Concussion Return to Play
A player with a suspected or diagnosed concussion may not return directly to contact hockey or game play.
Return to sport must follow a graduated process. Each stage must be completed successfully before moving to the next stage. If symptoms return or worsen, the player may need to stop, rest, return to the previous stage, or seek further medical guidance.
General Concussion Return-to-Sport Stages
Stage | Activity | Contact Allowed? |
Stage 1 | Relative rest and symptom-limited daily activity | No |
Stage 2 | Light aerobic activity | No |
Stage 3 | Sport-specific exercise, no contact | No |
Stage 4 | Non-contact training drills | No body contact |
Stage 5 | Full-contact practice | Yes, if cleared |
Stage 6 | Game play | Yes, after successful progression |
Each stage should be completed gradually. A player should not skip stages.
Medical Clearance for Concussion
Before a player progresses to activities involving body contact, the Trainer Program requires written medical clearance that meets the applicable concussion protocol.
The medical clearance must confirm that:
- The player has been personally evaluated
- The player has been assessed for a concussion
- The player has completed the required non-contact stages of the graduated return-to-sport process
- The player is medically cleared to progress to contact hockey activity
For concussion return-to-play, the Trainer Program requires clearance from a Medical Doctor or Nurse Practitioner, unless otherwise permitted by the applicable governing protocol.
A note from another provider may be helpful for treatment or rehabilitation information, but it may not be sufficient for concussion clearance to return to contact hockey.
Contact Practice vs. Game Play
Clearance to begin contact activity is not the same as immediate clearance for game participation.
Clearance to begin contact activity allows the player to progress to full-contact practice. It does not automatically clear the player for immediate game participation.
A player may return to games only after completing the required return-to-sport steps, receiving medical clearance, and successfully tolerating contact hockey without concussion symptoms. Clearance for contact practice does not automatically clear the player for game play. The team Trainer will confirm the return-to-game plan with the player and parent or guardian.
If symptoms return during contact practice, the player must stop participating and report symptoms to the team Trainer, parent or guardian, and appropriate medical professional.