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Hockey
is a Fast, Physical Game with
the Potential for Injury at Every Turn.
Chuck Brown
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
But while helmets, shin guards, elbow pads and leather gloves offer
protection against body checks, stick slashes and careening pucks,
they can't protect against microscopic invaders.
Some of hockey's biggest stars learned over the past season that
not only is their protective gear useless against bacterial threats,
it actually provides a lush and fertile home to them.
An early victim of hockey gear infection was Toronto Maple Leafs
goaltender Ed Belfour. He was sidelined early in the season after
a cut on his finger from an eyelet on his skate became infected.
What he thought was a minor nick soon festered into a severely swollen
hand that required antibiotics and rest.
In December, teammate Mikael Renberg suffered an even more serious
infection after he cut his hand while tying his skates. The wound
became infected and Mr. Renberg was taken to hospital with a 104-degree
fever. Doctors discussed amputating the hand in order to save his
life. Mr. Renberg said he was fortunate the team's athletic therapist
got him to hospital quickly enough to avoid amputation, maybe even
death. He, and some other players, now wear gloves while lacing
their skates to avoid cuts or blisters.
Around the same time, Boston Bruins star Joe Thornton was sidelined
with an elbow infection. His elbow ballooned after he fell and injured
it.
Other players have also been felled by tiny opponents. In past seasons,
Maple Leafs Steve Thomas and Jeff Brown both were out of the line-up
with severe infections.
Cuts are common and sweaty hockey gear, particularly dark, dank
hockey gloves, are ideal factories for germs. Combine the two and
you have a perfect recipe for infection.And while those injuries
may seem unusual, even freakish, what's truly surprising is that
they don't happen more often.
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