Spate of hockey infections blamed on equipment

By Steve Chao,

Canadians know the hockey rink can be a dangerous place, but something life threatening is now occurring in the dressing room. Some minor injuries have turned into major infections for several high profile players and doctors are blaming their equipment.

"It's pretty tiring the first practice, its great to be back," Mikael Renberg said after returning to the ice.  Doctors say its fortunate the Toronto Maple Leaf is back at all. 

During a game against Buffalo last month Renberg came down with a serious infection. It started in his hand and spread up his arm.  He recovered, but doctors at the time feared his arm would have to be amputated.

Serious infections have recently sidelined a number of professional players. Leafs net minder Ed Belfour missed four games after cutting his finger on a goalie strap. 

But, sports dermatologist Ann Curtis dismisses the super-bug theory, blaming instead equipment that irritate wounds.  "The equipment provides additional friction. So the wound is being scraped against the equipment and it's sort of notorious with equipment that people talk about smelly locker rooms," says Curtis.  That smell is generated by bacteria and Curtis says when rubbed into a wound it can accelerate an infection.

Dermatologists say recreational athletes have much less to worry about as they spend less time on the ice and fewer hours in sweaty equipment.  Even so, they recommend keeping hockey gear clean.  Several NHL teams are certainly doing so.  Doctors say as long as that happens hockey lovers of all types can enjoy the game without worry of infection.