As one of the official sports in the Winter Olympics Games, ice hockey is a competitive team activity combining changeable skating skills with agile hockey skills. The biomechanical studies of different skills used by ice hockey players are considered to be effective ways to improve performance and reduce injury risks. The purpose of this study was to conduct a review that elucidated the biomechanical research about those techniques. Englishlanguage literature searches of the electronic databases in Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were performed from 1999 to June 2019, using the following key words: `Biomechanics` AND `Ice hockey player` OR `Ice hockey athlete.` Of the 455 identified articles, 17 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Most of the studies were conducted by Canadians and it is consistent with the country`s dominant position in ice hockey competitions. Forward skating, skating start, and shooting were the most studied skills in order to optimize sports performance and reduce injury risks. Players with different levels or sex would exhibit different biomechanical characteristics during forward skating and skating start, and those characteristics may also alter with each stride. In addition, several factors, including the players and sticks` characteristics, may be associated with the shot accuracy. While ice hockey is always considered as a high-risk sport, little biomechanical studies have been conducted to explore the injury mechanisms and preventions of specific ice hockey techniques. Future research on the biomechanical analysis of ice hockey players` skills, especially the injuries during some specific ice hockey skills, is much needed.
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