your head first. 3. Skate into the boards on an angle to dig out the puck. 4. Taking a check: Keep your head out of it, skates parallel to the boards, knees bent, low center of gravity. Skate through the check and get away quickly. 5. No checking from behind. It's illegal, dangerous, and bad hockey. 6. Wear a snug fitting, HECC-certified helmet in good shape, plus a full facial protection. USAHOCKEY.COM/HEADSUPHOCKEY